Best pizza in London: what the UK's top pizza makers look for
Search for the best pizza in London and you'll get a hundred lists and a thousand opinions. So in July 2024, The Times did something smarter: instead of asking critics, it asked the people who make pizza for a living.
The news: The Times' 50 best pizza restaurants in the UK
The Times spoke to some of the UK's most respected pizza makers and asked where they recommend. The result was a list of the UK's 50 best pizza restaurants, grouped by region rather than ranked, as Time Out reported at the time. London had ten entries, covering everything from Neapolitan to New York-style.
Gracey's, then a single neighbourhood pizzeria on Watford Road in St Albans, made the South East section. A few months earlier, The Sunday Times restaurant critic Charlotte Ivers had reviewed us too, as noted by Harden's, saying our pizza reminded her of the magic of a really good pie. Since then, we've opened three London kitchens.
What makes great pizza? Five things pizza makers judge
Ask a pizza maker what separates good from great, and you hear the same things again and again.
1. The dough
Great pizza starts days before it reaches the oven. Long, slow fermentation gives dough flavour and makes it easier to digest. At Gracey's we use a high-hydration dough that bakes up light inside and crisp outside.
2. The bake
Every style has its own bake. Neapolitan pizza cooks in about 90 seconds at very high heat. New Haven pizza, our style, bakes for 4 to 6 minutes, which gives it its crunch and its dark, blistered char. Those dark spots are flavour, not burning.
3. The sauce
A great tomato sauce tastes of tomatoes. We use San Marzano tomatoes, kept simple with garlic, oregano and olive oil, so you can taste them.
4. Restraint
The best pizzerias rarely have the longest menus. Harden's noted that Gracey's keeps its toppings list short, and that's deliberate. A few great ingredients beat a pile of average ones.
5. The crust holds up
Pick up a slice. Does it flop, or hold its shape? A properly baked base stays crisp right to the tip, even under toppings.
The styles you'll find in London
Neapolitan: Soft, puffy, wet in the middle, eaten with a knife and fork.
New York: Big, thin, foldable slices with a golden, sturdy base. Read more in New York pizza in London.
New Haven: Thin, crisp, chewy and properly charred. This is Gracey's. Read our guide: What is New Haven-style pizza?
Roman and Detroit: Rectangular, crisp-edged pan and tray pizzas that are increasingly popular in London.
Try Gracey's in London
You'll find Gracey's at three Arcade food halls in London:
Tottenham Court Road, under Centre Point
Covent Garden, on Bedford Street
Or come to where it all started, our pizzeria in St Albans, just north of London.
FAQs
What is the best pizza in London?
It depends on the style you love. The Times' list of the UK's 50 best pizza restaurants included ten London pizzerias, plus Gracey's in St Albans, which now also cooks in London at Tottenham Court Road, Covent Garden and Battersea Power Station.
What style of pizza is Gracey's?
New Haven-style, a thin, crisp, charred pizza from Connecticut, with New York-inspired pies on our London menus.
Has Gracey's been reviewed?
Yes. Gracey's has been featured in The Times, The Sunday Times, Time Out, The Infatuation and Hot Dinners. See what the critics say.