A new basement pizzeria in one of London's most exclusive neighbourhoods is generating such intense demand that hopeful diners are facing queues stretching up to five hours. The restaurant, located on the lower ground floor of The Marlborough pub in Mayfair, is just a stone's throw from the world-famous Selfridges department store.
The Taste Test: A £70 Deep Dive
To cut through the hype, former restaurateur Richard Crampton-Platt, known as Dick, decided to put the venue to the test. He invested £70 on a solo meal, sampling a range of items to get a comprehensive feel for the menu. His order included a 12-inch pizza with tomato, mozzarella, and pecorino (£19.30), a Nutella calzone (£15.90), a Negroni cocktail (£12.50), a glass of wine (£10.80), and a side of sauce and pepperoni chips (£11.90). A 13.5% service charge was included in these prices.
Sharing his experience on Reddit, Richard noted that while the bill was steep for one person, he took half the pizza and most of the dessert home. He calculated that a simpler meal of one pizza and one drink would cost around £30.
The Verdict on the Food and Drink
The star of the show was, unsurprisingly, the pizza base. Richard described a crust that was golden, dense, and dry, with an intense flavour. He noted its crackling, sometimes snapping texture, comparing it more to toast than a doughy bread. "It is far more like toast than dough balls, nuttily charred and able to hold its own weight," he explained, adding that you cannot roll this pizza up but are rewarded with a "proper crust-dipper moment."
The flavours were bold and assertive, with a sharpness that he claimed lingered on the roof of his mouth for six hours after eating. However, the other menu items failed to impress equally. The pepperoni crisps were deemed "a bit sorrowful," and the Nutella calzone, while competently made, offered "nothing remarkable" compared to versions available elsewhere.
Is the Hype Justified?
Richard's final conclusion was mixed. While he acknowledged the pizza was tasty and expertly made, he found the overall experience too indulgent, even causing his stomach to complain later in the day despite only consuming half the pizza. He attributed this to the charring, which he suggested makes the crust bitter and acidic.
His ultimate advice was pragmatic: "Ultimately, it’s just pizza. You can get one 95% as good, a lot cheaper, and with more flavour options, pretty much anywhere." He left the decision on whether to endure the mammoth queue up to the individual.
The Reddit community largely sided with scepticism. One user declared, "This is easy: NO," while another stated they wouldn't queue that long for anything outside of a food shortage. A third commenter criticised the lack of a booking system, suggesting that restaurants that force queues are "abusing your time for free marketing."
