This little gem of a pizza restaurant that is Happy Face Pizza, can be found an extremely short skip and hop away from Victoria train station. It’s situated in the vibrant and hip Eccleston Yards, an area fast becoming the cool place to be for the weary incoming travellers from both coach or train – and the locals in the know.
On entering, the space is bright, fun and smart with a chilled and very welcoming atmosphere. It’s always nice to see a smiling front of house and Jennifer made us feel like old friends as she showed us to our table. We chose to be seated upstairs, taking advantage of the large windows to look down on the lively London Road below. The sound system played laid back house music from the bespoke speakers, and as former DJs, my dining partner and myself were not surprised to hear that the owners were also former DJs and from the team behind Spiritland – explaining the effortlessly cool vibe of the place.
The menu is chock full of authentic modern Italian delights and very reasonably priced cocktails for those in the mood!
I chose the Calamari Fritti, which came swiftly to the table. They arrived just how I enjoy calamari, fresh, soft and with a light crunchy batter. There was plenty to share and they come with a generous tasty dip.
My new favourite antipasti of the moment is zucchini fries so I was thrilled to see Happy Face Pizza offered Zuccine Fritti as a starter. I have to say these were some of best I’ve ever had! Impossibly thin cut pieces of courgette, deep fired in crispy batter, and seasoned to perfection. They were incredibly moorish – I could have eaten an enormous bowl to myself. Again, there was plenty to share – but I didn’t want to!
The chef at Happy Face Pizza is the very passionate, native of Rome, Daniele. He enthusiastically advised me to try one of the no tomato based pizzas. Encourage by his knowledge and clear excitement to bring such Italian authenticity to the UK, I went for the Patata pizza. What a revelation! Without the tang of the tomato the other toppings came alive, and for the price I couldn’t believe the quality of the ingredients. The porcini mushroom and the crispy bacon strips were able to shine on the perfectly cooked fired base. I will definitely be trying more pizzas without tomato in the future.
My plus one had the Salsiccia pizza which came adorned with friarelli – a leafy green native to Naples and something he’d never tried before. Both pizzas defeated us, but we were kindly offered a box to take our left overs home.
Leaving some of the pizza meant we had room for dessert, and of course we went for the Tiramisu. One serving was plenty to share and it was creamy and indulgent. I was informed that their gelato is some of the best in the city and after having just devoured their pizzas I was disappointed that I was too full to try any!
Next time I visit I will also be tempted by their cocktails. In particular, the Negroni Classico which is a blend of red vermouth (which I adore), gin and Campari.
After an incredibly satisfying dinner I wondered aloud if anyone had ever ordered the Nutella pizza on the dessert menu after consuming a pizza main course. Jennifer assured me that some brave souls did!
Happy Face Pizza is a must for anyone visiting the city or for those looking for a cool new hang out with delicious food and a buzzing central London atmosphere. I found Happy Face Pizza the perfect spot to watch the bustle of London walk by and a chance to enjoy delicious and easy on the pocket priced pizza. You won’t be disappointed!
Pizzas are priced from only £5 and cocktails start at £6.50.
Find out more at www.happyface.pizza
Instagram @happyfacepizza
Happy Face Pizza, Eccleston Place, London.
Review and photos by Saffron Bentley
