New restaurants are opening all the time in Stoke Newington, and here’s another: an authentically Neapolitan pizza place on the High Street. When it comes to pizza, Londoners are an educated bunch these days – a stuffed-crust meat feast doesn’t quite cut it. If you don’t have the requisite brick wood-fired oven, the sourdough crust, the imported tomatoes and cheese, cook something else.
Here in Apollo, the owners have done their homework. The oven, shipped from Naples, probably took the bulk of the refurbishment budget. And you might think they had to pinch pennies on decor – the restaurant takes the DIY look to new levels.
But you probably won’t notice the bare plasterboard walls or the functional cable ducting, because the pizzas are so good. The chefs use their Neapolitan hardware to great effect, turning out thin, flash-cooked pizzas with still-runny tomato sauce and minimalist toppings (quality sausages, pecorino, porcini and chestnut). And they’re surprisingly inexpensive.
A couple of local craft beers, some prosecco and wines, and a few classic Italian aperitivo mixes make up the drinks. There are a couple of salads and starters, too. And there’s very jolly service. But the eyes will be on the pies (and the prices).