The top line: Created by Max Lewis, Lenny’s started life as a residency in Finsbury Park’s Bedford Tavern in 2024 with just one oven and a tiny workspace. Fast forward two years and Lewis has just opened his first restaurant proper at a prime site on Covent Garden’s Henrietta Street - opposite Flat Iron - thanks to a partnership with MJMK, which is also behind Michelin-starred restaurants KOL and AngloThai as well as Luso, Fonda, and the three-strong Casa do Frango.
On the menu: Lenny’s deals exclusively in apizza (pronounced ‘ahbeetz’), a style first developed by Italian immigrants in New Haven in the early 1900s and which is typified by its ‘crunchy, chewy, charred’ oval format that is sliced somewhat erratically and which is traditionally led by tomato and grated pecorino, with mozzarella treated as an optional extra rather than a key ingredient. Lewis served only a handful of styles at the residency - no surprise given the kitchen restraints - but at his new baby he has been able to expand his repertoire, with pies ranging from classics such as The Lenny (pictured above) - a signature 14-inch pie split down the middle: half tomato, garlic and pecorino, half classic mozzarella; Sausage & Onion - fennel sausage, red onion, tomato and mozzarella; and Tomato Pie - San Marzano tomato, garlic, pecorino and olive oil; as well as specials including the Handsome Dan - made with red potato, rosemary, mozzarella and pecorino, a nod to Yale’s bulldog mascot and one of the signs that pointed Lewis towards opening Lenny’s in the first place; and the Ray Santiago - featuring pepperoni, fennel sausage, bacon, red onion and chilli and named in honour of one of the most respected pizza makers in New Haven. Beyond pizzas, there’s a range of snacks such as devils on horseback with generous chunks of blue cheese; prawn cocktail; a trio of salads, and a decent dip selection that includes a punchy scotch bonnet mayo; buffalo blue cheese; and marinara. The desserts section, created by the team behind Fonda, is concise and comprises just tiramisu; soft serve sundae; and panna cotta. To drink, the team has had fun with its cocktails that includes a martini with a blue cheese olive; and a rye and cold brew Peach Iced Tea, with a 25-strong wine list also available.
The vibe: The space runs across a ground floor dining room with a bar area with red leather-topped stools and an additional downstairs dining space that is also home to the kitchen. Pendant lighting hangs from a deep red painted ceiling, with red banquettes and wooden dividers creating a smart but moody interior that has the feel of a cosy old fashioned American style bar rather than your typical pizza restaurant, and to good effect.
And another thing: Lenny’s is named after Lewis’ beloved English bulldog Lenny, whose likeness has been immortalised on a tattoo on his left arm. On Lewis’ right arm there is a tattoo of the face of the aforementioned Ray Santiago. As Lewis says: “If you don’t know who Ray Santiago is by now, do you even apizza?”
22–24 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8ND / ennysapizza.com/