What Alley Cats pizza has done is genuinely impressive.
In a city with literally hundreds of great pizza places (and thousands of mediocre ones) serving up every style you can dream of, in every corner of every neighbourhood, in what is as saturated a market as you can get without dough falling from the sky, they’ve become crazily popular. We’re talking daily rush hours at the door, followed by perpetual queues that never seem to shrink, and 10.0 on the Instagram Richter scale.
So now, if you can believe it, they’ve opened a second branch.
Following on from the Marylebone original, this sophomore spot is in Chelsea, parked right on the King’s Road, and wedged neatly between Medlar and Bluebird. Step inside, and as with the original you’ll find a little slice of old school Italian-American New York. It’s all gingham tablecloths, wooden booth seating, green glazed brickwork, projections of Italian-American classics like The Sopranos, and the heady aroma of a full-tilt pizza oven that’s relentlessly pumping out beautiful, cheesy frisbees. It’s like you’ve walked onto the set of a Scorsese movie, basically.
So, about the pizza. They’re all cooked up by Sicilian head chef Francesco Macri, who makes them in the classic New York style, meaning they’re made with a thin, pliant and foldable crust that’s crisp-yet-chewy, with a slightly charred, blistered edge from the high-temperature bake. On top, there’s a generous layer of San Marzano tomato & buffalo mozzarella, as well as the assortment of toppings, which include:
- Smoked pepperoni, jalapeno & honey
- Tuna, kalamata olives, red onion & parsley
- Cacio & pepe cream with black pepper, artichokes & shaved pecorino
- Fennel sausage with pancetta, red onion & pecorino flakes
- Stracciatella with mortadella & ground pistachio
And, of course, you can get some dippers to power though that crust with. If you fancy something to bookend the ‘za, there are strips of candied bacon or garlic & cheese bites to start, and some tiramisu loaded with roasted hazelnuts, salted peanuts and chocolate to finish.
Now, cue the queues…
NOTE: Alley Cats Pizza Chelsea is open daily. There are no bookings. You can find out more at the Alley Cats website.
Alley Cats Pizza Chelsea | 342 King’s Rd, London SW3 5UR
Want to meet the neighbours? Here are the best restaurant in Chelsea...