My experience with vegan pizza in London has been disappointingly limited.
That was until my recent trip to Purezza Camden.
With lots of restaurants offering only a plain tomato pizza for vegans, you can imagine my shock when I saw Purezza’s menu offering ten tempting pizza choices, with equally indulgent starters and deserts.
The restaurant first opened in 2015 in Brighton, and has gone on to open further outlets in Manchester and Camden.
It is about a three-minute walk from Camden tube station and runs by a busy road, ‘though you can’t tell when inside.
The spacious interior is a modern and cosy blend, featuring exposed bricks, rattan chairs and Mediterranean tiling. There’s a semi-open kitchen, with an authentic wood fired pizza oven.
My boyfriend and I decided to skip starters as the pizzas were generous in size but we were spoiled for choice.
Our olives and drinks arrived promptly with a bamboo toothpick – a nod to Purezza’s sustainability promise.
I chose the organic orange wine, described as having “rich marmalade flavours and spice”. It was dry but enjoyable.
My boyfriend opted for a cocktail which is not his usual vibe, but nonetheless he was very impressed with the Hugo, a Purezza special and a refreshing blend of mint, gin, and elderflower topped with prosecco.
If you both fancy one, there’s a 2 for £12 offer on cocktails from a wide ranging list.
As a vegan, I am not usually so spoilt for choice and so when it came to ordering I was torn between a number of dishes!
My unique ‘Pear & Blue’ pizza was delicious, a perfect balance of creamy, sweet, savoury and spicy – what more could you want? The pears were cooked till soft, and the walnuts added a welcome crunch. The Lemon Drop Chilli Jam was as the menu promised, ‘SUPER SPICY !’.
The ‘blue’ didn’t come through as much as I had expected and was on the milder side, creamier than the blue cheese I was hoping for, but enjoyable all the same.
My boyfriend thoroughly enjoyed his BBQ Bourbon pizza, saying “it was unique, but worked well”.
The flavourful pizza base had a thick crust and thinner base, not too doughy and not too crispy with a lovely smokiness from the oven.
We don’t usually do desserts but our waitress recommended the tiramisu, and I’m glad she did. It was DIVINE.
Having never had tried it before, I am now fully obsessed with the Purezza tiramisu; light but indulgent with the perfect texture and generous portion size - I took the rest to-go, and to be honest I’ll be back if only for the tiramisu.
My boyfriend’s New York Cheesecake was topped with a raspberry coulis to cut through the sweetness. The ratio of filling to biscuit base was spot on, and he polished it off in no time.
Our knowledgeable waiter Annabel was passionate about the restaurant’s ethos and we were completely taken aback when she told us it was only her third day.
Although Purezza’s pizzas are on the expensive side – the most pricey comes in at £18.85 – it’s worth it for the overall experience and commitment to sustainability - I can’t wait to go back.
To find out more about Purezza's story, visit their website.
Purezza, Camden: 45-47 Parkway, Camden Town, London NW1 7PN
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