So as much as I raved about Oro Di Napoli in Ealing or even Pizza Pilgrims up in town I despaired of getting a really good pizza near home. The choice was so poor I even ordered in from Pizza @ Home which is over in Earls Court. The Italian dining scene is a mixed bag near us. Pizza Metro is a bit meh, pizza Express is very chainy and Polpo managed to be distinctly average. Of late however the capital's pizza game has been improving. Places like Oro Di Napoli has successfully recreated the Naples pizzeria by using top quality ingredients, proving their dough and heating the ovens high enough to cook the bases properly. Then a few months ago in a perennially failing site on Notting Hill Gate Farina opened.
It's been opened on a tight budget by the former manager of Pizza Metro so so far they have stuck to pizzas and few sides. The intention is to expand the food offering once they've established themselves. By sticking to their speciality and using great dough in a properly heated pizza oven they are turning out the area's best pizza by far. Super fresh and authentic toppings add to the appeal. Since trying it with my lovely wife 5 weeks ago we've been back pretty much every weekend. Baby G loves going with us. It's a small space but they managed to fit in seating for about 24 happy punters. A big draw for me is the draught Moretti served in ice cold glasses. They are also able to open up the front shutters so in our current mini heatwave it's a positively Al Fesco spot.
The superhot oven mean each pizza needs only cooking for about a minute, just enough for the base to bubble and blister. With one mind on the more demanding local clientele they offer a vegan cheese and even a gluten free base for those that must do that sort of thing. For me my favourite is the Farina pizza with it's powerfully spicy n'duja. Service is charming and efficient, nobody waits for long and the staff are on the ball. They do a brisk take out trade but that never interferes with the restaurant operation. From our perspective it's nice to finally have a local restaurant we want to dine in whenever possible.
