Franco Manca in Covent Garden is the perfect pre-show stop for dinner with their beautiful Neapolitan-style sourdough pizzas. The pizzeria is ideally located near the West End, surrounded by a plethora of stunning theatres such as the Lyceum, the Vaudeville, and the Adelphi, among others. During the day, the restaurant also makes for a great pit-stop between the many shops and cool boutiques in the covered market and the surrounding streets. For a spot of culture, there’s also the fascinating London Transport Museum, as well as the London Film Museum. There are also plenty of beautiful hotels and bars nearby, making it easy for tourists and travellers who don’t want to venture too far for a smashing pizza. Transport links are also well-within walking distance for buses, tubes, and mainline trains from Charing Cross, Covent Garden, or Leicester Square stations.
The pizza is made from a slowly risen sourdough created using 100% Italian farm, sourced from the Pivetti family in Bologna, combined with a starter that dates back to the 18th century. The dough is then proved for a minimum of 20 hours to produce that signature Franco Manca taste. The whole process is conducted with military precision by the chefs. Once the dough is ready, it is stretched and topped with fresh ingredients, imported and locally sourced, such as British mozzarella made in Somerset, and cured meats and cherry tomatoes from Italy. The pizzas are then put into the 500 degree ovens by the master pizzaiolos with their wooden peels for precisely 40 seconds each to achieve an authentic Naples-style crust.
You can watch all the magic at the pizza station happen while you wait at your table, and see for yourself how skilfully the pizza is made. Check out the daily specials blackboard for the highlights of the day.