Sodo

When the rise and rise of Franco Manca becomes too much to bear, look up your local Sodo instead. Okay, honestly we’ve started on a faulse footing there because that’s not a statement that’s likely to come true for us anytime soon. Really, this town is more than big enough for multiple modern pizza restaurants.

Up in the nosebleed north of upper, Upper Clapton – beyond the Crooked Billet, even – you’ll find Sodo, a pizza joint with that charming rough around the edges thing that we like to see in a rustic restaurant. In this sense, it has let the likes of Franco Manca out of its sights, into the land of venture capitalists and investment opportunities and remains a sweet, scruffy sort of place. The door must be yanked, handmade signs tell you what to open and what to close, the toilets are a squeeze round beside the kitchen and the whole thing generally has the feel of a place put together on the fly - in an entirely good way. But can the pizzas live up to the likes of the Pilgrims, Manca and Homeslice? Well, yes and no. The base isn’t the best we’ve had in terms of flavour but there are divisions in our group and some mark Sodo high for crispiness – a feature often lacking on these sourdough circles. We eat the Sodo version of the ‘mighty meaty’, a salty, spicy, luxurious collection of ham, salami and chilli that proves the place does toppings right. To cut through all that rich umami flavour, there’s a burratina on the side whose creamy innards are a cooling, balancing influence.

We drink the house Syrah, a £15 cracker that goes down smoothly and eat a salted caramel brownie with vanilla ice cream for dessert. We’re getting used to eating pizza at the level served by the likes of Sodo, which is a good thing for London pizza fans i.e. all Londoners. A meal for four costs under £25 per person with wine, sides and dessert, which makes it one of the cheapest ways to eat great food.