Pizza Lenuccia
148 Camberwell New Road SE5 0RR
Tel: 0207 091 0447
Ambience was always going to be a risk when first visiting a west Camberwell restaurant on a rainy Sunday evening. We were the only diners at Pizza Lenuccia, though as we finished off, a group of four appeared. Pizza Lenuccia sprung up quietly, attached to the Union Tavern and part of the 'Latin Palace'. The restaurant, which goes through to a dance floor, is probably very popular on their Friday and Saturday night salsa evenings, so we'll give the ambience the benefit of the doubt. On our Sunday, however, it was just us, the waiters, and a large television (authentic Italian restaurants always seem to favour a large television in the dining area). The restaurant looked good though - unpretentious, but nicely set out, with a proper restaurant vibe rather than a gastropub. The tables sit alongside a long bar, with an open oven at one end for producing stonebaked pizzas. The menu is fairly extensive, with a good drinks list. And the waiters were reasonably attentive, though all quite interested in watching the television.
We ordered bruschetta, which was perfectly nice, though not impressive, and very garlicky. Then we sampled their Fiorentina pizza. Again it was fine. The only place to get a stonebaked pizza in the SE5 postcode, if I'm not mistaken, but the base was a little too thick and the topping a little greasy. And their knives were bizarrely blunt and almost impossible to use to cut a pizza effectively. But that's me being pedantic and reminiscing about La Luna's fabulous stone baked pizzas on the Walworth Road. This pizza was tasty and pleasant without being sensational. But for a local option, it's more than satisfying.
Pizza Lenuccia is all in all not a bad option, and is probably great during the Friday and Saturday night salsa club. They have a devoted group of local diners, if the internet reviews are to be believed. We will have to revisit to give it a fair assessment. For now, La Luna remains unchallenged in local pizza supremacy.
Food: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Ambience: 2/5 (but it may increase much higher on Friday and Saturday nights)
Gay friendliness: 2/5
We ordered bruschetta, which was perfectly nice, though not impressive, and very garlicky. Then we sampled their Fiorentina pizza. Again it was fine. The only place to get a stonebaked pizza in the SE5 postcode, if I'm not mistaken, but the base was a little too thick and the topping a little greasy. And their knives were bizarrely blunt and almost impossible to use to cut a pizza effectively. But that's me being pedantic and reminiscing about La Luna's fabulous stone baked pizzas on the Walworth Road. This pizza was tasty and pleasant without being sensational. But for a local option, it's more than satisfying.
Pizza Lenuccia is all in all not a bad option, and is probably great during the Friday and Saturday night salsa club. They have a devoted group of local diners, if the internet reviews are to be believed. We will have to revisit to give it a fair assessment. For now, La Luna remains unchallenged in local pizza supremacy.
Food: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Ambience: 2/5 (but it may increase much higher on Friday and Saturday nights)
Gay friendliness: 2/5
