Crystal Palace has a palace again.
Well, technically it’s a Palazzo; a spin-off Italian restaurant from the Made of Dough team, still specialising in pizzas but also specialising in something else flat and round: records.
In fact, the whole place could have been plucked from the 70s – warm woods commingle with maroon formica-topped diner tables; giant checkerboard floors and an open kitchen overhung by an old-school, cinema-style canopy announcing the day’s specials. And at its heart, a vinyl deck where albums are left to play through in their entirety, from Summer Walker to Bob Marley. A late-night license on weekends also gives them the opportunity to bring in DJs on Thursday – Saturday nights for a more eclectic playlist.
Palazzo is described as a diner, and the decor certainly fits the bill. But instead of burgers and hot dogs, they’re serving up the sourdough pizzas for which they’re known and loved. On the menu here: toppings like aubergine, salted ricotta and scotch bonnet honey; pork & fennel sausage with oyster mushroom; chorizo and piquillo peppers. But you’ll also find other crowd-pleasing Italian dishes of varying sizes to mix and match, including burrata; chicken Milanese; panzanella and plenty of Italian sausage.
By far the biggest boon of the place, however, is the fact that they serve brunch. We’re talking bacon panuozzo (essentially a sandwich made of pizza dough); ricotta hotcakes with banana and honeycomb; and some high-falutin’ breakfast cocktails like prosecco & lemon sorbet sgroppini and Bloody Marias made with clamato.
The drinks, in fact, are a highlight at any time of day. Later on, the aperitivi are rolled out, including a perky negroni sbagliato; a Peroni and limoncello-laced take on the mojito; and a bicicletta with pinot grigio, Campari and orange.
If you fancy something bespoked.
NOTE: Palazzo is open for dinner daily, plus Friday lunch and weekend brunch. You can find out more, and book a table, HERE.
Palazzo | 3-6 Church Rd, London SE19 2TF
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