Rudy's review: 'I tried pizza from the restaurant chain rapidly spreading across London'

Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana's next restaurant is coming soon to Queensway, with 5,000 free pizzas up for grabs (see below), but last week I checked out the recently opened Spitalfields eatery.

Just north of the famous market and a stone's throw from Liverpool Street station and Brick Lane, Rudy's opened the branch on March 1.

Entering in the early evening we were led through to the spacious dining area with a view out back onto Elder Gardens. It's a pleasant oasis from the bustle of the surrounding neighbourhoods.

We kicked off with a nice homemade lemonade and a Caprese Famiglia to share. It's a big plate of bufala mozzarella with three kinds of tomatoes, olive oil and bread - nice but not overwhelming.

All good, but there is only one main attraction here.

I opted for the Agnello Vegana, which is a vegan dish with tomatoes, olives, a basil cheese and a plant-based lamb alternative. But it is the garlic-roasted tenderstem broccoli, which is the star, giving a deep and earthy flavour.

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My companion went for the Triple Pepperoni, which comes with not only the trio of meat's (Napoli, British, Calabrian) but also both mozarella and burrata, and a chilli honey giving a lovely sweeness to undercut the salty meat.

The dough is thick but flavoursome, made with Caputo flour and double fermented, while the tomatoes are all San Marzano, "grown in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius". Rudy's is equally proud of its baking technique, blasting the pizzas for one minute at 430C, leaving charred spots on the base.

A strong addition to London's pizza options.

Rudy's Menu

Free pizza!

Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana's new Queensway restaurant, near Hyde Park, opens in April 2024, joining existing restaurants in the capital in Soho, Canary Wharf, Shoreditch, Tottenham Court Road and Spitalfields.

Sign up to the Rudy's mailing list to get one of 5,000 free pizzas when the venue opens.

Neal Bates, of Rudy’s Pizza, said: “We can’t wait to open our doors in Queensway and share our Neapolitan pizzas with current Rudy’s lovers, as well as soon-to-be fans, in West London. The area is undergoing a transformation to create a new, world-class district for living, shopping, dining and leisure which Rudy's are excited to be part of. With the 5,000 pizzas available to claim on us, we’re delighted to open with a bang and be offering a true authentic Neapolitan experience in the heart of London.”