I work in South London, so Balham is basically a stone’s throw away from me and the perfect place to go food-hunting once the working day’s done. There are plenty of restaurants in the area, serving up all kinds of food, from Thai to pub grub, and delicious, cheeeeesy pizza. *insert pizza emoji here*

Best Pizza in London. The Honest Italian arose from the ashes of Double Espresso which closed when the partners in the restaurant went their seperate ways. The pizza genius of the two moved on and re-branded as The Honest Italian, a restaurant dedicated to wood oven pizza. For the diehard Double Espresso clientele the previously large range of good food will be missed. Gone are the well portioned and tasty pasta dishes and the staple burgers and snacks. There is also a more limited opening schedule. Closed on Monday, you will find regular evening hours the rest of the week with extended hours at the weekend. This could be a mistake. My last visit was on a Monday. It was closed. I was forced to take refuge in another Italian restaurant down the road. It was packed, and having previously served dry over salted pizza's, had upped it's game in the light of competition, charging on average £3.50 less for a quality product. They also had the choice of other traditional Italian dishes.

Steve the owner of The Honest Italian is passionate about his Pizza, and if you prefer your pizza light, thin and crisp, cooked to perfection, this is your place. The night I was in, there was one complaint from a group of inebriated 'theatrical' men who felt short changed at paying an extra pound for sharing a dessert. Steve was mortified at this explaining that the guests wanted to share an ice cream and were charged for the extra scoops required. He then proceeded to offer free drinks in compensation for the display.

In short, The Honest Italian is the best Pizza in Balham if not London, but if like me you were a regular to Double Espresso, you may find yourself missing the range of other great dishes and the seven day a week opening schedule.