Crisp W6
London’s best pizza? Instagram sometimes doesn't lie!
I initially heard about Crisp W6 from Seema, one of few strangers I trust on the internet.1 Then over next couple of weeks/months I saw them BLOWING UP on my IG. They were even in fancy publications like Vogue and Esquire.2 But now they face their most difficult test, the Stacks of Subs test. It’s been months in the making, they’re always unavailable to pre-order because they sell out and get booked so fast. This increased my anticipation. I was optimistic that beyond publication hype, it had real world hype. Real world hype I had seen in real time as I cycled past the pub and frequently saw massive queues of folks wanting to get a slice of the action.3
The Vibe
Crisp W6 is housed within the Chancellors pub just off Hammersmith bridge. It’s always seemed like a nice place to just hangout and I’ve wanted to go for a while now. But because we live in London, we would have to walk past 57 other pubs to get to it so it just never happened. Inside Chancellors, you get a real traditional pub setting with giant TV screens, tables, stools and the bar dominating the majority of the space. It felt like an old man’s pub which I quite like as a vibe. They have a nice outdoor seating area that is partially covered, kind of like a pub garden.4 There’s also outside seating on the street should you want to soak up the sunshine as well.
Anything that is Crisp W6 themselves is very modern minimalist. As you can see on the pizza box below, lets keep things understated and calm. Let’s see if the food follows the same vibe (I hoped not).
The Menu
The menu is nice and simple, not 100 different combinations or really insane toppings etc.5 Catering for a majority of people with classics and a few modern twists . The 12inchers are probably the perfect size for 2/3 people, any more and I’d recommend the 16inch. They’re currently doing a special called the picante which is the regular Crisp pie with a pesto swirl.
The Food
The Picante
Let’s start off with the look of the Picante, it’s a beautiful pie. Crust perfectly charred and bubbly in places. Cheese melted evenly and crispy in sections. Finished with a lovely swirl of vibrant green pesto. But truthfully before you even see the pizza, you can smell it in the air; there is beauty approaching. The sweet tomato smell along with the smell of freshly baked bread are harbingers of good things to come. One bite and I was hooked. The tomato sauce was the appropriate level of sauce where you can taste the marinara has been cooking long enough to develop a rich flavour with hints of garlic and chili. You can taste the parmesan and mozzarella separately as the next waves of flavour hit you. Finished off with a silky, vibrant pesto in places. If they weren’t so damn popular and the fact I’m trying to get fit (in that order) I’d be there every day for a slice.
Rating 9.4/10
The Vecna
The Vecna is one of their more modern pizzas, with the introduction of hot honey to their pepperoni and burrata pie. Because of the burrata and honey, it was a much sloppier pie which made it much messier to deal with and ruined the crisp that we had with the Picante. Once you get past that however, it’s a delicious pie. The creaminess of the burrata is well cut with the crispy pepperoni and honey. However the pepperoni definitely doesn’t taste like it’s been cooked twice and ideally would be crispier, I want a slight singe to the edges. The honey wasn’t particular hot either which was slightly disappointing, I couldn’t even feel a warmth to be honest. It’s a shame because this had the foundations to be as good as the Picante.
Rating 8.5/10
Conclusion
Is it the best pizzeria in London ? I’m not sure. A cop out I know, but it really depends on the type of slice you love and vibe with. I prefer the Neapolitans’ style of pizza to a New Yorker slice for example. BUT Crisp W6 is definitely in the top tier of London and one of the best slices of pizza I’ve ever had with the Picante. Turns out Instagram isn’t always a liar !
P.s.
I got thinking about doing a top Pizza ranking and think I’ve been about enough to judge the pretenders vs the hipsters vs the actual good stuff. Expect that in your inboxes soon!
Literally every recipe she’s written has banged and is super simple to follow. If you don’t already, make sure you follow Seema on IG!
Who knew Vogue and Esquire even wrote about food because I surely didn’t.
#Pun
It feels weird to call something a garden if it’s just concrete and seats, pub playground feels more fun and apt
On the menu they use EVOO, that means extra virgin olive oil. Shout out Mildred