How high can expectations of pizza be? Sky-high when it comes to Franca Manca whose name is ushered in revered tones as setting new heights of pizza perfection in London and whose queues are legendary. Actually, they're unlikely to be more than 15 minutes even over a busy half-term but the queuing certainly gets those gastric juices on full alert and offers time to take in the myriad attractions of Brixton Market Row arcade, including plenty of Caribbean vegetables rarely seen elsewhere. What makes Franca Manca special are the bases made from a slow-rising (20 hour) sourdough and the pizzas are baked in one of two hive-shaped wood-burning Napolitan brick oven with a heat of about 500C resulting in fantastic crisp toothsome edges (cornicione) and just the right kind of balance of
baked and doughy for a really appetite quenching, eating with hands obligatory lunch. Toppings are all organic and deliberately simple yet superbly gutsy and bursting 
with ripe flavour: Napolitana is £4.80, the most expensive pizza with capers, olives, anchovies or chorizo still under £6.00. Try the fabulous homemade lemonade too. The only possible extra accompaniments are an organic seasonal salad and Monmouth Organic Espresso. Turnover of tables is fast as seating is mostly in the somewhat chilly glass-covered arcade itself and it's hard to ignore the longing looks of those in the queue still to get their Franca Manca fix.Unit 4 Market Row, Brixton, London SW9 8LD 020 7738 3021
No comments:
Post a Comment