LET'S EAT - Pizza Express

If you're going to face the horror/delight/chore (delete as appropriate) that is Christmas shopping, then you need to fuel yourself well beforehand. A visit from my mum the other day called for just that - neither of us are the greatest fans of shopping and therefore definitely couldn't face it on an empty stomach. Cue Pizza Express and, well, pizza.

It was midday on a Sunday so unsurprisingly the restaurant was fairly busy, filled mainly with families and birthday parties. Nevertheless our waitress was able to take us to a table straight away and was very prompt with taking our drink and food choices. Considering that it was so busy, our food arrived unbelievably quickly - so quickly that under normal conditions it probably would have been a bit unwelcome! But we were in a bit of a rush so the speedy service was a definite bonus. All the waiting staff were polite and cheerful and overall the restaurant had a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

Feeling festive at Pizza Express

Leggera Pollo ad Astra

My mum chose the Leggera Pollo ad Astra pizza - "Chicken, light mozzarella, sweet Peppadew peppers, tomato, Cajun spices, garlic oil and red onions". As a Leggera pizza (under 500 calories) it comes without the middle, which is replaced with a mixed salad. 

I do like the option of the Leggera pizzas but to me the middle of a pizza is one of the best bits! So in my usual style I went for a Romana pizza which thankfully came with the middle included and no salad in sight. I chose the Autunno, which was apparently the winner of a 'Create Your Own' competition run by Pizza Express. The description sounded enticing: "Chorizo, goat's cheese, roasted butternut squash, spinach, garlic oil, chilli flakes, tomato and mozzarella, finished with chilli oil and fresh parsley" and I couldn't wait to give it a try!

My mum seemed very happy with her pizza - I do think that she maybe overlooked the 'Cajun spices' listed on the menu as she had to take quite a large gulp of water after her first bite! That aside, she said it tasted very good, had lots of flavour and a good crispy base.

The Autunno

I was really impressed with my Autunno pizza - well done to the winner of the competition who was responsible for designing it! The combination of flavours on top worked really well together; goat's cheese and butternut squash are a classic pairing and the addition of chorizo was a great touch. Pizza Express were really generous with the toppings and spread them all over the entire base - even right up to the crusts. I would maybe have liked a little bit more butternut squash and slightly less chorizo, but that's just personal preference. The pizza was spicy, but not too hot, and the base was wonderfully thin and crispy. Overall I thought it was delicious and another bonus was that it was absolutely huge (I could have done with a slightly larger plate).

 As we were feeling quite stuffed after the pizzas, and were in a rush to get going, we didn't stay for pudding but I did notice some new additions to the menu that need to be tried at some point - including Salted Caramel Profiteroles and Bombolini (miniature doughnuts). Yum!

I'd rate the overall quality of the restaurant and speed of service as an 7 out of 10 and I'm going to give the Autunno pizza a 9 out of 10 - here's hoping it remains a permanent addition to the menu!