500 Degrees - Beckenham

500 Degrees is the coming name when discussing the best pizza restaurants in London, and when you pay them a visit at their outlet on Beckenham Road in, well, Beckenham, it’ll be easy to see why. They place the food at the centre of everything that they do, from the dough that goes into their pizzas through the toppings that sit on it to the oven they cook it in. Everything that can be imported from Italy has been, so you can be assured of the highest standards of authenticity and flavour. Get on over to 500 Degrees on Beckenham Road – just along the street from Clock House overground – and try out what they have to offer. We’re sure that you won’t be disappointed: unless you fail to book ahead and find them full up, so reserve your table and wander down.

The elements that need to come together to make the perfect pizza are not necessarily that complicated – this is one of the great peasant foods after all, and simplicity is always king – but it can be astounding how many pizzerias in London get it wrong. The ingredients, of course, must be authentically Italian: from the fermented flour that makes the dough to the meats, cheese and vegetables that lie atop it; the oven must be flaming hot and, wherever possible, fired by fired by real wood in the grand Neapolitan tradition and the chefs that bring the pies to your table must be as passionate about cooking your food as you are about eating it. At 500 Degrees on Beckenham Road, they have all these aspects down to an art form, and that’s why their output is widely regarded as the best pizza in Beckham.

The recipe might not be overly complex, but the execution of it all is certainly something to behold nonetheless. The dough is made with caputo flour, imported from Italy, and then thrown in the 500 Degree by name, 500 degree by nature wood-fired oven. The sauces are made of divello tomatoes, the cheeses include ciro amodio fior di latte, ricotta, smoked and buffalo mozzarella among others and the toppings include everything from salame piccante and bresaola to pancetta and prosciutto, not to mention vegetarian options such as grilled artichoke and fresh veggies delivered daily from the farm. Take a trip to Beckenham via Clock House overground and get yourself to 500 Degrees for a proper pizza in South London.