50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo Pizzeria London — Restaurant in London

Nestled just off Trafalgar Square, 50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo brings the mastery of third-generation pizzaiolo Ciro Salvo to London's dining scene. The name "50 Kalo" translates to "good dough" in local Neapolitan dialect, and their emphasis on high hydration and low protein flours showcases their dedication to perfection.

While the interior features an interesting mix of double-height ceilings and marble columns paired with cozy cushion-covered booths, don't let the eclectic design distract you – because the food here is absolutely knock-your-socks-off good!

The restaurant boasts an authentic wood-fired oven that reaches temperatures of 480-500°C, cooking each pizza to perfection in just over a minute. The pizzas are true masterpieces, featuring soft and thin Neapolitan-style bases with perfectly crispy outer edges and characteristic charring marks. The mozzarella, flown in directly from Campania, is gorgeously gooey and pairs beautifully with their premium toppings.

The starters are equally impressive – don't miss their thick potato croquettes in crisp breadcrumbs or their delightful cheese and ham-packed omelette. Their commitment to quality ingredients is evident in details like their olive oil, which is sourced from the two-Michelin-starred Don Alfonso 1890's own farm opposite Capri.

The friendly Italian staff provide wonderful service, and the prices are surprisingly reasonable considering the quality. While side dishes are available, the generous portion sizes of their pizzas mean you likely won't need them. Pro tip: save some crusts to scoop up the delicious leftover sauce – you won't want to waste a single bite!

It's no surprise that 50 Kalò London has been awarded the prestigious "3 slices" (the highest award for a pizzeria) for the fifth consecutive year, maintaining its position as London's best pizzeria. Even native Italians give this place their stamp of approval, praising the perfectly structured dough that holds the sauce and toppings beautifully when you pick up a slice.

Whether you're a pizza connoisseur or simply someone who appreciates exceptional food, 50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo offers an authentic Neapolitan pizza experience that's truly worth seeking out. It's more than just a meal – it's a celebration of Italian culinary tradition and craftsmanship right in the...

Waste of money! We went for the first (and last) time and we left extremely disappointed, we paid for the name and the marketing, not for the food. As soon as we entered we felt people were squeezed like chickens, you will find people seating and eating by the entrance (exit) on a 50 cm table. The right side of the room is mostly closed by a wall and some mirrors (very '50s decor), a shiny marble wall and shelf in front covering the red bricks of the kitchen (the only authentic pizza style decor). The wall all around had a black paint, and the ceiling a completely different style, with the wooden floor painted black and white and the tables looking like the came from a different place as well. None of them were matching each other, not even two of them. 1 little pyramid (suppli) and 1 crocchè at £5 each. The margherita was ok, you cannot be wrong with that. And yet the cornicione was really burnt at the bottom my son couldn't eat it (he stained his hand with the charred pizza and painted his face, shirt and everything else). The waitress strongly recommended the artichockes and provolone and we added the salsiccia and friarielli as well. The first was tasteless, literally £19 in the bin. The puree was ok in taste, but was not edible as full of filaments from the hard leaves of the artichokes. We couldn't taste the pecorino at all, the mozzarella was covering every flavour giving a rather chewy/gummy texture to the pizza. The artichokes on top were straight from the sunflower oil, tasteless as ever. Salsiccia and friarielli was good (probably because next to the other became the highlight of the night). We went for a lemon cake to celebrate my wife birthday, what shall I say? We are still looking for the taste of lemon. Very good patisserie cream though. The toilets were disgusting, it was 8:30pm and they were checked last time at 4:00pm. Dirty, small, filthy. A wheelchair couldn't access unless some people move their table... All in all we felt we were eating tasteless food, in the space of a chicken at the price of a real good burger place. Italian food is definitely something else (from an...

Well, I had very high expectations for the food as the restaurant got: 4th place in the recently published Top 50 Pizza in Europe ranking (excluding Italy, but still). Adding to that, the pizzeria won this whole ranking twice in the past two years. It needed to be top quality and it failed in one crucial factor - the dough.

The ingredients were top class - especially Irpinian Culatello Ham. The dough however, very disappointing. It was almost tough to bite - it felt more like a pita bread than a light pizza dough. Surely if you like a bit more stuffed pizzas, the ingredients will do the job, but for the Margharita pizza, the basics have to be perfect - I also wasn't a fan of adding the Parmezan cheese on it, but it didn't overwhelmed so it was ok.

The second, a bit disappointing factor, was service. I ate in quite many restaurants, both in London and Italy and comparing to the hospitality in a few of them, this one was nothing more than average. I needed to ask for a water myself three times during the visit - apparently sitting with an empty glass is not an indicator. Maybe if I'd be sitting in the corner of the restaurant it wouldn't be irritating, but I was literally sat in the center, one step away from the waiters.

In terms of the drinks, the restaurant have three beers crafted solely for them. The Premium Lager was very good, a bit fruity, but still light. Big plus for the beer. The wine list is wide in terms of bottles, but on glasses there are only two options of white wines. The entry price is 5.99 - good value for the quality.

The Tiramisu was really fresh, creamy with nice texture - good finish of the evening.

The prices are rather normal for central London and these type of restaurants - 9.95 for Margharita and 14.45 for Prosciutto Rucolla e Scaglie. The beer for 4.95 is a good value.

Overall impression rather on the disappointing side, because of the high expectations. If you are after basic pizza like Margharita, there are better places in London. Not as special as the rankings would suggest, although the quality of the ingredients...