Review: Pizza Express Christmas Menu

I’ve been having an affair with Pizza Express for a long time.

It started before I was married, but was living with OH. Driving home on the M4 after a day working in Stockley Park for a software company, I’d realise there was nothing in the fridge for our dinner. I’d stop by our local restaurant and pick up an Americana and a side salad and we’d eat it at home, with a large glass of red. For a few minutes we’d forget about work and were a happy threesome.

When we had children, Pizza Express continued to be a favourite. The whole set up works well for families. An interesting activity pack. A kid’s menu with veggies! Nice pizza. Reasonable prices (especially with the vouchers!).  And a big glass of wine for mum and dad.

The formula worked so well, we went there several (hundred) times. But familiarity can get you into a rut. For a long time I’ve ordered a Soho pizza with the fabulous Romana crust (a Margarita with olives, garlic and rocket). I’m not even sure it is still on the menu, but our local restaurant faithfully makes it for me.

Pizza Express asked us to review their new Christmas menu. Our only instructions were to try the new Christmas items. What a brief!

Our two younger girls (8 and 9) chose their meal from the Piccolo Menu, but our 11-year-old, hubby and I tried the Two Course Christmas Lunch Menu (£14.95). There are five starters to choose from, including some old favourites like Mozzarella and Tomato Salad, Bruschetta and Garlic Bread.

The new Christmas items included: Arancini Ragu, baked vegetable ragu and mozzarella risotto with rocket and a spiced arrabbiata sauce and Contadino, a rustic Italian stew with a crumbled sausage of fennel and chill, lentils, chestnut mushrooms, garlic, tomato served with warm dough sticks. The Contadino was fabulous. I’ve never seen anything like it at Pizza Express, it’s a thick and spicy (but not hot spicy) stew. When the weather outside is frightful, it’s a perfect warming starter for this time of year.

Mains included 7 choices. There were the usual pizza’s like Padana (goat’s cheese, caramelised red onions, spinach and garlic); Giardineriera (artichokes, mushrooms, red peppers, santos tomatoes, leeks.olives, mozzarella and tomato and pesto) Pollo As Astra (Chicken, sweet Pepperdew peppers, red onions, mozzarella and Cajun spices); and Francesco Mazzei Calabrese (spicy sausage, fresh red chilies, roquito peppers, red & yellow peppers and rocket).

The Christmas additions included Trifolata Romana – Chestnut mushrooms with taleggio and mozzarella cheese, fresh sage and garlic on a mushroom and truffle sauce. I don’t usually like truffle, but the sauce was light and it was a nice combination.

But my absolute favourite was the Porchette Romana – Roasted pork belly, fresh sage and mozzarella on a cider sauce, with Gran Moravia cheese and pork crackling. It was savoury and slightly sweet with the apple sauce, and truly scrumptious and moorish. My only suggestion is I think it could be made even more perfect with something green on top, such as rocket to parsley.

There’s a diet option, the Leggera Superfood Salad (under 300 calories). I was very tempted. But the Porchestata Romana won out.

Dessert. Can you order anything other than the Snowball Dough Balls? For Christmas, the famous Pizza Express dough balls are sprinkled with cinnamon and dusted with icing sugar and served with a vanilla cream dip. It is an absolute favourite with my girls. The plate appeared, and then the contents disappeared within minutes.

There is also a Mulled Winter Fruit Crumble, which sounds fabulous. We were just to full to even think about trying it.

And every meal must end with a cappuccino. The girls ordered their bambinocinnos, which is the same thing, but without the espresso!

We enjoyed trying the new items on Pizza Express Christmas menu. You get all you expect from Pizza Express, with some fabulous festive alternatives.

Note: Our meal was provided by Pizza Express for the purposes of this review. All opinions are mine and my families’.