Made in Italy

Italian

59 Northcote Rd, London SW11 1NP

££

Made in Italy is a chain of Pizzeria’s and Burrata Bazaars. They also have a small selection of pastas (lasagne, rigatoni mac & cheese), but these are not what you come for. Based in a selection of upmarket areas such as Fulham, Notting Hill and Northcote road – they are true kings of the West to rival any Pizza Express.

We dined out on Northcote Road on a warm September Saturday evening. The interiors of the restaurant are warm wood, but they had spilled out onto the pavement and into the road that evening, due to it being closed to aid social distancing. It was a lovely al-fresco experience, giving us the holiday feeling we so desperately missed this year. To add to the holiday façade, we ordered two Aperol Spritz's (£7.5 each), which were deliciously made but arrived in a disappointingly small glass.

For starters, we opted to share a Burrata with cherry tomatoes (£8.75). It was delicious, although less of a Burrata and more of a creamy, stringy dollop on the plate – probably more akin to a Stracciatella than its fully formed counterpart. For main, we opted for the same plate – a “PRP” which was comprised of mozzarella, rocket, cherry tomatoes, parmesan and parma ham (£12.5). This was good, however, I always kick myself when I order a pizza without a tomato base. The cherry tomatoes weren’t quite enough to make up for the lack of sauce underneath, and despite the pizza being perfectly cooked, I was left a little bit bitter. The other orders looked delicious, however, and the mixture of chewy and crunchy, slightly sour, a little charred dough was a definite winner for me.

Overall, based on atmosphere, service, quality and taste – Made in Italy is a darn good choice. It is a chain, yet manages to avoid the whitewashed commercial feel, remaining distinctly warm, welcoming and authentic.

OVERALL RATING: ****

https://www.madeinitalygroup.co.uk