A magnificent wood fire oven in the kitchen of Luna Restaurant at 73 Haverstock Hill reveals what this Italian restaurant is all about. The pizzas really are delicious and reflect an authentic Napoli menu as the owner Rahi has a long time love of Italian cuisine and culture. All the current twelve pizza options feature an innovative mix of vegetables and cheeses atop a Napoli tomato sauce or basil pesto, and there’s choice pizzas which include meats such as prosciutto, spicy salami and ham.
On a recent visit with fellow journalist Julie, we ordered the Pistacchio & Mortadella, curious about the combination of fiordilatte mozzarella and mortadella with pistachio cream and finely crushed pistachios. The pistachio cream complemented the burrata in the centre of the pizza. Once we’d stopped gushing over the thin base and chewy crust, Julie declared, “Finally a pizza place in Belsize to scratch that itch!”
Luna opened at the end of June and the pizzas are meant to be the main attraction – that’s how come one of the chefs is an expert pizzaiolo. Having, on an earlier occasion, had a plate of the Siciliana Pasta – roasted aubergines with basil, onion and garlic – I also think that the menu’s seven pasta dishes may prove popular. Although not overly rich, I was licking my Siciliana-stained lips to savour the flavours.
The menu has other dishes too such as beef lasagna, risotto, lemon herb chicken, seabass and steak, and a wine list to match. If you’re going with children or careful eaters, you’d be hard pushed not to find something to suit. Julie and I shared honey glazed salmon which came with baby potatoes, charred asparagus and roasted vine cherry tomatoes.
Pop by between meals and you might like to have a salad or antipasti at Luna; or if you’re chasing something sweeter, a coffee and something from the dessert menu which includes homemade tiramisu or chocolate fudge brownie.
Rahi has refreshed the interior but kept it similar to how it was before, with chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. In the garden, where there are several tables under wide umbrellas, more flowers baskets have been added. Sitting there, the air perfumed by honeysuckle, an abundance of olive trees, petunias, geraniums and climbing roses feels luxurious.
We finished our meal in the air conditioned inside, and the sunny waitresses and background mellow Mediterranean music, gave a slowdown dolce vita vibe. “Well, I’ll tell you what, this place is a good reminder for me to come down to Steele’s Village,” said Julie as we left, feeling happy.
Luna is at 73 Haverstock Hill in Steele’s Village
www.lunapizzeria.co.uk
To make a booking, call: 020 3621 6350
