Pizza Express

Richmond’s Pizza Express have really upped their game in recent times. We used to go there a few years ago as a group of old friends who met up 2 or 3 times a year and found it was too noisy and staff weren’t the most attentive. Back to the present and in the last year we’ve visited twice and the place has been redesigned — the tables are laid out much better, the service has improved dramatically and I’m happy to give it full marks out of 5. It has a much nicer ambience now (although we’ve only visited on week day evenings — I can’t comment on the weekends).
The facilities are clean and have good access for wheelchair users.

What can I say… it is Pizza Express. They serve decent food to a good standard in a clean, inviting environment.
Pizza Express caters for families and children very well, and this location (Richmond) is especially attractive to the local family and small children cadre. Consequently it might not be the best choice for romance or a lunch time business meeting.

Food is good and so is service.

This Pizza Express is immense in size, with an art deco feel to it. Old Italian movies are projected onto the walls, which is a nice, albeit distracting, touch. There are dozens of tables, but I understand it can be quite difficult to snag one (unless you go on Easter Sunday, as we did, and find it empty). There are some very comfortable booths near the windows that offer a pleasant view of the entire restaurant. The only thing that doesn’t quite fit is the music, which seems a bit too trendy for the scene.
Though this was probably the best Pizza Express I’ve been to, I’m still not sold on the chain. My partner and I split a Caesar salad and garlic bread to start, and both were pleasant, but not extraordinary. I am a mushroom lover, so I ordered the Funghi de Bosco on an «extra crispy» Romana crust, which I have to say was prepared much better than those I’ve had at other Pizza Express locations. The ingredients were plentiful, the crust was crisp, and the pizza itself didn’t go cold before I finished eating it.
It seems we forgot to take our coupon with us every time we go, but if you sign up for Pizza Express’ mailing list, you can get a significant discount off your meal, something I would recommend.

Pizza Express is a godsend for me when I’m in London because I know that I can order something familiar and good. They have a big selection of pizzas, other pasta dishes, and desserts. I prefer their margherita pizza; simple, but good.
This location is quite large and has a wi-​fi zone. But my favorite aspect is the large potted herbs placed in the windowsills, base, thyme, rosemary, etc.

Just got back from Pizza Express and I realised that I haven’t been here in a whole year. We go here every year for a birthday celebration and each time I wonder why I don’t visit more often. I guess it’s because I like discovering new things and going to different places rather than hitting the big chains like Pizza Express. However, I’ve got to say, if you’re looking for a decent quality meal with good service and a reasonable bill you can’t go very wrong with this place.
Pros: Usual good standard of food, across the road from the cinema for a pre/​post dinner film, quality of service.
Cons: The knives… what’s the deal with them? You really can’t cut a pizza with a knife like the ones they have there. Mind you, hands were made for eating pizza.

This is probably one of the largest Pizza Expresses that I have ever been into. It is like dining in a hotel lobby. The décor is quite an experience too. The building is a 1930’s art deco, with black and white stripes running across the front. Because it is so large inside, it is not exactly intimate, but it is very convenient for large groups of people, or families. This is a particularly kid friendly restaurant (but don’t worry if you are not kid friendly yourself, there are plenty of different sections to be seated)
So the food, is as well all know, standard Pizza Express fare. I love their pizzas. I had a Soho pizza last time I was here; lots of rocket and Parmesan. My other favourite is the goats cheese. I stick loads of chili on top of it to give it an extra kick. Washed down with a couple of glasses of red — you can’t beat it.

Pizza Express is a standard chain restaurant selling slightly above average Italian food for average prices. It’s a much nicer version of Pizza hut.
The branch in Richmond is fairly large and modern, with room for quite a number of people. There are often young families here and baby strollers can take a lot of room. As the floors are hard, it does get rather noisy at lunchtimes.
The pizza is ok to good, and the staff efficient but not overly friendly. All in all, a safe chain restaurant but in Richmond, there are many other places with great food for reasonable prices.