Cinquecento (CLOSED)

Cinquecento has been turning out Neapolitan pizza on Greek Street for years, a few steps from Soho Square and close enough to Shaftesbury Avenue to catch the pre-theatre crowd. The pizzeria was set up by Emanuele and Melo, two Italians who wanted to share the pizza of their homeland, and it has since become a landmark for people who take their pizza seriously.

The kitchen keeps to the Neapolitan rulebook. The dough follows Nonna's recipe and gets a long, slow prove before it ever sees the oven, and the toppings lean on D.O.P.-certified Italian ingredients, from San Marzano tomatoes to proper buffalo mozzarella. The result is the classic Naples style, a soft, blistered crust with a puffed cornicione, pulled from the oven in barely more than a minute.

Neapolitan pizza in the middle of Soho

What began as a single pizzeria has grown into a family of Cinquecento sites across London, from Battersea and Belgravia to Kensington and Marylebone, yet the Greek Street branch keeps the feel of the original idea, a compact room where the oven does the talking. The menu runs from a straight margherita through to specials loaded with Italian cured meats and seasonal vegetables, with calzone and a short list of Italian desserts alongside. Delivery is available for nights when Soho comes to you.

How the visit works

It suits a quick dinner before a show as well as a slower evening with a carafe of Italian red, and tables turn quickly enough that walk-ins have a fair chance even on busy nights. Pair it with a wander through the Soho restaurant scene, or make a night of Italian flavours with Obicà Mozzarella Bar on Poland Street a few minutes away.