Bufi Pizzeria is in Finchley North London, a short walk from East Finchley station on the Jubilee Line. It’s family-run and serves a range of Italian classics, including Neapolitan pizza from a wood fired oven.
The starters feature everything you’d expect from an Italian restaurant in this country. There’s a tricolore salad, bruschetta, calamari, burrata with sliced tomatoes and basil, and meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce. The sharing starters are garlic pizza bread, dough sticks or a focaccia topped with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.
Mains are headlined by an extensive pizza menu that runs to 15 options. There’s something to cater for most tastes. Alongside classics like margherita, you’ll also find the caprino (goat’s cheese, peppers, sausage), salsiccia e friarielli (Italian sausage, broccoli rabe, chilli) and ortolana (roasted peppers, courgette, aubergine). There’s a choice of two calzones: Bufi (ricotta, parma ham, cherry tomatoes) or fritto (mozzarella and pepperoni sausage). Those who like to dip their crusts can choose from garlic and herb or chipotle mayo.
The other main dishes are pastas. Spaghetti bolognese, lasagna and penne arrabbiata all feature, as well as orecchiette with broccoli rabe and sausage, and seafood linguine. The melanzane parmigiana is cooked in the same wood fired oven as the pizzas.
On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between 12-4pm, Bufi serves brunch. This is the full pizza menu plus a range of sandwiches and lighter bites. These include a broccoli rabe hash topped with a fried egg, a steak sandwich, and fried chicken and waffles with maple syrup.
The dessert menu mirrors the preceding course’s foregrounding of Italian classics. As well as tiramisu, you’ll also find warm pear and almond cake and chocolate fondant. There’s also three types of affogato (vanilla ice cream, Nutella or Bailey’s) and a Nutella and buffalo ricotta pizza roll. This is for two to share.