Fatto a Mano
Perhaps the best Pizza!
I am both a food writer and a travel writer and I have been blessed with the opportunity to eat pizza all over the world. Not all pizzas are created equal, and it’s very much a matter of taste, one’s cheesy preferences and doughy persuasion. I think I have discovered my ideal creation and it’s near to home and it’s Fatto a Mano in Soho, London. No passport required! Our server, Jason, was a charming and knowledgeable ambassador for the brand, too!
This pizza-dedicated restaurant sports a huge pizza oven on entry, and blue and white tiled tables. The menu offers starters, pizzas either red or white, and a selection of drinks. There are also a few desserts which are not listed online, so a sweet surprise in the unlikely event of having room after a delicious and copious meal.
We started with a brace of reviving cocktails to transport us from the stair-rods of rain pounding Dean Street. A Negroni Campari made with East London gin, vermouth and orange was my guest’s chosen drink and he pronounced it to be well-crafted, hitting the spot for a Wednesday lunchtime.
Fatto Limoncello Spritz was my cocktail and it was a first class confection of Fatto Limoncello, spumante, soda, lemon and mint. This was very much a zesty, not overly sweet glass and perfect as a pre-pizza libation.
Our starters to enjoy with the aforementioned cocktails were Campania Fries with garlic and rosemary with a side order of smoked garlic dip. A substantial portion of finely cut fries were joined by a trio of addictive Truffle and Gorgonzola Arancini made with truffle and mushroom cream, gorgonzola, mozzarella and coated with crunchy panko. These should be a signature starter at Fatto a Mano. If I didn’t have time for a full lunch I would order these and a nice glass of red and all would be right with my midday world.
But we were here to try the pizzas and they were outstanding. The dough is made fresh every day and proved for a minimum of 24 hours. I am a bread-maker and I know that producing a consistent product of this quality takes dedication and attention to detail. That dough results in a remarkable crust with a light and puffy edge and a thin base. These edges will not be left on the side of the plate or boxed for the birds. Their cloudlike texture makes for easy nibbling. Fatto a Mano dough offers unique selling points of both flavour and great visual appeal.
There are two styles of pizza at Fatto a Mano. You can order from either the red or white selections, so we ordered from both. Napoletana is a ‘red’ pizza and was my companion’s choice. He is a man who has mostly been disappointed in pizza from the UK. His first ever pizza was in Italy so long ago that pizza had hardly reached these shores. Nothing had measured up… till Fatto a Mano.
Napoletana has traditional toppings of Cetara anchovies, black olives, capers, datterino tomatoes, garlic, oregano and basil. It’s so difficult to find an authentic pizza with anchovies in London. Fish on a pizza might sound strange but those salty little fillets melt to give a delicious seasoning that adds so much.
Salsiccia and Friarielli was my pizza. I really had no notion of what this might be, so I was tempted. The menu here presents not only the classics but options unavailable elsewhere. Friarielli (Neapolitan broccoli), salsiccia (black pepper sausage), smoked provola, dried chilli, mozzarella and parmesan combined to create a memorable pizza of rich cheesiness with warming spice, and a hint of vegetable to enable the diner to feel noble. Oh, what a winner!
Affogato was our light shared dessert and that finished our remarkable meal very nicely. Just ice-cream doused in hot coffee, but it hit the spot.
Fatto a Mano was new to me. It has another couple of branches in London and I will be checking those out. They are must-visits for any pizza lover. Their dishes are well presented, deliciously tempting, marvellously impressive and don’t disappoint. They are miles away from the usual thick and dry, bready pizzas more usually encountered here. It’s all about quality – for both crust and filling – and that’s a cut above most others.
Fatto a Mano
95–97 Dean Street
London
W1D 3SY
Monday to Thursday 12noon – 10pm
Friday & Saturday 12noon – 10.30pm
Sunday 12noon – 9.30pm
Phone 020 4641 3734
