Pappagone or Porchetta
  • Misscara
    Happened to go to both last week. Sat down the back in the corner on the awful (funny smelling) banquette seating in Porchetta. It was really claustrophobic and service was crap. You keep getting the staff charging past as they come and go from the kitchen and totally ignore you. Music is far too loud and rubbish Beyonce or other such crap. Pizzas were alright although I asked for my salami to be replaced with ham and it wasn't. The new decor is awful, cheap tat. Sterile atmosphere.

    Pappagone's was a much better experience. Friendly molestation at the door and much amusement from the waiter when I speak to him in Italian. Attentive service and food arrived quickly. Free Limoncello. Better atmosphere and more seating space. Food quality about the same as Porchetta but the atmosphere and service keep me going back to Pappagone's time after time.

    Venezia's pizzas are the best though. Shame about the actual restaurant area.
  • sincers

    I've always erred to the side of PappaG for the same reasons. It never really bothered me that the pizzas weren't that great - they're no better in Porc. or Venezia come to think of it. My next door neightbour built a clay pizza oven in the garden and his are head and shoulders better tasting than from any restaurant. Alternatively I buy a bog-standard pizza from Londis an jazz it up myself ie. chuck loads more cheese, chilli, chorizo etc. on it and make sure the base is crusty. mmm, pizza.

  • David

    I gave up on the SGR ones, went to Firezza - but then their dough went inexplicably over salty, went to Lupa. They've just changed hands and the pizza just ain't as good. So I'm thinking of getting in to making my own too now.

    Anyone got any views on the domestic sourdough pizza concept?

  • krappyrubsnifkrappyrubsnif

    My Italian teacher, who is proper Napoletana (a young woman from Naples), and doesn't take any shit from anybody, goes to Pappagone and knows Marco and her verdict is - just about one of the best Italian pizzerie in London.  So there.

  • Mirandola

    @Krappy, I'm Milanese, so in Neapolitan terms barely Italian, but for what it's worth I agree with her. 



  • Papa L

    My friend from Milan says the same - but she says it about La Porchetta!


  • Al

    The Pizzas at least the carry out ones are much better from Porchetta,   the Pagga ones get soggy on the way home.    I think the Pasta is better in Porchetta as well.

  • miss annie

    My Italian pal is Papp's all the way. In my experience pizzas vary from region to region in Italy - I prefer Roman pizza. Perhaps that explains our Italian friends plumping for one or t'other?

  • ArkadyArkady

    Has anyone been to Porchetta recently?  The re-opening was such a fiasco that I haven't been since, but the waiters at Pappagonne are a tad overfriendly with my missus.

  • miss annie

    They're Italian, they can't help themselves.

  • chrisn4

    www.just-eat.co.uk if you type your postcode into this website you can see several takeaway food shops that deliver food to your area; and order a takeaway online.

  • Papa L

    It got much better once the dust settled on the La Porchetta refurb but still had a slight air of chaos to it occasionally.

    They seem to have a whole new team in there in recent weeks and in the two times I've been in service was good and probably better, although I used to get on well with the previous chap running it.

    I always work on a service in a pizza place is never going to match what I expect from a posh meal out principle though. My basic requirements are get offered a drink, get food ordered, get food correct, obtain more drinks.

  • ChangN4N6

    Pappa G seems to have a real buzz and wider range of food. I remember going to Porcetta years ago when I lived in Highgate (which has a very good pizza place on the hill) Porc was, I think much bigger then with party room. But going again recently it's not as lively as it used to be. The pizzas are massive tho (almost 2 big for one).

  • Lemmy

    Diavolo on Crouch Hill

  • gardener-joe

    @miss annie: December 2011, They're Italian, they can't help themselves.

    "They're Italian, they can't help themselves"?

    Woah! There is nothing like resorting to a crass stereotype ...

    Recently we have had elsewhere on this site similar crassness to pigeon-hole Algerians and Arabs ....

    Please guys, shape up!

  • krappyrubsnifkrappyrubsnif

    @gardener-joe.  She's a woman.  She can't help herself.

    Ducks under table and puts tin hat on

    :-)

  • miss annie

    I'm very sorry if I've offended our Italian community but the Italian people that I've met are much more fabulously effervescent, exuberent and yes, flirtatious than the average Brit. I think it's splendid.

  • Idoru

    I think the knitting group's banned from Pappagone, so Porchetta by default, even though I've never eaten there.

  • dorothy

    Do you mean the thing with the banoffi pie?I went back later, and sorted it out.

  • Mirandola

    @Idoru, why are you banned? 

  • miss annie

    Have you ever been to the knitting group...

  • krappyrubsnifkrappyrubsnif

    I saw another mostly male knitting group at the FPpark cafe yesterday.

    By the way, has anyone noticed how good the food is there?  Seriously.  Chicken Waldorf salad to die for, I kid you not.

  • boxrunner

    @krappyrubsnif I agree.  We go there a lot with my 3-year odl and the food's brilliant (and normally generous portions).  haven't tried their new burgers yet though...

  • Mirandola

    @Miss Annie - no. Perhaps I should. 

  • Idoru

    @krappyrubsnif send them to Stapleton group - we need more boys.

    @Mirandola the service was rubbish and people complained. Things didn't really improve, more complaints, some people getting increasingly strident, bill came and it was decided we wouldn't pay the service charge, which the staff took umbrage to and we were kindly asked to not come back. Nothing to do with me, obvs, I'm adorable.

  • krappyrubsnifkrappyrubsnif

    'The thing with the banoffi pie' conjured up such wonderful images that I'm really sorry to hear it was only a dispute about the bill.

  • Ali

    sounds like it was a dispute about the service 

  • odd stewartodd stewart

    @miss annie surely it's the Brits you're offending?

    I love pappagones. Great vibe and the pizzas are brilliant. Feel a bit for porchetta, time was when it too had much more atmosphere. Stick to pizzas and pasta in both though. I had a steak in pappagones once and it wasn't nice.

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