The dingy entrance to Pizza East is a bit disconcerting but don’t let that put you off. It’s on the corner of Shoreditch High Street and Bethnal Green Road and leads to a fantastic industrial space full of exposed pipes and distressed concrete walls.
After a warm up of Basil-flavoured Hoxton 'teas' (mojitos) with friends at the Book Club up the road we had a bottle of red while waiting impatiently for our table to free-up. It was 10pm and the boys amongst the group were ravenous. I was too. After some strategic loitering and glares from my pal Polly we were soon seated at a long studded steel refectory table in a prime spot next to the bar which was draped with legs of aged ham.
I nearly made the error of going for a ricotta-based 10” pizza base as the toppings sounded lush but our oversized Ray-ban spectacled waiter encouraged me to go for the Margherita and DIY it with San Daniele, buffalo mozzarella and a pot of pesto on the side - I was so glad I did as the tomato-sauce base was just like mama used to make!
The company was good and the prices were really reasonable despite the popularity of this new opening so I’m already scheming to go back. Some of our diners had to flee for the last train home to the burbs but Pol and I were set on a pud so shared the salted chocolate caramel tart. I love salty-sweet desserts- they seem to be appearing a lot more on menus these days. This tart could have been a fraction less salty but still hit the spot. It reminded me of some tapas I had in Barcelona at a great little bar called Tapac 24 (Ex- El Bulli Carles Abellan’s bar). There they serve Chocolate con sal, aceite y pan (Spanish), literally chocolate ice-cream with bread, olive oil and salt. Sounds grim but they use good oil and chocolate and the flavours are subtle and really work. If you only have time to go to one tapas bar there make it this one!
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