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The founder of Napoli on the Road in Chiswick, West London Michele Pascarella was named the best pizza chef in the world – winning the coveted Global Pizza Maker of the Year
On my 25th birthday, during a trip to Rome, I had the best meal of my life. It consisted of three ingredients: pasta, olive oil and truffle, shaved onto my plate as it sat on our table by the restaurant’s joyous owner. Incredibly simple, incredibly fresh, incredibly delicious.
It is hard to compete with a Roman restaurant that serves icy cold table wine by the jug on a warm, September birthday evening, but Napoli on the Road in Chiswick puts itself into the ring by dint of the many, many plaudits it has received. Earlier this year the West London joint was named the Best Pizza Restaurant in Europe (outside of Italy) at the 50 Top Pizza Awards – dubbed the ‘Michelin awards for pizzerias’.
In 2023, head chef and founder Michele Pascarella was named the best pizza chef in the world – winning the coveted Global Pizza Maker of the Year. An awful lot of hype then, and enough to convince me to make the journey way out west having snatched up the final table on a Wednesday evening – all the others but the 6.15pm being booked up five days before.
The restaurant is lovely. Half a dozen wrapped-up-warm diners sit on curb-side tables outside, warming themselves on the orange glow that shines through the window. Inside, print-outs of articles shining a spotlight on Napoli on the Road’s pedigree fill one wall, providing something for my dining companion for the evening to read as I cycled to meet him.
The atmosphere inside is vibrant and friendly. A group of three women gossiped happily on the table next to ours and saw off a bottle of prosecco before our cheery waitress had taken our order, just minutes after I walked in. Couples on date nights and pals also checking out if the hype was warranted fill the other eight or so tables.
Given the reputation, Napoli on the Road is cheap. A Margherita costs just £12.99, beers around £5 and some of the simpler pizzas £15. I wasn’t in the market to play it safe however.
Under the Signature Pizza by Michele section are a run of dishes from £15.95 to £17.95 with a delicious and slightly fancier selection of toppings. Hand-crushed basil pesto, slow-cooked Neapolitan ragu, crispy parmigiano reggiano chips. I opted for the Foglie e Patate, which combines ricotta and for di latte cheeses with chicory, spinach, borage, black pepper and – most surprisingly – boiled and smashed potatoes. For my friend, an aubergine rich parmigiana di melanzane.
Within minutes our pizzas had arrived and moments after that, we conceded the hype was warranted. Napoli on the Road’s pizza is exceptional. The thickness of the base is substantial and cooked exactly how I wanted it; the crust doughy and puffy; the flavour combinations perfectly judged. The chef had not skimped on the cheese and the amount of oil was just enough to make the dish feel indulgent without veering into greasy.
We hadn’t told the restaurant we were coming to write a review, so one can expect such culinary delights and great service whenever they pop in. It was as good a pizza as I’ve eaten. And there is the slight problem.
Fundamentally, pizza’s ceiling is about 8/10. I’ve never met a pizza I didn’t like, but I’ve never met a slice that I love. It is solid, dependable comfort food – but not something you take home to meet your parents. It is no truffle pasta. It is, perhaps, not worth cycling eight miles past your local Franco Manca to Napoli on the Road on a wet Wednesday evening.
