Sitting quite pristine and poised in comparison to its neighbours, you’ll find that Zia Lucia is a place for fine dining without the price tags. You’ll be entering a space that welcomes you with light laughter in Highbury and Islington, along with the Italian charm.
Venue
We went on opening week, so expect quite a wait at your seats, especially as the queue outside the door is made of those eager to enter and take your place. The décor is most strikingly of brick walls, adding a different sphere to the surroundings, making everything stand-out in stark contrast.
Even the citrus fruit basket of lemons and oranges will stand out, they were also sliced into segments and graced our welcoming aperitifs. This included a garnishing of delicious pitted olives holding on sturdily to cocktail sticks.
You will also find tomato tins shelved on one wall and wine and beers on the parallel wall. You also won’t be without two tabletop musts for any Italian household- vinegar and olive oil to flavour your dishes as you please.
Pizza
Let’s get to the crunch of the matter. Zia Lucia offer a selection of dough and toppings to go together, including an exceptionally tasty vegan option (something you rarely get at a pizzeria). The first pizza I tried had a slight crunch of the soft apple and once in a while you get the taste of Gorgonzola mixed with the mozzarella. This was made of the wholemeal dough and I also had a few shavings of truffle. This may sound quite cheesy but as you take a bite, lift it up and take in the smell of Italy. The pure doughy essence of your pizza comes straight out of Dante, their aptly named wood-fired oven that was crafted in Naples.
I also tried the vegan option which has a very thin base and a lot of vegetables… it’s also practically black and adds another not-so-subtle, but overly welcomed twist to the Zia Lucia menu.
The restaurant is quite big so has a lot of seating. It can seem spacious and compact at the same time as the waiters and front of house are weaving their way around the customers, making sure they greet every single person who enters.
During opening week, the front of house was friendly but we didn’t get a chance to create a rapport as we caught them on a busy day. We were assured that on a normal day the conversation would be flowing in pure Italian style.
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