Gracey's Pizza — Restaurant in St Albans

I had the hubby do a 40min round trip to collect pizzas from Gracey’s and it was worth it without a doubt!

Ordered 12inch pizzas as 16inch was showing unavailable on website (possibly due to oven size!) This wasn’t a problem for us. One 12inch pizza was enough for a 12yr old and a 9yr old to share. My husband and I managed to eat a 12inch each, going back for the last few slices after a short digestion interval. 🐷🐷 Crunchy, chewy and bubbly Napoli style pizza crust. Thin and floppy, New York style base. My wobbly toothed son was able to eat it without any discomfort. When I reheated a few slices at home, the base firmed up nicely but the crust was still edible despite being super crunchy. I love my pizza as stiff as a frisbee so no complaints at all! Perfect ratio of sauce and cheese to base (id say 50/50 ratio) with toppings spaced around beautifully like a work of art and not just chucked on. I appreciated this attention to detail. Called up to order and was able to get a collection time 1 hour sooner than what I was getting on the booking app on the website, so ring in to order unless you have your sh_1t together better than me. Despite being VERY busy (Saturday night) with dedicated punters waiting outside in the rain, my husband mentioned that owner James acknowledged him from the back of the kitchen and shouted Hello 👋🏼 at him. This is normal for a midlands lass like me but being a Norf Landan lad who isn’t even accustomed to eye contact from strangers, he was really touched by this gesture. Having previously owned a food business myself, I know the sheer graft that goes into doing the job well. The customer service and quality of pizza we enjoyed today will 100% have me supporting Graceys in the future. Would love to eat in next time and try the pizzas straight out of the oven! I wish Gracey and James absolutely every success with...

Gracey’s Pizza – St Albans Review

Location & Atmosphere (4/5) Tucked away on a quiet parade in St Albans, Gracey’s Pizza is the definition of a hidden gem—blink and you’ll miss it. Small, charming, and with room for just 10 diners inside, it has that cosy, independent vibe. Pro tip: Book your pizza (or dough) in advance. Like many independents these days, once they’re out of dough, that’s it. I got lucky with a 45-minute wait, but walk-ins behind me were turned away. Annoying? Maybe. But it’s part of supporting small-batch, quality-focused spots.

The Pizza (4/5) I went for the Marg (12”), marketed as New Haven style. Now, what makes a pizza “New Haven”? Think of it as New York’s thinner, slightly charred cousin—meant to have a light dusting of cheese, a bit of chew, and those signature charred spots. • Gracey’s version leaned more thin and crunchy than chewy, but honestly—who cares about strict authenticity when it tastes this good? • There was a nice slight char, a crispy base, and the sauce and toppings were solid. • It wasn’t a mind-blowing, life-changing pizza, but it was a damn good one—the kind you’d be grateful to have as a local option.

Value for Money (4/5) At £12, it’s fairly priced for an artisan-style pizza with quality ingredients. If you’re local, it’s a no-brainer. For those travelling in, it’s worth it—just not a weekly pilgrimage.

Drinks (1/5) Quick side note: the non-alcoholic beer was dreadful—easily the worst I’ve had. Avoid it entirely.

Overall Rating: 4/5 Gracey’s Pizza delivers a tasty, well-made pizza in a cosy, no-frills setting. Whether or not it ticks every box for a true New Haven style doesn’t really matter—what counts is that it’s good pizza. If you’re local, you’re lucky. If you’re travelling from London, it’s worth a visit—but pre-book and manage expectations around wait times.

Would I return? Yes—but I’ll plan...

After seeing the reviews on google (mostly 5 stars) I absolutely had to visit. We decided to call ahead on the day just in case and they warned us there was only a handful of 16'' bases left one of which they allowed us to reserve. They were also kind enough to reserve us a table for 3 from 5:30pm.

We promptly arrived at 5:30pm and our table was ready. Our pizza orders were taken at the counter (a big base bufala and a small base smoky ron) and were warned it would be a 15/20 min wait which we were not fussed about. We got our soft drinks from the fridge and our wine was brought to our table.

Our pizzas were delivered on a two tier rack that was placed on the table which was ingenious as it allowed us to have both pizzas on the table at once! We had our pizzas with all three sauces all of which were great, the hot honey being the most unique. My one criticism of the sauces is that they could've been a tad thinner, the pizzas are heavy enough!

The pizzas themselves were absolutely incredible. Probably the best in St Albans by a country mile putting all the Italian restaurants to shame. The bufala was rich in tomato and so juicy and yet the base remained completely crisp throughout. The smoky ron was also great and both were demolished crusts n all.

You could tell this place was a hit from how many pizzas they were getting through the door. It was busy! But that didn't distract us from the awesomeness of the pizza.

If you're about and want pizza GO TO THIS PLACE. Make sure you call in advance and/or pre-order to avoid disappointment as I doubt this place will ever really be quiet...

FYI - I mill the flour at Redbournbury if that means...