Pizza Pilgrims opens restaurant and deli in Queen's Park

The pizzeria in Londsdale Road will also feature their new deli concept selling Italian specialities.

The chain already has eateries in Nottingham, Brighton, Oxford and Cambridge, as well as multiple restaurants in London, including Finsbury Park, Exmouth Market and Camden Town - which doubles as a 'Pizza Acadamy' for staff training.

Taking over the site of Ostuni Cucina Pugliese, the 50-cover restaurant will open on July 3, serving coffee and freshly baked bread in the mornings, family-friendly meals, and late night aperitivo.

The restaurant opens on Lonsdale Road in July and will also include a deli selling Italian specialities (Image: Pizza Pilgrims)

Decorated with reclaimed furniture, the open-plan trattoria-style dining area has a mighty Pavesi pizza oven where diners can watch the pizzaioli at work. There's also a dough window where passers-by can watch the kneading and shaping of their airy dough, which is proved overnight for extra flavour.

Meanwhile the deli will offer many of the ingredients used throughout Pizza Pilgrims' menu including ’00’ flour from Naples' Caputo mill, Bufala Mozzarella from Latteria Sorretina, and their house-made ‘La Bomba’ Chilli Oil.  

Pizza Pilgrims founders Thom and James Elliot (Image: Pizza Pilgrims)

The idea was born 12 years ago when brothers James and Thom Elliot took their first 'pilgrimage' around Italy and returned with the idea for traditional slow-proved Neapolitan pizzas. They flew to the toe-end of Italy, picked up a three-wheel Piaggio Ape van and drove 4,500km back to London, stopping off at all the best pizza destinations.

After starting out in Berwick Street market, the opened their first bricks and mortar pizzeria in Soho in 2013 serving classics like Margherita - Mozzarella fior di latte, tomato, basil and olive oil, and Salsiccia e Friarielli, as well as pizzas with a twist such as double Pepperoni and spicy honey, mushroom and truffle, or eight-cheese.

James Elliot said: "We are so excited to be opening on potentially our new favourite street in London, Lonsdale Rd, Queen’s Park. The new restaurant is a beautiful building and we’ve already found the area the kind of place where neighbours unthinkingly introduce themselves and welcome you! As always, we look forward to firing up the oven and serving some Neapolitan pizza to the good people of Queen’s Park. We will also be introducing a new “deli” concept where people can purchase amazing Italian ingredients to take away."

Pizza Pilgrims will be holidng their Slice Day giveaway, handing out 1000 free slices on July 1.   

Pizza Pilgrims Queen’s Park at 43-47 Lonsdale Road, London NW6.