Pizza Union brings ‘Superveloce Italiana’ to Spitalfields, offering express Italian pizza at a refreshingly affordable price.
Tucked away on a cobbled street close to Spitalfields Market and Liverpool Street Station, Pizza Union may not be known to passersby, but it already has a loyal following. Open seven days a week, 11 to 11, it’s a great spot for a quick lunch, an easy after-work treat or a morning coffee and cannoli.
The casual restaurant has a lofty, industrial feel with exposed ceiling, communal wood tables and plenty of neon. The focus is solely on Roman-style pizza, but there are plenty of different options, plus the chance to add extra toppings and cheeses for £1.
The concept is simple – order at the counter, take your electronic buzzer and find a seat while your 12″ pizza is being cooked in the traditional stone oven. It only takes around three minutes for the pizzas to be fired up and they are cut into slices and served immediately.
Pizza Union has a good selection of Italian soft drinks, so we went for a San Pellegrino Aranciata Rossa and a Santal Pear Juice. We grazed on some delicious, juicy marinated olives before our pizzas quickly arrived.
I ordered the Stagioni (£6.50) pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, cotto ham, pepperoni, mushrooms, artichoke and black olives. The dough was thin, light and soft with small grains of Neapolitan 00 flour, not overly crispy like some thin pizzas can be. The tomato sauce was simple with a natural sweetness while the creamy mozzarella was generously scattered.
Steven tried the Pollo (£5.95) pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, chicken, mixed peppers and black olives. The large pieces of proper roasted chicken breast were so tasty and the thin slivers of red and yellow pepper added a fresh, sweet flavour.
Following pizza with more pizza might seem like just a little too much, but it would be a big mistake not to leave some room for Pizza Union’s incredible Dolce (£2.95). A baked dough ring was filled with oozing, silky Nutella and mascarpone, topped with icing sugar and cocoa. It’s a heavenly, decadent dessert plus it’s rich and substantial enough to share.
We couldn’t resist also trying one Chocolate and one Vanilla Cannoli (£1 each). The crisp rolls of bubbly pastry were generously packed with a smooth chocolate filling – perfect for a light dessert or afternoon sugar rush.
Pizza Union is a great find if you’re looking for tasty, high quality food served quickly. It’s not the kind of place to linger past finishing your meal, but the staff are very friendly and welcoming, so you don’t feel rushed. With such wallet-friendly prices and delicious Italian food, Pizza Union is somewhere I can see myself gravitating back to again and again, particularly if there’s the promise of a Dolce to split.
Chérie City was invited by Pizza Union
All photos by Chérie City
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