Neil Littman visits two pizza restaurants in Winchmore Hill’s ‘Little Italy’

Pizza vegetariana at La Nostra (left) and pizza Fiorentina at Giovanni (right)

I don’t often order pizza. It’s not that I don’t like them, it’s more about the variable quality.

My first encounter with pizza was when I was an art student on a budget with limited eating out options. There were few choices back then; Pizza Express in Soho or chains like Pizzaland (later taken over by Pizza Hut) who offered the ‘pizza platter’ consisting of two slices plus coleslaw and a baked spud on the side – all for about £1.50 with a soft drink.

Among the facts I came across looking into the history of the (preferably) hand-stretched ball of dough with a variety of toppings, cooked in a special oven, I discovered that pizzas were among the first items ordered online in 1994 – a year before Amazon began!

Fast forward to 2025 in Winchmore Hill, near an area nicknamed ‘Little Italy’, where I recently paid a rewarding visit to La Nostra. I ordered a caprino salad; goat’s cheese with tomato, beetroot and avocado, flavoured with a balsamic dressing; followed by a pizza vegetariana which, despite its size, I managed to finish. The base was perfect, with crisp edges topped with red and orange peppers, red onion plus spinach, a scattering of black olives and underpinned by a layer of mozzarella cheese and tomato. The result was a good balance of flavours with no single ingredient overwhelming the taste.

A few weeks later, on a cold damp Tuesday evening, I visited Giovanni, an Italian restaurant established in 1991 and directly opposite La Nostra. It was surprisingly busy for so early in the week, but then pizza is an inexpensive option for dining out.

The first thing I noticed was that most of the customers seemed to know the staff and each other, so I thought they must be fans of the place. Accompanied by a soundtrack of Elton John and middle-of-the-road classics, I ordered a caprese salad; mozzarella with tomato and rocket, which was one of the best of the many caprese salads I have eaten.

This was followed by a pizza Fiorentina including a combination of spinach and mushrooms on top of (again) mozzarella and tomato with an egg in the centre that wasn’t overcooked – easier than it sounds. The taste was greater than the sum of the parts with the flavours not competing with each other. The pizza base was more traditional with a crisper and thinner base than La Nostra. I left with half a pizza for next day’s lunch!

There was good service and good value for money in both restaurants. My bill at La Nostra came to £30.15, and at Giovanni came to £27.70, both including a beer and service charge.

For more information about La Nostra including opening times:
Visit pizzerialanostra.co.uk

For more information about Giovanni including opening times:
Visit pizzeriagiovanni.co.uk

Do you have any suggestions for restaurants in Enfield to review or feedback on the places Neil has already reviewed? He would love to hear from Dispatch readers:
Email [email protected]

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