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Lenny’s – a brilliant pop-up in Finsbury Park pub The Bedford Tavern – was one of our favourite places in London to get pizza until it closed last year, so we’re super happy to hear that it’s returning in permanent form.
Lenny’s charred and chewy New Haven-style pizza will soon be found in a Covent Garden restaurant that’s set to open this autumn. Founder Max Lewis is teaming up with MJMK Restaurants (KOL, AngloThai, Luso, Fonda and Casa do Frango) for the project.
Speaking about the restaurant, Lewis said: ‘Lenny’s started as a love letter to New Haven apizza and its culture. I couldn’t believe no one had brought this incredible style of pizza, and the stories behind it, to London. The support I’ve had from both London and New Haven has been overwhelming – it”s been amazing to see this idea grow into something much bigger.’
New Haven ‘apizza’ was developed by Italian immigrants in Connecticut, most notably Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria, which opened in 1925 and is still going strong, known for its oblong shape, irregular slices and coal-fired cookery.
Our review of the Lenny’s Finsbury Park pop-up praised its ‘crispy and chewy with a proper, loud bite’ base. ‘Charred at the crust, delightfully salty and a little oily, all 14 inches of Lenny’s offering is bang on. For the ultimate test, lift your slice, give it a little wiggle, and see it stay perfectly straight,’ wrote Time Out’s Ella Doyle.
The new Lenny’s will serve the popular tomato pie as well as the hybrid ‘Lenny’, a 14-inch pie topped on one half with tomato, garlic and pecorino, and with mozzarella on the other side. More menu items will be revealed closer to opening.
Jake Kasumov, co-founder of MJMK Restaurants, has commented: ‘When I first tried Max's pizza at his Lenny's residency in a north London pub 18 months ago, it felt like fate. This was exactly the pizza we'd spent years looking for and never found. Getting to know Max sealed it - he's an absolute legend, and we can't wait for everyone to try it when we open in Covent Garden.’
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