World’s Best Pizza Chef To Launch Pizza Tasting Menu Concept In Soho

It feels like every day a new pizza restaurant opens in London, so how can openings set themselves apart? Well, Michele Pascarella – recently awarded the prestigious title of the world’s best pizzaiolo – has had an idea. Following the soaring success of his restaurant Napoli on the Road, the chef is opening a new eatery in Soho, this one serving a pizza-based tasting menu.

Napoli on the Road Is Coming To Soho

On the ground floor, the restaurant will serve a classic a la carte menu, featuring the seasonal pizzas Pascarella has become famous for around the world. But downstairs will sit a fine dining restaurant, where guests will enjoy a six-course Neapolitan tasting menu.

‘We’ll start with antipasti, move to salads and focaccia, but will also do triple-cooked pizza and other specialities alongside a wine flight,’ says the chef. ‘Wines will come from Campania. Everything will be new and seasonal. But traditional pizza will still be at the heart of it all.’

The new launch will be the third London pizzeria from Pascarella, who honed his culinary craft from an early age, growing up in Naples. ‘I learned the foundations of working behind the counter in the heart of the pizzeria between Caserta and Naples, it was there that I absorbed the discipline, the rhythm, and the respect for this craft,’ he tells C&TH. ‘But when it comes to dough, I’m entirely self-taught. I spent years studying, experimenting, testing, and refining techniques on my own.’

Aged 19, he left Italy to come to London, initially serving his Neapolitan pizzas from a three-wheeled Piaggio truck. Eventually, he opened his own restaurant, Napoli on the Road in Chiswick – which soared to success, scooping up the prestigious title of Europe’s Best Pizzeria twice, and prompting Pascarella to open a second branch in Richmond. Pascarella himself, meanwhile, was crowned the best pizza maker in the world at the 2023 50 Top Pizza Awards.

So what’s Pascarella’s USP? ‘The secret to a good pizza lies in simplicity, and in making every detail count,’ he says. ‘It starts with carefully selecting top-quality ingredients and letting them elevate without overcomplicating things. From the dough to the toppings, every element is chosen with intention. But it’s also about the care, the hands that make it, and the passion behind each step.’

Like all good pizzerias, top-quality, seasonal ingredients are pivotal at Napoli on the Road, sourced from Italy through Natoora. On the menu, you’ll find classics like We’re On Fire, which is topped with ‘nduja and Stracciatella, and the Nerano, featuring courgette chips, provolone and fior di latte. Then you have the specials, including the Ricordi d’Infanzia – named Pizza of the Year by 50 Top Pizza – which sees pizza topped with beef ragu. This is Pascarella’s favourite. ‘Ricordi d’Infanzia holds a deeper meaning. It’s tied to childhood memories, to the comforting flavours and scents that bring you back to simpler times. It’s more than just a pizza, it’s a feeling, a moment, a connection to the past that still warms the heart today.’

The new Soho restaurant will use the same dough, ingredients and cooking process as his other eateries – and Pascarella has been clear this will be the final site. ‘We don’t want to become a chain,’ he says. ‘There’ll be no more after this because the quality drops.’

A launch date hasn’t yet been announced, but we know the restaurant will be located on Wardour Street. Barcelona-based designer Serra has been brought in to design the interiors, creating a minimalist look with whitewashed walls and chrome pizza ovens.

In the meantime, you can try Pascarella’s pizzas in Chiswick and Richmond, napoliontheroad.co.uk