Just as London’s pizza scene was getting stale, Happy Face appeared, quickly winning over critics and diners alike. We headed down to the Victoria site to sample the goods.
Surrounded by exposed brick and natural light, we were greeted by a surprising amount of choice, including some more than appetising starters. A generous tangle of zucchine fritti (£6) hit that heavenly trifecta of light, crispy and salty, while the bruschetta (£5.50) saw sumptuous tomatoes strut their stuff, shuttled on grilled bread with a good lug of extra virgin olive oil. After speaking to the cheery staff, it was clear they really believe in the food here (the pizzaiolo even turned down a more high-profile role to work here).
For something old school, we chose the rocket, pancetta and parmesan on a Margherita base (£11.50). The more avant-garde ‘nduja and burrata also caught our eye, topped with cherry tomatoes but no sauce or mozzarella (£14). In both cases, the dough was deliciously stretchy and charred in all the right places. Each topping had clearly been sourced with thought and care. Even the placement was smart. The burrata, for example, had been dotted around, not just plopped soggily in the middle for the ‘gram. Tens across the boards. Negronis and beers are our advised pairing, but there are other options if they’re not for you. The lemon sorbet that followed (£2.50 for a more than generous scoop) was an unexpected delight, certainly as good as some we’ve had in Italy.
When it comes to pizza, every ingredient - including timing - is crucial. But the challenge doesn’t stop there. You then need to serve up crowd-pleasers without alienating the purists. Happy Face has managed this Herculean task. The satisfied-looking logo is well-earned; this is certainly some of the best pizza in London.