Wondering where to eat in London this Valentine’s Day? Take yourself/your lover or your mate (delete as appropriate) for deliciously cute heart-shaped sourdough pizza at Franco Manca.

I was invited to review dinner at Franco Manca, and, being the HUGE lover of pizza that I am… I said yes, of course! It had been three months since I’d last caught up with my friend Pauline, and so to make up for the tardiness of my friendship, I invited her along with me.

My love affair with pizza has been ongoing for quite some time now… I veer towards high-carb, doughy treats whenever I’m in need of a little comfort food. It’s fair to say that since discovering Franco Manca, they’re pretty much my bench mark for great pizza in London. 

Franco Manca Valentine’s Day Set Menu

This February 14th, Franco Manca are offering a Valentine’s Day set menu, which includes 2 x pizzas, 1x bottle of wine & 2 x desserts for £30. You can opt to upgrade to a bottle of bubbles for an extra £5, if you feel like splashing out a bit.

The menu is available from Monday 13th February to Wednesday 15th February 2017, inclusive. All pizzas on the menu & specials board are included + a bottle of Tenute Normanno Organic Rosso or Bianco and any 2desserts. 

If you’re not a big wine drinker, you can swap your wine for 4 x no logo beer, pale ale, cider or 4 x soft drinks. For more information take a look here: francomanca.co.uk/foodinfo/faq

To me, Franco Manca feels authentic and Italian. It boasts a fuss-free, simple and cheap menu – pizza’s range from £4.95 to £7.55 – with extra toppings costing between 50p and £1.75. They use only the most delicious ingredients, and always give service with a smile.

What we ate

• Sides to share: Buffalo mozzarella with tomatoes & rocket, Burrata, and bread with balsamic vinegar and olive oil (for dipping!)

• Heart-shaped pizza with Gloucester Old Spot Ham (home cured), mozzarella, buffalo ricotta and wild mushrooms – this is usually a white pizza, but we opted for an additional saucey tomato base as an extra topping

• Affogato (ice cream drowned with a shot of espresso – one of my favourite desserts!)

We shared a bottle of Italian Francesco Cirelli organic red wineto wash down our meal.

What did we think? Another great evening at Franca Manco. This was my first time at the Soho restaurant, having previously only ever dined at the Chiswick one. I really enjoyed the different vibe that Berwick Street offer its diners. Still great value for money and the perfect place to eat for families, friends and first dates.

Photography © Lucie Kerley