Can you introduce us to Cinquecento and your new Notting Hill location?

Cinquecento is your local neighbourhood pizzeria. We make food just like Nonna used to make back in Italy. Our third site in Notting Hill Gate is designed just like Nonna’s house, using traditional ceramics, Italian tiles, a cosy atmosphere and a big Italian Cinquecento family.

What’s your secret weapon when making pizzas?

Our secret recipe dough combined with a DOP San Marzano tomato sauce and fiordilatte di agerola, is the base of truly authentic Neapolitan pizza.

What have you learned from the past year that will take with you into the future?

During the pandemic, we were able to spend so much more time looking at our ingredients and methods. We really extended our menu throughout the year which has been really well received.

What ingredient can you not live without?

Our San Marzano tomatoes and EVO Oil I could not live without. They are the ingredients we are most proud to use! We are the exclusive customers of our EVO oil, every year we buy the olive trees from Sicily and get the entire production shipped over to London.

Who is your role model?

We look to many inspirations in the food industry, some for their operational capability and others for the quality of the product. That’s what we are trying to do at Cinquecento, find a perfect balance of the two and keep it traditional ‘Just Like Nonna’ used to make.

Where is your favourite place to eat in London and what do you like to eat when dining there?

My favourite place in London to eat when I am not working is in my kitchen at home! As a true Italian if I’m not cooking pizza then it has to be pasta.

What are your biggest passions outside of food and drink?

To be honest, all of my passion belongs to food and drink. Even when I am not working I am cooking and looking for new ingredients all the time. When the restaurants allows for it, I also might like to travel.

Where are you most looking forward to travelling to when we can?

As much as I would like to travel the world, Italy always pulls me back. There’s nowhere like home.

Who from today or history would you choose to share a pizza with, and what pizza would you make them?

I would love to make a truly authentic Neapolitan pizza for anyone who hasn’t tried the real thing. The person I would share the pizza with, would be my Nonna Graziella, in order for her to see how we are keeping up her dishes here in the UK.

cinquecentopizzeria.com