Where to eat pizza on Parkway, Camden Town
Parkway has the two pizzerias with the firmest track record in Camden Town: one Neapolitan, one entirely vegan.
By Only Camden Editorial
Short answer: go to Parkway, NW1. Two sit-down pizzerias face each other a few steps from Camden Town tube, and both come in under £30 a head. One does classic Neapolitan, the other is entirely vegan. They are different enough that you can pick by mood rather than by queue.
Pizza Pilgrims, 40-42 Parkway
This is the one for a straight, no-nonsense Neapolitan. Pizza Pilgrims Camden is at 40-42 Parkway, NW1 7AH, about 0.1 miles from Camden Town station, so it works as a pre-gig dinner when you do not want a trek.
What to order: a Wanderlog summary points to the classic Margherita and the double pepperoni with spicy honey. Start with the Margherita, because if a pizzeria cannot get that right, nothing else matters.
Cost: SquareMeal puts it at under £30 per head. It has also been used for private hire, with seating for up to 70, which tells you it is a big room. Groups have a fair shot at getting a table.
Hours: the venue lists Monday to Wednesday 11:30 to 21:00, Thursday to Saturday 11:30 to 22:00 and Sunday 11:30 to 21:30. Check before you go, as times can change.
There is also a Pizza Academy on site, which trains people for careers in hospitality, and a “pizza theatre” where chefs give demonstrations. The branch was billed as the brand’s first pizzeria in the North of England, and Hot Dinners covered the opening back in February 2020.
Purezza, 45-47 Parkway
Directly across the road, Purezza is at 45-47 Parkway and bills itself as the UK’s first vegan pizzeria. Do not write it off if you eat cheese: this is a sourdough pizzeria with its own range of plant-based cheeses, and it won National Pizza of the Year at the 2018 National Pizza Awards, according to Wikipedia.
What to order: OpenTable reviewers single out the Lasagna Piccante pizza, the gluten-free pizza and the tiramisu, and one mentions the polpette. Time Out has praised the dough balls, and described bases matured for 48 hours with toppings such as house-made rice-milk “mozzarella”, wood-smoked tofu and shaved seitan.
Cost: OpenTable lists it at £25 and under.
Hours: Monday to Thursday 12:00 to 22:00, Friday and Saturday 12:00 to 22:45, Sunday 12:00 to 21:00. Phone 020 7284 3965. Book through OpenTable or purezza.co.uk, especially on a Friday or Saturday.
One fair warning: a couple of reviews mention a soggy centre or patchy service. That is worth knowing, though it is not the whole picture. If you want a pizza that behaves like a traditional Neapolitan, Pizza Pilgrims is the safer bet. If you want to see what vegan pizza can do, Purezza is the place.
How to choose
- Pre-gig, mixed group: Pizza Pilgrims, 40-42 Parkway. Big room, quick to reach from the tube.
- Vegan or dairy-free in the party: Purezza, 45-47 Parkway. Everyone eats the same menu, which ends the usual negotiation.
- Late on a weekend: Purezza lists the later Friday and Saturday close, to 22:45.
The market option
If you are in the market and want something quick, Camden Pizza Co. is listed by Camden Market. It describes handmade, hand-stretched pizza cooked in a spinning oven, with toppings including aubergine, pepperoni, mushroom and Margherita. Camden Market lists locations at Camden Lock Place, NW1 8AF, Hawley Wharf on Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AA, and Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AH. Check at the stall for prices and whether slices are on offer, as we have no current menu to point to.
Practical bits
- Both Parkway pizzerias are a short walk from Camden Town station, so they suit a dinner before a gig at the Roundhouse or elsewhere in NW1.
- Book Purezza ahead on Friday and Saturday evenings.
- Always check hours on the venue’s own site before setting out, because times change.
