Last Updated on June 16, 2024
Aperol, Pizza and Sunshine at Terrazza, Eataly
With over 40 outlets across more than 12 countries, Eataly seems on a mission to bring Italian food culture to the world. A high-end Italian marketplace chain, Eataly combines an Italian grocery/delicatessen with a food hall and dining destinations like the Terrazza we were visiting. The London branch, just to the side of Liverpool Street station, opened in April 2021, a great place to find all those impossible-to-find Italian ingredients, or if you are feeling lazy, to buy fresh artisanal pasta, cheeses, cured meats, sauces and more. There’s a fabulous collection of Italian wines and spirits too. The last time I visited Eataly was to take part in an Italian cocktail blending event, something you’ll find happening regularly along with cookery classes and wine-tasting events. But, I’ve never eaten there – and was delighted to be invited to try Terrazza Eataly.
On this occasion, just in time for our belated summer, it was to try the new Bottomless Brunch offering at Terraza where for £45 per person you can enjoy sharing starters and a main of pizza or pasta, along with 90 minutes of bottomless Aperol Spritz or Prosecco.
The outdoor terrace is set to one side of Eataly on Bishopsgate and, despite the City location, it is beautifully styled so that you could easily be in the heart of any Italian city, with orange trees providing privacy from the street and well-spaced tables for diners, together with the Aperol van neatly parked in the corner.
Despite having only just opened, it was already extremely popular and I suspect there will be queues before long (especially if the weather finally comes good!). It wasn’t long before we were offered our first glass of Aperol and we sat sipping happily with our starters.
There were Olives di Cerignola – plump, green, piquant olives from Puglia. A very generous Pane e Foccacia basket sat temptingly to one side, with good quality cold-pressed olive oil and balsamic. My own favourite Italian snack, Tarelli Pugliese was devoured at speed. And, there was a pretty Caprese salad made with mozzarella and what looked like Datterini tomatoes.
My Pizza Diavola had just the right amount of heat from the spicy salami, a rich tomato sauce and a topping of fior di latte mozzarella. The crust of the pizza had that perfect balance of char, crispiness and chewyness. I would be more than happy to have this one again.
By now we’d moved on to drinking prosecco, a lovely crisp extra dry Moinet DOC with a delicate nose and abundant mousse. A good step up from special offer supermarket bottles, I actually preferred this with the food to the Aperol.
If you do want a dessert, there is tiramisu and zeppole al forno (a choux pastry with glazed black cherries) on offer for a small extra charge. And a nice range of after-dinner digestive including amaretto and limoncello for £6. We stuck to coffee – excellent quality for just £3.45 a serving.
We loved our brunch. London needs more places like this where you can enjoy great quality food and drink in a classy but lively setting at a price that won’t make your bank manager cry. Its definitely a place I’d happily meet friends for brunch.
135 Bishopsgate,
London EC2M 3YD
