Opening in Exmouth Market at the start of next month, God Save The Pizza will occupy the building that was formerly a site of Costa’s meat-focused restaurant Macellaio RC and is described as being on a mission ‘to flip the script on pizza-making orthodoxy’.
The menu will be split into three tiers of pizza - Original, Revolution and Rebel - all made to a Roman-style of thin and crispy sourdough bases available as an 8-inch pizzetta, a 14-inch pizza to share, or a 12-inch gluten-free base, with every pizza sliced into eight to share.
Original pizzas will include the Italy is Born, made with marinara tomato sauce, garlic and oregano; and The Queen, comprising tomato sauce topped with mozzarella cream, parmesan and basil oil.
Rebel pizzas, meanwhile, seek to push the boundaries of the Italian staple and will include the Meat Feast that combines beef ragu, spicy salami, red chillies and mozzarella over the signature tomato sauce; the Hot Hot inspired by Bari’s celebrated fiery tomato habanero sauce; and most controversial of all, the Extremist, made with ham, cheddar and pineapple sauce with a four-cheese cream.
Beyond pizza, a selection of sides will include spicy lasagna; chicken wings with curry sauce; beetroot hummus with pizza bread; meat chilli jacket potatoes; and gateau potato croquettes with aioli sauce.
Diners can also choose to Create Your Own Pizza, building from base, sauce and cheese, with up to four toppings included at no extra charge and the restaurant will also sell Finish At Home pizza kits for Londoners.
For dessert there will be a vanilla gelato sundae with Ferrero Rocher sauce and milk chocolate shavings.
The interior will take inspiration from the steps surrounding the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain in Piccadilly Circus, in reference to the time when punks once shared pizza over the stepped seating. Graffiti and neon will also feature as part of the restaurant design.
“Exmouth Market is the perfect home for God Save The Pizza,” says Costa.
“We’re proud to launch a concept that challenges convention, celebrates exceptional ingredients and puts the spotlight back on the topping. We believe it will change the way people think about pizza.”
Costa also currently operates two restaurants under the Macellaio RC brand in London in Soho and South Kensington as well as one in Genoa.
God Save The Pizza will open on 1 September.