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Domino’s may still be the answer to hangover prayers, but London has definitely raised its pizza game in recent years. The likes of Pizza Pilgrims, Franco Manca and Homeslice have made ’nduja the new pepperoni and convinced us of a world beyond deep pan. Yard Sale was a late but great addition to the scene; the original Hackney branch opened in 2014, and the modern-but-not-poncy toppings, gluten-free options, keenly priced booze and handsome branding are all present in this second branch in Finsbury Park.
The cute little shop has a lively diner feel, which would be a weird fit for the area if old-school bowling alley Rowans wasn’t a three-minute walk away. Despite a bias towards quick take-out and delivery orders, staff are attentive enough to make your eat-in experience more ‘restaurant’ than ‘takeaway-with-tables’. Piping hot sourdough pizzas are brought over on wooden boards with accompanying cutters (with sharp wheels, fortunately; no dividing a pizza with an implement that’s as sharp as a Babybel).
Flavour combinations are more exciting on the chalkboard than they are in your mouth, but they definitely satisfy, and specials such as the Hell Yeah (spicy spianata salami, romano peppers, guindilla chillies, garlic oil, chilli flakes) offer more daring options. The TSB (tender stem broccoli, manchego, pine nuts) benefitted from a creamy garlic and herb dip to dunk crispy crusts into. Wine chosen by Borough Wines rotates monthly; not always the most desirable drop, but at £9 for 500ml it’ll do fine, especially when there are fantastically squidgy chocolate brownies to chase it with. It probably won’t replace your existing dough-tomato-cheese ritual, but for trendy toppings and a fun setting, Yard Sale’s pizza game is worth a play.