Lenny's, the celebrated New Haven-style pizza pop-up that operated in Finsbury Park's Bedford Tavern, is returning to London with a permanent restaurant in Covent Garden, set to open this autumn.
New Location and Partnership
Founder Max Lewis is teaming up with MJMK Restaurants, the group behind KOL, AngloThai, Luso, Fonda and Casa do Frango, for the project. Lewis described Lenny's as a love letter to New Haven apizza and its culture, expressing surprise that no one had brought this style to London before.
New Haven apizza, developed by Italian immigrants in Connecticut, is known for its oblong shape, irregular slices and coal-fired cooking. Frank Pepe's Pizzeria, which opened in 1925, remains a benchmark for the style.
Menu Highlights
The new Lenny's will serve the popular tomato pie and the hybrid 'Lenny', a 14-inch pie topped on one half with tomato, garlic and pecorino, and with mozzarella on the other side. Additional menu items will be revealed closer to opening.
A review of the Finsbury Park pop-up praised the pizza's crispy and chewy base with a proper, loud bite, noting that the crust is charred, delightfully salty and a little oily. The 14-inch offering stays perfectly straight when lifted and wiggled.
Partnership and Future
Jake Kasumov, co-founder of MJMK Restaurants, commented: 'When I first tried Max's pizza at his Lenny's residency in a north London pub 18 months ago, it felt like fate. This was exactly the pizza we'd spent years looking for and never found. Getting to know Max sealed it - he's an absolute legend, and we can't wait for everyone to try it when we open in Covent Garden.'
Lenny's closure last year was a loss for pizza lovers, but its return in permanent form promises to deliver the same charred and chewy New Haven-style pies that earned it a loyal following.
