Tucked away down a rather smart arcade in central Ealing is Remoli, a family-owned pasta restaurant, with other branches in Bromley, Wembley Park and Westfield Stratford.

There’s an outside terrace heated with tables for those wanting to eat al fresco, heated with a gas flame
heater. Inside, it’s spacious, with tables comfortably set apart and walls decorated with a series of fun cartoon recipe boards.

The ubiquitous industrial style, open ceiling has been tastefully softened with suspended scaffold planks, which no doubt also help to muffle noise.

The reason for our visit was to check out the recently launched pizza menu, being premiered in Ealing and rolled out to other sites in the near future.

The pizzas are Romana style, using thetime-honoured biga process. Biga is an ancient Italian dough-making technique, basically a pre- ferment, consisting of flour, water and a little bit of yeast. Fermented for 12-16 hours, it gives the pizza base some extra texture and a more complex flavour.

We started with some drinks – the usual Negroni for me (‘when in Rome’ etc.) and a Peroni Zero for my husband. We shared a portion of Salumi, a selection of Italian cured meats, and a chicken crostino (chicken liver with almond flakes and Marsala).
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The meat was accompanied by some caperberries and the portion was generous. We had salami, Parma ham and pancetta. The meat was drizzled with a good, peppery olive oil. The crostino was delicious – served warm, and the topping was rich with Marsala, and the almond flakes added texture. It was topped with a sprig of fresh rosemary. For sharing, it would have been easier had it been two smaller slices of toast, but it was very tasty indeed.

So to the pizzas, the reason, of course, for our visit…I chose a classic: Wild Mushrooms and Tartufo (truffle pesto base with wild mushrooms on a bed of melted mozzarella). It was really, really good. My husband opted for one slightly more avant-garde: Ripiena Mortadella e Pistacchi, (with Creamy Burrata, Mortadella Slices & Crushed Pistachios).

To be honest it wasn’t quite what he’d been expecting, as it was folded over and looked more like a calzone. It was,
however, generously packed with slices of mortadella and the burrata, which had some chopped pistachios mixed in. He declared it to be ‘an amazing Italian-style ham and cheese sandwich’ and said it would definitely appeal to anyone with a hearty appetite, who likes their protein.

To accompany my pizza I enjoyed a glass of Vialetta Negroamaro – slightly more expensive than the house Sangiovese, but smooth and rounded, and reasonably priced at £7.50 for a large glass.

Very much in keeping with the company’s Italian roots, the desserts were authentic, and
excellent. I chose a Cannolo Siciliano (with Sicilian cream, dipped in pistachio and chocolate
grain).

It was superb, beautifully crispy, and reminded me of the ones we enjoyed on a trip to Palermo a few years ago. My husband had a portion of Torte di Mele (apple frangipane tart with almonds) which he thoroughly enjoyed.

If you’re in the market for an authentic pizza or something slightly more avant-garde, head for Remoli in Ealing or one of the other branches when the pizza offering has been rolled out…hopefully soon.

remoli.co.uk

6 Dickens Yard, Longfield Ave, London W5 2TD