Holloway Road warriors, listen up! There’s tasty pizza to be had at newly opened Zia Lucia.
Good pizza – it’s not too much of an ask, is it? To be sure, pizza options are considerably better and more plentiful than when I first moved to London back from the States back in 2001, but there’s still a long way to go.
Just a stroll stroll from Highbury Corner, newbie pizzeria Zia Lucia offers diners a menu of Neapolitan style pizzas baked in wood-fired oven alongside a variety of other southern Italian faves. And if my recent lunch there is any indication, it’s a welcome addition to the London pizza scene!
A full jug of mint water already on my table suggested my lunch was going to be one of efficiency and consideration, as indeed it was. Service was friendly and above all swift. In fact, I was almost startled how quickly my pizza got to me (unlike at a number of other pizza joints in town where after ordering I’m left to wonder if somebody had to go out back and actually catch and kill a pizza in the wild before preparing it).
Most importantly though, the pizza was delicious. I opted for a margarita (because it’s the best marker of whether a pizzaiolo is worth his salt) with half of it covered in nduja (because I just love nduja). Great stuff. I went with “traditional” dough but was intrigued with the range of dough choices, which included vegetable charcoal, wholemeal, and gluten-free. Next time I’ll probably go for the charcoal.
Prices start at £6.90 for a margarita with £1 and £2 toppings and a £2.50 offering to “switch up” any pizza to buffalo mozzarella.
In house chilli oil hotted up my world with super heat. Refreshing Ichnusa lager (£3.50) cooled it back down. Zia Lucia serves Menabrea, Islington
Unfiltered, and N1 Pale Ale too.
Dessert pizza (£6) topped with fresh fruit and custard with a Nutella stuffed crust, ensured I left thoroughly satisfied.
Nestled equidistant between two Tube stations – Highbury & Islington and Holloway Road – Zia Lucia is conveniently located at 157 Holloway Road, N7 8LX. Find out more at zialucia.com.
