Pizza Express: Bow Street, London

Bow Street: an entry on the Monopoly board, the former residence of Oliver Cromwell, the site of the Bow Street Runners (London’s first proper police force) and home to Bow Street Pizza Express.

It’s not blocky, nor is it airport lounge. Instead it is – for a prime central London site – surprisingly spacious. The full height windows and large mirrors help the effect, but it’s also a venue that has chosen quality of venue over quantity of seats at the margin. Throw in wooden beams in the ceiling, flock wallpaper on the walls (always a good place for wallpaper) and a few chandaliers and you have one of the poshest Pizza Express venues, well suited to its location just round the corner from the Royal Opera House.

As with Leadenhall Market, there is a bonus to be found downstairs, though in this case of the cartographic rather than cutlery variety.

My dining partner also spotted a picture of Cheryl Cole on the wall. You may have some trouble locating it yourself, but you can console yourself with the BIG news: another chocolate option is available on the menu. As it also features dough balls, technically it could be both a starter and a dessert, right?

Anyway, that’s 16 down and 112 to go (on the increasingly unlikely assumption that the total count is still accurate, but I think I’m a little way off having to worry too much about that…).