Best Pizza Shops in Muswell Hill: Franco Manca Review

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Looking for the best pizza shops in Muswell Hill? This North London area is one of the poshest areas in London, and there are plenty of places to eat in Muswell Hill. Especially if you’re looking for cute cafes and breakfast spots. I live in North Finchley, just a few minutes from Muswell Hill on the bus, and I seem to pass by the area quite often.

Not only are there lots of pizza shops in Muswell Hill, but if you’re looking for some of the best charity shops in London, the charity shops in Muswell Hill are filled with secondhand designer clothes and amazing used books to keep you busy during the cold months of the year.

If you don’t know me, hi, I’m Sam. I’m a French freelance writer and blogger, and digital nomad currently based in London. I’ve got a few passions; scented candles, food, travel, and ways to become more productive with work.

Lately, I told you about the best Yankee Candle scents for autumn 2022, the best body candles brands for those sculptural female body candles, and the best non touristy things to do alone in London.

Today, I felt like telling you about my experience at the Franco Manca pizzeria in Muswell Hill. I went there just a few days ago, and I thought it could be helpful if you’re looking for the best pizza shops in Muswell Hill!

If you’re looking for amazing food spots in London to try, here are a few restaurants reviews I’ve written for you these past weeks:

the most instagrammable cafe in London: Ore Cafe Brompton
the best pho in London at Pho Ta Kentish Town
and the best French patisserie in London at Belle Epoque Islington

Best Pizza Shops in Muswell Hill: Franco Manca Pizzeria Review

I have been visiting Franco Manca pizzerias for a long time now. Since 2019, the year I first moved to London, I have been eating the delicious £5 Margherita that Franco Manca had on offer. The sourdough pizza is one of my favorites, and if you’re looking for Neapolitan pizza in London, Franco Manca is probably one of the best Italian restaurants to do so.

If you’re ever around North London and looking for pizza shops in Muswell Hill, Franco Manca is one of the places to eat I would recommend straight away.

However, to be very honest with you, I have noticed a clear decline in the food quality at Franco Manca since the moment I first started eating their pizza (and I will tell you about it later in this article).

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Franco Manca: Inside The Restaurant

I visited Franco Manca at Muswell Hill just a few days ago, for lunch during the week. The restaurant was empty except for me and another person. I am usually used to Franco Manca in Bermondsey near London Bridge, Broadgate, and Bishopsgate, although the last Franco Manca I visited was in Soho just a few weeks ago, during summer.

READ: The best charity shops in Kentish Town Camden

The decor at Franco Manca pizzerias is sensibly the same whichever restaurant you visit, and I really liked how warm and homely the Muswell Hill pizza shop felt. It is spacious, white, and clean with gold and wooden accents.

Definitely, a perfect place if you’re looking to have a lowkey romantic date, or looking for cheap restaurants in London around Muswell Hill.

Franco Manca Menu

The first thing I noticed when reading the Franco Manca menu is that the Margherita, which is my go-to pizza whenever I try a new restaurant, has seen its price increase by almost £3 when the usual RRP used to be £5.

Let’s not forget that pizza shops in Muswell Hill are bound to be slightly more expensive since this is one of the richest areas in London. However, I did think that a £3 increase is going overboard. On the menu, there are different kinds of Neapolitan pizza, all made from delicious sourdough.

Something I’ve always loved about Franco Manca pizzerias is the fact that the sourdough is made in-house and proofed for long hours before being cooked. They have definitely kept the Neapolitan pizza style, and just for this, Franco Manca is one of the best pizza shops in Muswell Hill.

From the sourdough pizza to the entrees and the Italian desserts, we have a completely Italian menu at Franco Manca. That’s perfect if you’re literally from Italy and looking for some good Italian restaurants, or have visited Italy and missed the food quality that you’ve discovered in the Eternal City, for instance.

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Best Pizza Shops in Muswell Hill: What I Ordered at Franco Manca

I ordered only one thing at the Muswell Hill Franco Manca: a Margherita pizza. That was the only thing I wanted, plus, I’ve eaten out so much lately that I’d better pay attention to my finances a little bit.

The Margherita at Franco Manca is generously drizzled with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basilic leaves. That’s it. Just the way a true Neapolitan pizza would be made in Naples. I have eaten in other pizza shops in Muswell Hill, and the Margherita from Franco Manca was definitely the best (and the true Neapolitan pizza, to be honest).

Despite the fact that Franco Manca is one of the best pizza shops in Muswell Hill, I do think that it is not very much worth the price point. If you’ve eaten at Franco Manca in the past years, you know that the £5 Margherita pizza was one of the best cheap eats in London.

What I felt from the Muswell Hill pizza was that it was terribly lacking taste, and from what I have tasted, the pizza chain definitely has changed the way it selects and uses its raw ingredients. There’s no other way the cheese and the tomato sauce would have tasted so different from all the Franco Manca pizza I have eaten in the past – and there have been a lot.

All in all, with the service charge, I have paid £8.83 for a Margherita, which is still okay if you’re getting it from one of the pizza shops in Muswell Hill, I guess. However, the price difference between what I used to pay and a pizza just a few days ago is almost £4 – that’s almost a whole ‘nother pizza from Franco Manca just some time ago.

I also paid £6.95 for the same Margherita pizza at one of the Soho pizzerias from Franco Manca, so I’m just wondering what’s happening with the chain’s prices.

Best Pizza Shops in Muswell Hill: Franco Manca Review & Final Thoughts

All in all, if you’re looking for the best pizza shops in Muswell Hill and have never tried Franco Manca, it is one of the best places to eat in Muswell Hill. Although I was kind of taken aback by the price and the decrease in quality, the sourdough is still the same amazing flavor. I have only noticed a difference in the quality of the cheese and the tomato sauce, which unfortunately make for a big part of the pizza taste.

Again, if you’re after a good Muswell Hill pizza place, you should definitely try Franco Manca, as it is the only place I would recommend for pizza there (since there’s no Rossopomodoro in the area). Will I go back there? Probably not though.

If you’d like to discover amazing food spots in London, here are a few food reviews and guides I have written for you lately:

Until next time!