Does London need another pizzeria? Perhaps not. The capital may have reached ‘peak pizza’, but it has somehow managed to find room for one more, though strictly speaking, Yard Sale Pizza isn’t new. Capitalising on the success of the restaurant’s first location in Clapton, East London, Chef Nick Buckland and his team have launched a second restaurant in Finsbury Park, bringing the brand’s award-winning recipes to the north of the city.
Given London’s fully saturated pizza scene, the offerings here accordingly venture beyond tried and tested territory, with a creative menu based around five staple stone-baked pizzas that verge on experimental, yet are solidly well executed. The ‘TSB’, for example, is a healthful combination of tender stem broccoli, manchego, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil, while sides like garlic pizza bread with fior di latte mozzarella and Marmite playfully test boundaries. It’s all finished with gelato from Nonna’s in Highury, and washed down with beer from Hackney’s Five Points Brewery, who have also exclusively collaborated with Buckland on a series of beer-spiked ingredients for the pizzas here.
Like everything else about Yard Sale Pizza, the restaurant’s interior doesn’t stick to the script. Designed by local studio, Fettle, the dining room has the slight hint of a vintage Formica kitchen about it, with peach walls panelled with teal-coloured wood, chequered tile flooring and blackboard menus. Tabletops and countertops made from recycled yoghurt pots by Welsh firm Smile Plastics are a left-field décor detail and a suitable summary of the cheerful ethos of this place, while strip lighting and exposed pipework lend an unexpected industrial touch. Yard Sale may be one of many, but it certainly has the edge.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
54 Blackstock Road
-
Bees can now check in at Kew’s new pollinator hotelAt Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden, artist Kristina Pulejkova unveils four functional sculptures that tell the hidden story of seeds and act as a refuge for bees during the heat of summer
-
Andu Masebo and The Singleton’s bespoke furniture celebrates the beauty in slow craftBritish designer Andu Masebo collaborates with single malt Scotch whisky The Singleton on a multifunctional furniture piece boasting minimal design codes
-
Inside a midcentury modern house so good, its architect didn’t want to mess with it‘I was immediately a little bit frightened, because it was such a great house,’ says architect Casper Mork-Ulnes of Roger Lee-designed gem in Berkeley, California
-
This hidden London culinary haven is a refreshing take on the steakhouseMr Porter, a new steakhouse, bar and lounge in central London's swish Mayfair, is a hidden haven of strong flavours and minimalist dining
-
A European-style café opens next to London’s Saatchi GalleryDesigned by Dion & Arles, Cafe Linea serves fresh pâtisseries, global dishes and sparkling wines in a stunning Grade II-listed setting
-
Ready to unplug? Sign up for this digital detox retreat in CornwallOffline escape provider Unplugged has partnered with Cabilla Cornwall to offer a phone-free, nature-immersive group experience on Bodmin Moor
-
Anya Hindmarch’s Ice Cream Project is London’s tastiest (and weirdest) summer traditionThe cult pop-up has returned, transforming a Belgravia corner into a sleek, steel-clad shrine to British pantry nostalgia
-
The best bars in London for bartending greatnessFrom chic hotel cocktail classics to game-changing flavour combinations, our resident drinks correspondent, Neil Ridley, explores ten of the best bars in London
-
NoMad London’s new restaurant fast-tracks you to New York’s jazz ageMartin Brudnizki Design Studio conjures up old-world glamour at Twenty8 NoMad, where the menu features nearly as many martini variations as main courses
-
Italian-Japanese fusion’s a joy at east London’s Osteria AngelinaA Victorian warehouse in Spitalfields has been given a slick modern makeover to house a unique Italian-Japanese restaurant
-
This Hackney bar is reviving London’s legacy of lesbian spacesDesigned by Studio Popelo and Wet Studio, La Camionera emerges as a vital sanctuary for London’s FLINTA* community, honouring it right down to the details
