‘Overrated’ London restaurant has been crowned one of world’s best for pizza

On Google, people can’t get enough of the chain, with reviews for the Soho location claiming it has ‘the best pizza ever’ and ‘sublime food’.

Anthonino N gave five stars and wrote: ‘I had the pleasure of dining at this pizzeria and I can confidently say it’s an experience I highly recommend. The atmosphere is cozy, and the service is impeccable. In particular, the waiter Mario truly made a difference: professional, friendly, and always ready to recommend delicious dishes. The pizza is outstanding, with a thin, crispy crust and fresh, high-quality ingredients. Every bite was a little masterpiece. Kudos to the whole team, and a special thanks to Mario for making our evening even more enjoyable!’

However, not everyone was a fan with some saying they had been ‘disappointed’ with the pizza, as it had been ‘overhyped’ and was ‘overpriced’. A few who left one star reviews also claimed the food had been good, but the service had let the experience down for them.

Also making it into the top five world’s best pizza chains was Big Mamma Group, which was founded in 2015 in Paris by entrepreneurs Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux and now has more than 20 restaurants across Europe.

There are five in London, eight in Paris, plus trattorias in Lyon, Lille, Birmingham, Monaco, Brussels, Milan, Madrid, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Marseille, and Bordeaux.

The restaurants regularly go viral online, as they all have a very unique and maximalist aesthetic. In London, Circolo Popolare in Fitzrovia is known for its floor to ceiling shelves covered in different bottles of alcohol and fairy lights, while Jacuzzi has been described as a ‘pleasure palace’ set over three floors in High Street Kensington. Inside you’ll find Roman statues, a giant lemon tree, a grand illuminated staircase, plenty of murano glass, plus a disco bathroom.

There’s also Gloria’s in Shoreditch, Ave Mario in Covent Garden, and the most recent London opening, Carlotta’s in Marylebone.

Pasta and pizza are served at each of these spots on kitsch Italian plates, and all five of them have an impressive 4.8/5 score on Google reviews. But while many visitors rave about the decor and drinks, the food isn’t quite has highly rated, often touted as being ‘good but not amazing’, ‘average’, and ‘overrated’.

Kamuti Kiteme highlighted this in a recent four star review for Circolo Poplare, explaining: ‘Visually stunning and festive atmosphere! For celebrations and parties this is your spot. The food is good too but I think it’s fair to say the atmosphere steals the show. As someone who lived/worked in Italy my standard for Italian food is quite high so there are few places that I think have great Italian food. But Circolo does a good job and you won’t be disappointed. Service is fair, not the most exceptional, and we got through the meal smoothly. Overall I would definitely go back again.’

Similarly, on Reddit, u/lalabalala923 said of Circolo Popolare: ‘The inside is beautiful, and the service was pretty good in our experience, but the food was average at best. Also so crowded and chaotic to even just walk to the loo.’  And u/cherrybomb2603 claimed it was ‘so overrated.’