Pizza Express

This is essentially the British version of the American restaurant Bertucci’s.
I like the look of each of the locations I’ve gone to and the staff is always attentive and able to answer any questions.
The menu is what excites me most. There’s a little something for everyone here; salads, pastas, calzones, shared plates, appetizers, and more. The food always comes out piping hot and very fresh and as for portion sizes — WOW. I feel like I can usually share whatever dish it is I’ve ordered. It was a surprise to see my salad served on the same sized plate as my bf who ordered a pizza. I also had the calamari which I would’ve liked to be a bit more crispy in its breading but still hit the spot.
If you’re looking for a low-​key casual date night dinner this could be a perfect place.

Came here for a spontaneous dinner on Sunday evening with my boyfriend, as last minute as it gets! I called ahead to to make sure we’d get a table and booked for just after 9. Turns out it wasn’t needed at all! There were 4 other tables there aside from us and its a big place so it was pretty empty.
Didn’t bother us at all though, our server was really friendly as we chose where we wanted to sit (only qualm is that it is quite bright in there, maybe turn the lights down a little bit?). We ordered our dough balls to share straight away (super hungry!) and drinks. They all came quickly and they didn’t forget the tap water which is always a plus! White wine was was good value, I had Pinot Grigio and it was very nice. Not a hint of vinegar woo!
Food came fast (as you’d expect with an empty restaurant!), I had gluten free La Reine which was good, base is a bit un-​crispy but as far as gluten-​free pizzas go, it was pretty good. My boyfriend had a HUGE pollo ad astra which looked amazing and he said it was delicious!
The staff were friendly, got a little less attentive as the evening went on as they started to clear up and get ready to close but all in all, one of the better Pizza Express’ I think!

My friends were meeting some folk here for dinner recently and, since I’d not made plans and was at the point of starvation, invited me along to join. Having spotted the Pizza Express as soon as it had opened I was tempted to try it out, as I’d not eaten at one before, so this was the perfect opportunity to find out how good the pizza was.
The restaurant is rather large, lightly lit and simply decorated. It’s certainly a good spot for groups as many of the tables could accommodate more than ten, I’d guess, and the tables are well spaced out so it doesn’t feel crammed in. We didn’t book and were able to grab a table immediately, which was great, and the staff were lovely.
One of my friends really didn’t enjoy the wine she had ordered (it’s a lower calorie wine) and the waitress had no problem in replacing it with a different one free of charge, which was excellent. Being rather British about these things it really hammered home the old adage, ‘If you don’t ask you don’t get’, so I won’t be so shy about that kind of thing next time!
The starter that I ordered, a mushroom bread based dish with bechemel sauce, was incredible. It was so flavoursome and an incredibly generous portion so I was really pleased. For my main pizza I opted for one that comes with four different toppings, in quarters, and asked not to have the anchovies. You can easily adjust any of the pizzas, so don’t be afraid to pick one and modify. As I’d nixed the anchovies I was allowed an extra topping to replace them, which was also lovely!
As for the pizza itself, I went with a deep pan version (although I’m not sure it was called that) which has a smaller surface area than the thin based variety, although we reasoned there must be the same amount of dough. Next time I’ll go with that as I didn’t really have much topping in comparison and it didn’t taste as satisfying as my companions’!
I was really hoping for a gourmet pizza experience, which is perhaps a little too high an expectation. The prices are certainly more expensive than most other places serving pizza in Leeds, and the ambience of the restaurant isn’t quite unique enough to justify the extra few quid. That said, it was a really decent pizza, a world away from the rough stodge served up at minimal prices from your casual take away, and so even if you’re doubling the price you’ll walk away with a pleasant taste in your mouth.
The waitress really was a star as well, since we were being a bit of a fussy lot with a range of little requirements, so absolute props go to the lovely staff. It’s definitely a pleasant experience and I’m sure I’ll be back sometime soon. Of course, they do a take away as well, which will always be nicer than buying in one of their pizzas from Sainsbury’s just up the road. More expensive, I’d hazard, but more enjoyable!