Franco Manca

My friend Emily said this was 'the pizza place everyone is talking about'. And so naturally as a pizza lover I felt it was my duty to give it a go.

We organised to go to the newly opened branch on Tottenham Court Road. The first thing to note is they don't take bookings - we went straight from work at around 6.30pm so we were able to get a table, but when we left an hour later there was a queue of about 50 people.

Why would anyone queue for a pizza in London, you ask? Well on paper this place has several things going for it: it's cheap, it's quick, and they use sourdough. But if that doesn't persuade you, just look at these pizzas.

Don't they look amazing? The sourdough base (supposedly allowed to slow-rise for a minimum of 20 hours) is soft and crunchy and slightly tangy, and the wood burning brick oven gives them a slightly charred flavour that really matches this well.

As for the toppings, there is a standard menu of about 6 pizzas, but we both chose from the 'specials' board, which changes daily and seasonally, featuring only the best ingredients. I chose green beans and wild garlic pesto as my toppings, and it was truly delicious - honestly one of the best pizzas I've ever had. At £5-10 per pizza, I think I'll be calling Franco Manca my new home.

www.francomanca.co.uk

98 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 4TR

020 7580 1913