Ace Pizza to open permanent restaurant in east London

Ace Pizza is set to open its first bricks and mortar restaurant in east London this summer, seven years after its launch.

Rachel Jones started the business in the kitchens of the Pembury Tavern in London’s Hackney in 2018, where she continues to serve her signature “London-style” pizza, known for its Neapolitan base and New York-style cut.

The West Midlander had a life-long love for Italian-American comfort food, which led her to establish Capish? with street food incubator Kerb before evolving the concept into Ace Pizza.

Ace Pizza’s first permanent restaurant will open in London’s Victoria Park Village with chestnut wood panelling, booth seating and pink and yellow hues reminiscent of traditional ice-cream parlours.

All of its 12” pizzas are made from ‘biga’ dough starter, which is slow-fermented for over 48 hours. Toppings include Honey Pie (fior di latte, spicy salami, fennel seeds, guindilla chillies, chilli honey) and Clapton Cowboy (plant-based Texas ’beef’, jalapeños, pickled pink onions and chipotle ranch drizzle).

New additions to the menu include former pub specials such as vodka penne pizza and pizza sandwiches.

Jones said: “We’re so excited to be opening Ace Pizza’s first restaurant in Victoria Park. Hackney has been my home for over 15 years, so launching here feels really special. Some of my favourite childhood memories are of sharing pizza and ice-cream with my family, and I want Ace Pizza to recreate that same joyful feeling – fun, flavour-packed food that brings people together.

"We’ll be serving up some of our much-loved classics, but there’ll also be a whole new line-up of pizzas you won’t find anywhere else.”