Hey all, today I'm going to share another vegan restaurant experience I had recently. I don't usually eat out this much but there seem to have been a lot more social occasions and celebrations than I usually have at this time of year! So I seem to have been visiting more bizarrely named vegan eateries than usual for sure...
This time, I had dinner at Pickywops, a fully vegan, Italian run pizzeria in Fulham, West London. A friend of mine had recommended it, and I was intrigued by their extensive menu which is 100% vegan, it has so many options!
So what's the name all about then??
Well unbeknownst to me, the word 'wop' is quite offensive to Italian speakers!
Their website has a little disclaimer explaining what it means and, more importantly, why they chose a controversial name for their business:
Interesting idea!
The location is very unassuming, in fact we walked right past it! There was a little flag outside indicating it was inside a tiny little shopping centre, blink and you'd miss it.
Once inside, the establishment is just as understated. It is more like a cafe than a restaurant, with a small bar that you can sit at and watch the pizza be prepared and then put in the oven, and only one other table (which it transpired, is only really available if you book ahead). There are also some seats directly outside the front door but it is February in London and I am not built for the cold!
The staff are for the most part Italian, and super passionate about what they do. They are happy to talk you through the many options on the menu.
They pride themselves on their wide variety of specially created bases, and explained with great pride that they only produce whole meal and 'Type 2' flours, which I learned, are the 2 least processed types of flour.
They then explained the process of creating your unique vegan pizza experience!
Pick your base!
I don't think I've ever seen so many pizza base options! It was kinda hard to choose so we went with the staff recommendation and got one multigrain and one burned wheat.
Pick your toppings!
Ooh decisions, decisions.. so much tasty vegan goodness to chose from. In the end we went for one Vegan Victory (they said this was the one that famous vegan blogger Fat Gay Vegan liked best) and one Ravenous Lumberjack as the name is great and we wanted to try one 'meaty' option.
Pick your cheese!
This was a bit of a no- brainer for me as I have been dying to try cashew cheese and Picky Wops make their own! So we had one with cashew and one with good old gooey Violife.
So with the hard decisions over, we sat and enjoyed a drink while we waited. Another great thing about this place is that it is BYOB so you can bring your own wine in making for a much cheaper night out!
Even though it was a Monday, it was super busy while we were there with lots of people coming in for takeaway and lots of Deliveroo orders going out. So we waited a little while for our food, not that we minded as we sipped on wine and enjoyed the laid back atmosphere of the place.
And then they came!
Ravenous Lumberjack on a Burnt Wheat base with Coconut Cheese
Tomato, mozzarella, herbed seitan sausage, smokey coconut cheese and mushrooms
Oh... wow. This pizza was just mouth wateringly delicious. So so cheesy, with the authentic gooeyness of mozzarella and the meaty spiciness of a real meatfeast pizza. We were kind of fighting for the last piece of this one! I really liked the burned wheat base too, it was crisp and smoky in flavour. So good!
Vegan Victory on a Multigrain Base with Cashew Cheese
Tomato, courgette, peppers, mushrooms, olives
I didn't like this one quite so much, the flavour was really nice and well seasoned, but inevitably, as with any courgette pizza, the base ended up a little soggy. I also didn't quite get much of the cashew cheese flavour, perhaps that choice would have been better suited to a different pizza. Or maybe it is just a much more subtle flavour than I anticipated.
Picky Wops also sell a range of vegan soft drinks, healthy juices, yummy desserts and locally made cookies.
And they also collect for animal charities and are active in the animal welfare community which is great to see.
I think they have now also opened another branch in Peckham, it's amazing to see small vegan businesses thriving, especially in such an oversaturated area as London.
I'd definitely recommend Pickywops if you're looking for an unpretentious vegan dining experience, with lots of options and great fresh and authentic pizza.
I hope you liked this post, if you did please upvote, comment, resteem and follow me on @lolzwithlisa for more travel and vegan food posts!
Cool Restaurant name! Now that's a pizza I can be happy with!, processed meats on Pizza seemed to be so nasty and unhealthy. thanks for posting!
The meaty one was really good! And I guess I can get away with eating it all the time as it's super healthy right? π
It's True Delicious πππ @lolzwithlisa
Thanks! It was π
omg that menu has me salivating
It is such an impressive menu! So many things to choose from, great excuse to go back again and again π
No way! They look so delicious ππ€€
If I ever find myself in London I am definitely getting a pizza from Pickywops.
You really should! London is really catching up with other capital cities when it comes to vegan restaurants π
Looks gooood!
So so good! Can't wait to go back π
Oh darling!I need to visit that restaurang one day!! Looks so yumm and I am sure it was delicious!!;)
If you're ever in London you HAVE to π
that sounds great! I'll be in that area in May, too. I'll have to remember.
Awesome! Definitely check it out, and make sure to book a table π
wow how delicious that looks
I know, right? Just goes to show there isnβt anything you canβt make vegan π
Looks delicious! π
It was! π
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I wish we had this vegan palace in my neighborhood. ;-)
You are part of my "Food By Red Fish" post. Check it out.
Thanks so much! You know, I'm kinda glad this place isn't in my neighborhood- my waistline and my bank balance would really suffer! π
I can imagine. π Would be the same for me.