We tried out the first bricks-and-mortar location of ‘London-style’ pizza pop-up ACE.

Where is it?

Just outside of Victoria Park in Hackney, down a lovely (but very East London) street laden with Lime bikes and pubs.

What is the place like?

ACE has a cool but casual vibe, combining pink and yellow 80s diner style at the front with moody, red-lit seating at the back. We sat on stools at a tiled counter by the window, which was lovely on a late summer evening.

What did we eat and drink?

It was difficult to narrow down our choices, which was a strong (but slightly overwhelming) start. Starting with the non-pizza dishes, we went for the meatballs in vodka sauce, the chopped salad, and the garlic butter and mozzarella XL bread stick. The bread stick and the meatballs were an absolute match made in heaven – the bread stick should come with a dish of vodka sauce by default. The meatballs themselves were delicious. Tender, a little spicy and well-seasoned. The vodka sauce was also not overly creamy, which I find can often be the case.

For the pizzas, we ordered the salisiccia, which is a white-base pizza with creamed spinach, fennel sausage and pickled chillies. Three of my absolute favourite things, so it’s hard for me to dislike this one, although I do wish it was a little saucier. We also tried the ‘Capers on Mare Street’, a red-base pizza topped with anchovies, capers, olives and chimichurri. Again, more of my favourite things! This was the star of the show – salty, but not too salty, and incredibly moreish. We also ordered a few dips, obviously: the crack sauce (a creamy, spicy all-rounder), the ranch and the truffle aioli, which had a lovely subtle truffle flavour.

We also got a couple of cocktails, including the hot honey margarita. I can’t believe this isn’t a thing everywhere! I do regret not trying the ‘parm-tini’, featuring parmesan-infused vodka, so we’ll have to go back for that one.

The verdict?

Playful, chic and a very welcome addition to the London pizza scene. ACE is clearly influenced by New York Italian-American culture, which I’m not mad about, but with its own twist. There are a lot of pizzas to choose from, meaning you’ll likely be returning.