Napoli Gang

The Big Mamma restaurant group prides itself on glitz and glamour. Ave Mario has its plush red banquettes, Circolo Popolare has its plant-covered ceiling, and Gloria has its mismatched 70s furniture. Napoli Gang, meanwhile, leaves behind the boujie interiors and theatrical service for something simpler: a takeaway in Ladbroke Grove. Yes, burrata, truffle and Instagram memes are still rife, but this opening must stand up on its food alone.

Firstly, anyone looking for a light bite should keep on looking. Napoli Gang’s menu is wall-to-wall decadence, from burrata bombs to giant melt-in-the-middle cookies. There’s a great selection of pizzas, with plenty of pizze bianche for those who swing that way, as well as classic Italian drinks and desserts.

We started with lasagne fritte, breadcrumbed croquettes of - you guessed it - lasagne. While we weren’t expecting nuance, we felt the ragu could have done with a little more depth. Thankfully, a burrata pesto bomb gave our palates a needed hit of freshness, resting protectively over a nest of sweet sun-dried tomatoes. Elsewhere, a warming pancetta pasta gratin’s vast pools of pork fat took it from hearty to heart attack.

With some pizzas hitting the £17 mark, expectations were high. A more familiar ‘god save regina’ (ham, olive and mushroom) was spot-on and deliciously salty, but the ‘ola bresaola’ brought something new to the table. Here, a ricotta and mozzarella base left room for the delicate bresaola, while Grana Padano, rocket and lemon zest added a zing to complete this masterpiece. These pizzas are worth the price tag and somewhat - rightfully - eclipse the rest of the menu.

The final nail in the coffin of carbs came in the form of a deliciously boozy tiramisu, ensuring that we would perhaps never use our legs again. Luckily, Napoli Gang delivers, so we didn’t need them anyway.

From the team at Big Mamma Group, who have also graced London with the highly Instagrammable and OTT Italian restaurants Circolo Popolare, Gloria and Ave Mario, comes Napoli Gang, which was originally launched as a delivery-only offering in August 2020 before opening its first shop in 2022. Located in Ladbroke Grove in west London, Napoli Gang’s menu features its original line-up of classic Italian dishes made from ingredients sourced from Big Mamma Group’s trusted suppliers.  

To name drop a few of its meticulously selected suppliers, guests can expect mozzarella by Salvatore Corso, parmigiano D.O.P by Paolo Gennari, salame al tartufo from the Gombitelli brothers in the Provincia di Lucca and pistachio mortadella from Bronte by Simona Scapin just 20 km from Bologna.  

On the menu, discover things like fresh Puglian burrata, parma ham and mortadella, crunchy arancini, cheesy fresh pasta and, of course, its signature loaded pizzas. 70% of the menu is vegetarian which is pretty cool, with some of its most well-known pizzas being the Margherita 2.0, made with mozzarella fior de latte, Italian tomatoes, parmigiano and fresh basil, as well as Get Cheesy With It which features mozzarella, gorgonzola, ricotta and pecorino. 

To drink, the wine list celebrates a range of Italian bottles from Puglia, Tuscany, Sicily, all of which are organic, biodynamic or hero natural and low-intervention farming techniques. 

We know what you’re thinking... What will Napoli Gang’s interiors be like, the thing for which Big Mamma is famously known? Don’t you worry, because the restaurant has been designed by the restaurant group’s in-house design studio, Studio Kiki, with hot-pink neons and an interior covered in custom graffiti art by a local graffiti artist. There are also speakers playing retro MTV songs and a projector showing music videos on the walls. It’s loud, to be sure, but we wouldn't expect anything less.