Wop-pob-a-loo-bop Pizza … That’s Crazy Pizza’s luxury lunchtime extravaganza.
Pizza is probably the world’s most popular food. It’s certainly one of the most enduring. First mentions date from the Stone Age, though it wasn’t until the late 18th century that pizza as we know it appeared…in Naples. Baked as a flatbread with a scarce topping, it was eaten fresh and warm by working people such as porters, soldiers and sailors who wanted cheap and quick food.
The first pizza restaurant opened in Naples in 1831. It is still there. The rest, as the say, is history; which brings us right up to today and our visit to Crazy Pizza in Marylebone.
7 Paddington Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 5QH, United Kingdom
Naming a restaurant in one of London’s posher neighbourhoods Crazy Pizza is certainly refreshing if a bit mysterious – how crazy can a humble pizza get? Quite as it turns out. Started by the flamboyant Flavio Briatore, who among other things has dated supermodels, co-owned a football club, managed an F1 team and turned Benetton into a household name, Crazy Pizza has one mission: to bring the spirit, flavour and fun of Italy to you whether you live in Monte Carlo, Riyadh, Knightsbridge or Marylebone – or hail from the homeland in Rome, Milan or Porto Cervo. This is not only reflected in the food – the yeast-free thin-crust pizzas are made from an old closely guarded Italian recipe and are cooked in special Italian Morello ovens – but also in the ‘crazy’ fun experience that is wrapped around the food, and there is no better expression of that than the restaurant’s special Crazy Bubbles Brunch which takes place every Saturday between 12pm and 3pm.
A line of smartly dressed and glamorous customers starts to form right on the stroke of 12. Two doormen dressed in black stand ready to guide customers inside via the eye-catching floral-inspired decorative entrance. As we entered, we were immediately met by helpful and (very) cheerful staff who quickly lead us to our table, fill our glasses with Pellegrino and take the first of many drinks’ orders. Music, via a live DJ, is already playing, the windows are blacked out (it’s dim but not dark) and disco balls and Jubilee buntings adorn the ceiling. The walls are covered in photographs of various celebrities enjoying a slice of pizza. Within 10 minutes of arriving the restaurant is packed with customers across two adjoining rooms, the vast majority of whom to quote the famous Cyndi Lauper song are girls who just want to have fun.
Limitless cocktails, including the delicious Bombay Sapphire Hibiscus flower, Allspice berry, organs oil and ginger infused Flor de Jamaica fuel the fun. Beer, spirits and what seems like endless bottles of Veuve Clicquot also help. Everyone gets a smorgasbord of starters: Focaccia, Mozzarella, which is made specially on-premises in an open kitchen, Truffle Arancini and the rather quirky yet very moorish garlic and Rosemary fries. This is followed by a liquid amuse-bouche – a shot of Limoncello. You are then offered a choice of pizza.
Signature toppings include Buffalo Mozzarella, Sicilian tomatoes, Ventricina, Parma ham, Marinara and Tartufo. A second shot of Tia Maria is then served. The meal ends with a Profiterole type cake inspired by Tiramisu dreams. There is a lot of food. It is wholesome and down-to-earth – and served with care and spark. The plates are decorated in amusing quotes.
The food and drink is served with a large dollop of high-octane fun. The shots are delivered with sparklers to each table by whooping and clapping staff dancing to the ever-present sounds of Italian 80s and 90s disco music. A man playing the Bongo drums who works his way through the disco-light speckled tables to the delight of an increasingly enthusiastic crowd joins them.
Pizza dough spinning chefs then descend from their open kitchen in a kaleidoscope of twirling, flipping and rolling fluid movement that ignites an outbreak of iPhone flashbulbs across the restaurant. Only a drinks-spinning Tom Cruise is missing by this point. It’s heady stuff and it’s best to get carried away. And then, when you think it’s all coming to end (we’re well into our second hour), two carnival girls appear dressed in feathered headdresses and sequins – think Rio.
They dance around the tables supported by the thudding dance tracks and the ever-energetic Bongo drummer. All the staff are out and by now every customer is on their feet (and the odd chair) dancing, clapping, laughing and singing. Serviettes are being swung around.
The restaurant is bouncing. We are all high on the Dolce Vita. This is peak Crazy Pizza, the ultimate 3-hour pizza party.