Zia Lucia has opened its third London outlet at Boxpark Wembley, following success with sites in Islington and Hammersmith
The brand is known for its 48-hour slow-fermented doughs, which range from traditional to gluten-free, and the dramatic looking black vegetable charcoal crust.
The main feature of the new Wembley eatery is the huge wood-fired oven and, like at the sister sites, a competition is being run to name it. Islington and Hammersmith ovens are named Dante and Wally.
The toppings include Ndujan - tomato, mozzarella, nduja (spicy pork sausage), and Arianna - mozzarella, fresh sausage, taleggio goat cheese, pecorino cheese, truffle honey, and Andrea Pirlo - mozzarella, gorgonzola, apple, truffle & olive sauce
Beyond pizza, there are a range of salads, and sharing plates such as Tagliere dei Nipoti - traditional Italian cured meat & grilled vegetables, with focaccia.
New and exclusive to the Wembley branch, there's a burrata bar - burrata (cow milk cheese made from mozzarella and cream) can be added to a selection of ingredients like smoked salmon and avocado, spicy salami, or roasted peppers, served with focaccia.
To finish there's Tiramisú, Ricotta Cheesecake, and Pizza Dessert - two slices with Nutella in the crust, custard, fresh fruit, and honey.
The beverage list is succinct with a small selection of Italian wine, beer, and cocktails like Aperol Spritz and Negroni.
Zia Lucia, which translates as 'Auntie Lucia' was founded by friends and Holloway residents, Claudio Vescovo and Gianluca D’Angelo. Inspired and named after D’Angelo’s Auntie Lucia: a warm, generous figure in her family and community in Rome, these important values are recreated in the brand's neighbourhood pizzerias.
D’Angelo said, 'We were thrilled to be approached by the new Boxpark and are really excited to be a part of this new food hub which will not only be a great asset for the crowds that travel to Wembley for concerts, sports and events, but will also be a great contribution to the local community too'.
Zia Lucia opened its first restaurant in Islington in 2016, and in light of its success launched a second one in Hammersmith in 2018.
Zia Lucia has been awarded Best Local Restaurant on Time Out Love London Awards 2018. It is featured in Where Chefs Eat Guide 2018, and is ranked among the 100 London Best Cheap Eats for Time Out.