Pizza Pilgrims West India Quay

Having missed many opportunities to dine here (including several Ape hours), I eventually managed to have lunch here with my friends on a glorious autumnal Friday. There was space on the terrace but we decided to sample the fare inside, where we could gain a greater appreciation of the interior design. The glitter ball moped hanging in the centre as well as the jokey stock ticker displays (it took me a few revolutions to realise they weren't real) were great touches. I ordered the Nduja, which was essentially a spicy Calabrian sausage topping (50% pork belly and pork cheek and 50% Calabrian spice). It came high recommend by our friendly waitress. Service was quick and was fantastic for a busy lunch hour. My advice is to book ahead.

Be warned that the base of Neapolitan pizza isn't hard and you only have yourself to blame if you're eating with your hands and you have an accident on your pristine white shirt before an important presentation.    

I've been here a few times, especially before 18:00 for the Apé hour (any pizza or cocktail for £5?! amazing).

Probably my favourite venue of all the pizza pilgrims I've visited, with italian film posters plastering the walls, a huge downstairs area, their very own pizza and drink stock market ticketer, and of course the foosball table and games areas. 

Their calzones are great, not as overpowering as they can be! And the toppings, while nothing game-changing, are innovative and diverse enough to allow for something a bit new. Their dips on the side are a bit overpowering and overpriced for what they are (the size of them means I've never come close to finishing one). 

Service is mostly good, I've found it a bit neglectful a few times, despite it normally being half empty... 

It must have been at least two years since I first tried Pizza Pilgrims and never got the chance to go back again. They recently opened a branch in West India Quay and what makes it extra special is the indoor playground that they have downstairs and the foosball tables outside. It’s almost like an adult playground that serves pizza, drinks, and dessert – what more could you want?

I came here last weekend with some foodie friends for an overdue catch up during their ‘Apé Hour’. This runs every day from 3PM to 6PM and includes any pizza for £5, any cocktail for £5, and draft beer at £3. A pretty good deal in my opinion, given some of their pizzas are slightly pricier and really yummy!

For my first round of drinks, I went for a classic Apérol Spritz. This came in a smaller glass than I expected but was still satisfied with the taste of the drink. It was blended and proportioned well – between the soda water and alcohols. It also came with an olive pinned through a toothpick and sitting atop the glass, and a slice of fresh orange.

For my second round of drinks, I had the Gin & Tonic. This was quite special because it was actually made with their homemade Limoncello instead of gin. It was very fragrant with a lovely sweet and citrusy flavour and it wasn’t too strong. I also liked that they served it separately. So I was able to add the soda water myself and control how much I wanted to dilute the Limoncello.

As for my pizza, I went for the Portobello & Truffle. A sourdough based pizza topped with portobello mushrooms, fior di latte, parmesan, basil, and truffle oil. In terms of size, it was decent and generous but slightly smaller than what I normally get at other pizza joints. I liked how generous they were with the amount of mushrooms as each and every bite I had was filled with them but it wasn’t excessive. I was slightly worried that a white pizza would be too creamy or cheesy for me but it was surprisingly proportioned well too! As for the truffle oil, I’m not the biggest fan because its scent reminds me of gasoline but it was well controlled on this pizza – I got a good whiff of it when the plate was placed in front of me but it didn’t overpower the unique taste of the portobello mushrooms and the creaminess from the cheeses.

I’m glad we came here because this trip has reminded me of why I liked Pizza Pilgrims when I went two years ago. I really like sourdough pizzas, and they do them well here! It can’t beat some other pizzerias like Franco Manca and Princi, but it’s a pretty good shout if you’re looking for a pizza fix.

I went to the new Pizza Pilgrims location in West India Quay. It was OK, pizza tasted nice but isn't amazing and drinks are nothing special. The service was friendly but they gave us the wrong order twice... they also tried to clear our table before we had finished. I probably wont be going again to be honest, I hope the kinks iron out for them though.