López & López

And why not? That might be what the owner of the taqueria next to López & López, Raquel Flores, asked herself before she opened a new restaurant, this time a pizzeria. When people create things out of passion and put a lot of love into them (and loads of hours), they tend to work out. Clients appreciate such efforts – along with the restaurant's stone oven and those thin crusts that have fermented for so long (between 48 and 72 hours). A find like this, far from so many places with bland ingredients, has plenty of foundation to make it big in a neighbourhood like Lavapiés. The old shoe shop is now a space with half a dozen tables that serves up combinations of pizzas like the Madriz with anchovies in vinegar, crisps and a base of oil with purple garlic from Las Pedroñeras. Flores also put thought into the wine list. It may be small but it boasts a number of Italian wines, and there's also a good selection of vermouths.