La Luna
380 Walworth Road SE17 2NG Tel: 0207 277 1991
Though not strictly speaking absolutely in Camberwell, La Luna is a restaurant that lures us to stretch our borders. With the demise of SE5's local Italian restaurant, the much missed Mozzarella e Pomodoro, it seemed as though good local pizza was a thing of the past for Camberwellians. But mourn no longer, for the solution s just a few minutes down the Walworth Road. Despite this unprepossessing location, once inside La Luna we felt far, far from South London.
The décor and welcome were very Italian – and very charming. We were shown to a candlelit table with a view of the open kitchen where one very hardworking Italian man was creating the most tempting of pizzas. We already knew that we had to taste them, but browsed the menu over free olives and rustic, warm bread sticks which whetted our appetite still further. One of us opted for the very good value set menu (£12.99 for 3 courses at the time of writing), and they were very accommodating about our sharing the starter of delightfully crisp, tasty bruschetta. The pizzas which followed were flawless. With particularly perfect bases, we agreed that they were the best we have had outside of Italy (and Eritrea). We were so satisfied that we almost didn’t order a dessert, which would have been a loss, as the banoffee pie was delicious and light. The food at La Luna was an absolute delight, and the wine list, while short, was good (we enjoyed a very lovely prosecco). Bustling and friendly, yet still intimate, La Luna has a lovely atmosphere. And Camberwellians need never go anywhere else for pizza…
Food 5
Service 4
Ambience 5
Gay friendliness 3.5