As a meat eater, I’m always intrigued to visit vegan restaurants and wonder will they sway me to make the big switch. The latest to intrigue? Purezza! A vegan pizzeria on Camden’s Parkway, a short walk from the Jazz Cafe.
I’d tried the Thai Breaker at Voodoo Rays last week. The vegan offering had a Thai coconut base with vegan cheese that just didn’t cut it, so there were high levels of scepticism walking into Purezza. Nevertheless, I gave it a fair chance…
I’m just going to get straight to it. The pizzas at Purezza are insanely good. Dubbed as ‘plant pioneers’, the pizzaioli cook up an epic selection of veggies, cheese alternatives and sourdough, hemp and gluten free bases.
Our fave was the Couch Potato. It’s a white based pizza with smoked ‘mozzarella’, aubergine and crispy potato thinly sliced like a gratin. It’s topped with basil leaves, Seitan and garlic mayo.
The only negative; we’d opted for the gluten free base. It was a little too chewy for my liking and extremely thin in the centre.
Our second choice was the Pesto Manifesto, a real colourful veggie option. Topped with red onion, courgette, pine nuts, spinach and cherry toms and finished with a fragrant pesto.
We opted for this on a hemp base, a wiser choice. It’s 80% wholegrain and the remainder hemp, giving the dough a subtle nutty flavour.
We also tried the gluten free mac n cheese. The smooth texture and creamy flavour make it hard to believe you’re not eating dairy.
The drinks list comprises of cocktails, wines, smoothies and shakes. The Purezza Spritz was my tipple of choice for the evening. It’s a twist on the classic Aperol mixed with pear and berry cider, prosecco and a shot of gin for good measure.
Feeling glutinous, we ordered dessert. We went for the raw tiramisu made with cashew cream and a super sweet date base. In our humble opinion, it was a little less like tiramisu and more like a simple chocolate mousse. Delicious all the same.
I’ve been daydreaming about Purezza since our visit, and as it’s right on my doorstep will be revisiting imminently. Can eating pizza that good everyday be a bad thing? I’m soon to find out.
If you fancy a trip to the seaside, they’ve got a site in Brighton too. To book a table, visit purezza.co.uk
