We are often slightly curious of those South London establishments that cross the great Thames divide and attempt to conquer the hardened hearts and narrow minds of their trendier cousins. (For the record, we are actually from South London, but we thought we would appease those roffers with North London sympathies). Our concerns, however, appear misplaced if Pizza Metro's recent emergence in Notting Hill is anything to go by.

Straddling both sides of the Thames with it's original HQ in Battersea and it's new West London efford, Pizza Metro is an institution of Pizza expertise. One would expect nothing less from a business that has been pleasing South Londoners for almost 20 years. Clearly they're doing something right...

Opened by Alberto and Antonio (aka 'real Neapolitan people'), Pizza Metro was never intended to do anything complicated. It was to follow a simple philosophy - fresh dishes prepared from the best possible ingredients. We wish we thought of that... and then executed it as perfectly as Pizza Metro.

A not so real Neapolitan dishes out not-so-fresh food

Since the restaurant was bought in 2003 by Diego Palladino and Brian Witcomb, the original philosophy and standards have not changed. Excellent news.

So, you can still expect rustic Italian food ('Authentic') cooked beautifully. For starters we would highly recommend the crispy fried mozzarella, which should be followed up by the delicious pizzas (ordered by length... - they boast the longest Pizza in London at 6m) which are simple and classic in nature.

Aside from that, the Battersea branch (and we're sure the West London branch too) has a warm and welcoming atmosphere and represents excellent value for money.

It's a wonder why we ever ate pizza from anywhere else.

http://pizzametropizza.com/