I am very picky, and I’ve enjoyed a lot of fantastic food all over the world. Pizza is one of those foods that is so simple, yet so easily ruined. After biting down on countless slices, from Rome to Chicago, I can say it is hard to find the perfect Pizza. I’ve tried a few different places in London, and it turns out that my favourite pizza is made right around the corner, in East London.
Crate Brewery is a micro-brewery and Crate Beer and Pizza is located in Hackney, East London. They cook up some delicious pizza and brews. East London is a real hub of art and Crate didn’t stray from the local culture: The place feels cozy and eclectic and is in fact entirely upcycled.
image source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
The bar is made from railway sleepers, and light fittings are made of rusty old bed springs. When the weather permits you can enjoy the outdoors and canal views on pallet benches and scaffold plank tables. I absolutely love the atmosphere, whether indoors or outdoors. Sometimes the crowds inside encourage you to stay outdoors even in late summer or fall, when you have to stay bundled up in your sweater, coat, and scarf. The impossibly hot pizza makes it all worth it though. This tends to be the case only on busy evenings when you arrive a bit on the later side, perhaps after 8pm on a Thursday or Friday night when the bar inside is buzzing. If the weather is good enough, being outside can still be a good option with wine or ale to keep you warm.
My absolute favourite pizza is the spicy salami. I used to just eat Margherita pizzas, until trying Crate’s spicy salami (see my picture below). They do have some of the more creative and exotic pizza options I have seen to far, including lamb or sweet potato as some of the toppings. To get a sense of the flavours, you can check out the beer/pizza menu.
Image by: Christine Buske
Although Crate is quite close to me it is not really in an area where I would casually walk by it one day. Ironically, I was introduced to Crate Brewery by a friend visiting from Brazil, who prior to coming to see me in London had never left South America. Turns out, he gave me a culinary tour of my neighbourhood I couldn’t have expected. It was entirely by chance, but I am so happy I discovered this East London hot-spot. It is by far the best pizza in London I have ever eaten!