Zia Lucia Wandsworth Review
ZIA LUCIA WANDSWORTH REVIEW
THIS FAMED LONDON PIZZERIA SERVES UP COLOURFUL DOUGHS AND SATISFIED SMILES TO SOUTH WEST LONDON LOCALS.
Words: Imogen Willis
Featured image: Pizzas by Zia Lucia
Away from the hustle and bustle of Wandsworth, on the pedestrianised Old York Road, you can find the newest of the Zia Lucia restaurants, a gorgeous homey pizzeria who pride themselves on their doughs. Their 48-hour slow fermented doughs come in four varieties: traditional, wholemeal, charcoal and gluten free, giving visitors the chance to customise their pizza by base. Each pizza is baked in a quaintly named oven – my favourite being Wally – before being served piping hot to your table.
Even though emphasis is placed on the bases, there are some wonderful and intriguing combinations of toppings. Venturing off the beaten track, I chose a pizza without tomato, the Arianna Sbagliata. With a gorgonzola, sausage, honey and truffle oil topping, this offering of tart and sweet ingredients complemented one another beautifully, creating flavours reminiscent of an Italian deli platter. Other selections that gave me significant food envy included the burrata topped pizzas – the creamy orb sitting like a prized egg in a nest of dough.
Images from left: Zia Lucia pizzas by @haydonperrior; Birra Cabriole and Zia Lucia pizzas for delivery; Birra Cabriole.
Furthermore, Zia Lucia has developed a wonderful Italian-style beer in collaboration with Brighton-based Laine Brew Co., named Birra Cabriole, to pair with their traditional pizza base. This continental style beer has all the sweetness of a British lager with less bubbles, so you can enjoy the refreshing flavour without getting full, leaving more room to enjoy the doughy deliciousness in front of you. If you are a fan of Birra Morretti or Peroni, but want to support something more local, this is a clear home-grown rival, born from the friendship between Zia Lucia’s founders Claudio and Gianluca, and Laine Brew Co. The happy collaboration is hoping to extend their beer to a range to include a signature beer to complement each base, with experiments ongoing to try and capture the charcoal colours and taste.
All in all, whether you’re looking for a family pleaser, or a place to catch up with friends, this serves as the perfect spot. The al-fresco dining area out front is a wonderful when the sun is shining, whilst the new upstairs event space is full of light and would make the perfect place for a dinner party. The menu is also extremely good value for the quality of the food, and the service is wonderful. Bravissimo!
