Pizza Express in Lambeth

What let's this place down is the service. We had a reservation and it took ages to be sat down and then forever for someone to take our order (no we were not going to use an app). Watching the staff it felt chaotic. I would not rush back.

Swift, attentive staff, good food. Thank you.

Very disappointing. Avoid this restaurant. When we arrived, we were quickly seated, but that’s where the positive experience ended. After sitting down, I tried to get a waiter’s attention by waving, but he looked right at me and then walked away. It took a frustrating ten minutes before we were able to place our order. Things only got worse from there. An argument broke out between the manager and the kitchen staff, which lasted some time and only caused even more delays. We waited a full hour from sitting down until we received our starter. When my main course finally arrived, another 10 minutes later, my pizza was burnt. To top it off, the dessert took another 10 minutes again, and when the bill came, it was a staggering £78. Despite the long waits and the issues with our meal, there was no attempt to offer a discount or make up for the terrible service and total lack of professionalism. They did eventually apologise, but it felt insincere and hollow. This was a disappointing experience, especially considering the price we paid. I expected much better service and food quality for the money.

We visited today, the service was terribly slow there were only 3x chefs working, after 45mins we still hadn’t received our starters so we walked out. Everyone was complaining, people were sending their food back, yet they kept seating more people.

Food was delicious, waiter super friendly and helpful. It felt a bit hectic, not a place for a peaceful lunch, but overall it was great.

Thanks for the good atmosphere and service! And food too

Great venue, food was delicious and served quickly.

Pizza was like cardboard. Service efficient, but not friendly. Not up to usual standard.

Very disappointing. Tuesday evening (18.30) and they couldn't cope with the number of covers it would appear. Long time for many to get seated, over half an hour to get my pizza. Had to get a takeaway box to eat on the go otherwise I would have been late for where I was going next. Fortunately, I had the app, so I could pay at the table without needing to wait any more. Unlikely to return.

Don't bother if you are looking for an early lunch, or a quick one. We booked for 11.30am as a pre-theatre treat with our toddler. Apparently the kitchen doesn't open until 11.45am - this wasn't clear on booking and wasn't mentioned on arrival. On asking after our food at 12.10pm, when we had still yet to receive even dough balls, we were met with sighs and eye rolls from the staff. We were told the table booking is for 2 hours so we should expect to wait 45 minutes for food!? So we left. The manager was very polite and understanding when we explained why we were leaving, hence two stars rather than one. But I don't think the restaurant should take bookings before the kitchen opens, and the rest of the staff need reminding that it's reasonable for parents in a family friendly restaurant to ask when food for their hungry children will arrive and that they need to apologise if it is slow. I've never walked out of a restaurant before, but this experience has put me off Pizza Express as a whole.

The staff in here are absolutely delightful, with a special mention to Bruno and the lovely waitress who sorted my online order perfectly despite me being there past their closing time! :) Very much appreciated.

excellent meal in an great restaurant with lovely atmosphere and staff

We had a lunch with lots of children and adults (22 people all together), the service was exceptional! Thank you for making our meal so easy and stress free.

We had a lovely lunch at this branch. Kids were eating for free if you purchased an adult meal, which I think it's a brilliant deal for a large family plus we used the Pizza Express app which gave us more money off and a couple of freebies! We were a booking of 5 adults, 3 children and a baby. Great service and food arrived in good time which was injustice as it was a weekend and half term. We will return as the atmosphere was relaxed and the food was fresh and delicious.

Pizza time! Nice clean pizza restaurant just 2 minutes from London's south bank.

The pizza is so tasty and juicy. So thin but very good to eat with fingers! I love it🥰🥰🥰 A big yummmmmmy

Hadn't been here for years, but great food and very friendly staff

Great service, kind staff. But they didn't have the pizza I wanted which was a shame.

Basic food at not so basic prices

I hade penne pasta pollo was so deliciously delicious and the service was oustanding ! Thank you Szabina! You are amazing! I highly recommend

Great food, friendly staff, great value for money!

Great experience, me and my family we had a brilliant time at Pizza Express Waterloo! The staff very friendly, Anna was brilliant (we had. I booking made , but within minutes she set up a table for us) impeccable service and the food amazing! I would highly recommend this place, also great location!

Food is a pizza express, but service was terrace and the place was filthy

Very good pizza, courteous and kind staff, nice environment, it's just a shame that the pizzas are small.

My Daughter, Grandaughter and I ate here last night….the food was amazing as was the service…will definitely dine here again on my next visit to London😁

great service this evening and the private room was a help.

Our waiter was great, very friendly and efficient!

Had a lovely pizza with a friend this evening. Paolo our waiter was super lovely and attentive. I realised that tips paid on your card will not go 100% to your waiter. Please tip the waiters with cash so they get the full amount... will do this in the future. Thank you, Paolo! 😊

We had a lovely dinner! Pizzas were amazing and we had a lovely host Paulo who really made our night. Thank you we will be back

A pesar de reservar una mesa esperamos una hora para ser servidos debido a la falta de personal en el restaurante. Tardamos 30 minutos más en llegar nuestros alimentos, lo que significa que esperamos 90 minutos para que llegaran nuestras comidas. No se dio aviso sobre la espera. Sugeriría preguntar por los tiempos de espera al llegar.

It is very close to one of the entrances to Southbank, as we booked another restaurant for New Year's Eve to be able to go in and see the fireworks up close. But it only opened at 7pm, and pizza express was open and saved us so we could drink water, and our friends ordered pizza, we ordered it to take away, otherwise it would be more expensive, clean bathroom, friendly staff, and a very relaxed and cozy atmosphere . A place to return to eat calmly and inside the restaurant.

Only let down by being understaffed, this is otherwise a great Pizza Express. There was a bit of a wait to be served due to the understaffing (no staff were idle, just needed one or two more on the floor) but the service was very friendly and polite when it came. The food was, as usual for Pizza Express, tasty and freshly cooked. Unfortunately, due to the wait, I didn’t have time for dessert.

Booked a table and can’t get in… completely incompetent…..

Superb service and delicious food. Our waitress Saabrina was an amazing host on NYE. Many thanks

Great venue and location fabulous staff and management very accommodating as we were a large family booking 10/10 Neil Winstone Alfriston East Sussex

The atmosphere there was amazing, it was very busy however the service was wonderful, our waitress Justiana made sure to check up on us and was very friendly overall. The food was also very tasty . I highly recommend going there.

The food and drink were lovely but the service and location was excellent

I love Daniel and staff service

Thanks to waiter, Servet, for a friendly and helpful service.

Really mediocre cuisine: the pizzas are inedible. I have rarely eaten such a bad pizza. Absolutely avoid!

Waited to be seated for 10 minutes. No one seem interested.

Absolutely fantastic! Pizza was perfect the same taste as Italy. Highly recommend!🥰

Absolutely fantastic experience at Pizza Express! From the moment we walked in, the staff made us feel incredibly welcome and ensured we had everything we needed. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, perfect for a relaxing meal. The pizza was perfection—crispy, flavorful, and loaded with fresh ingredients. You can truly taste the quality in every bite. The staff was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu, helping us make the best choices. I also appreciated how well they handled dietary requests, offering delicious options for all preferences. The service was quick and efficient, and the overall vibe was just great. Highly recommend Pizza Express for anyone looking for great food, excellent service, and a wonderful dining experience. Will definitely be back soon!

Great staff and service on a busy lunchtime!

Needed a quick supper before a concert at the festival hall. Have not been to PE for a while, but pleasantly surprised at the food and service. Lovely staff, especially Vera.

I made a big mistake in capping my last night in London in this restaurant. The food was great, but the service was CRAPPY. When I arrived, it took a long time for me to be entertained. I understand if it was a busy night, but no. There were plenty of empty tables. Probably they were understaffed that night. 🤷 Finally, a male server (let's call him vincent) noticed me, but he didn't play host. He just said something like, "Somebody will be with you soon." Perhaps it's not his job, but of the maître d'. 🤷 So, it's fine. After some time, I was seated and given the menu, it took them a LOOONG time to take my orders. I tried to get the attention of a server, which is vincent. And he just said," Yes, yes, yes." with an annoying tone and walked past me; he didn't take my order. Maybe it's not his area of responsibility. 🤷 Then, I waited again for so long. I was already planning to leave, but a female server (let's call her honey) at last came to take my orders. Then during my entire meal, NOBODY asked if everything's okay, how was the food, yadda-yadda. Unlike other restaurants I had been to even if it was a busy time. Take note: They were doing it to the other customers. After my main meal, I wanted to order a dessert. I tried to get honey's attention, but she just walked past me looking at somewhere else. Let's give her the benefit of the doubt. Possibly she really didn't see/hear me. In the end, a different male server took my order. When I was going to pay my bill, funnily enough, vincent gave me a damn when he previously didn't. I was so glad that I didn't need to pay for a service fee. Even if there was, I will surely pay for it, but definitely UNHAPPILY. I didn't even leave a gratuity. Why would I give a tip if I received a subpar service? I sincerely hope the reason for their poor quality service is because they're undertrained, not because I was subjected to racial discrimination. I'm Asian with dominant East Asian features.

Ordered mushroom and truffles, very dry. I had thr identical item yesterday at another Pizza Express. Here the quality is much worse. Service is non-existent, mostly ignored and nobody checked on my food. Disappointing. Serviceable if lowered expectationa or desperate.

It is our favourite. The service, this time it was the lovely Daniel, and the food are always on point.

Very poor service, leaving customers standing in the entrance without anybody attending to them

Very good service. Very nice and warm atmosphere. One of the waiters,Armir , in particular was very friendly and always made sure we received the best service possible. Very nice work…

Salimos a cenar un miércoles por la noche. Disfrutamos de la comida y la bebida estaban muy contentos con el servicio. Gran comida por precio asequible.

We were greeted by a very friendly gentleman who took us to our table but unfortunately that is where it ended. My main course, chicken parmigiana arrived and was ok on the outside but very cold as it got towards the middle. This was sent backhand by the time it came back my husband had eaten his. My desert looked as though it was put on the plate in a hurry, presentation was not good. The poor waiter was rushed off his feet. Unfortunately won't be visiting again and wouldn't recommend.

The place is good but the service is poor. The food took 45 minutes to come. I had to ask twice for the food. Also the italian waitress was not welcoming and rude. She could not understand english properly and rolled her eyes when asked for food.

We were pleased that they kindly hosted us even though we did not have a reservation. Mr. Servet's attention and warm conversation added pleasure to the already delicious meals. When you come to this place, which is very close to the London Eye, Servet Bey can give you a nice memory with a good meal.

Always the perfect place for our yearly family catch up. We had a quiet area and the food was great and our waiting staff were friendly and attentive. Thank you!

Great pizza, but could definitely be better.

I came with a table of 3 this evening, the restaurant was very busy! We booked the only available time slot so we knew it would be busy however it was clear the staff were somewhat overrun. Lots of tables uncleared and unlaid. We were seated to the rear of the restaurant on a table that had no cutlery or glasses. My friend ordered the “Yule Love Our Margarita” festive special but the standard margarita was given and put on the order. All 3 portions of doughballs were stone cold. Nobody came to check on how it was so we just ate it, I did let the server know afterwards and he offered to have another portion fired. I refused and said I just wanted to let him know as we wanted to receive our mains. When our mains came, we weren’t asked if we needed anything else and I had to stop the waitress from walking away to ask to have cutlery. Again I understand it was a very busy night and things happen. The pizzas were great, tasty as always. However, my partners pollo pesto portion was a lot smaller than usually experienced in other restaurants and the pasta was very oily with very little bechamel sauce, not how it’s usually made. Perhaps ingredients are low and are being stretched, reducing the quality? Again we didn’t have a check-back so we kept eating. I spoke to the manager and explained the issues we had and she was very understanding. She said she would remove the cocktail as my friend hadn’t had much of it and she put a 20% discount and we used our pizza express club rewards on top. This was appreciated and made us feel a lot better. Overall, this is a great restaurant we just unluckily came at a very busy time (people queueing at entrance and waiting 20+ mins for a walk-in table). I appreciate the efforts taken to rectify and I would come back as the atmosphere was good and in a nice location.

Anna and Florian arranged for my entire year 6 to come in and eat during a school visit to London. They were incredibly accommodating, arranging our visit in advance and going with the flow when our visit to parliament overran! The children loved their meal, the restaurant was so welcoming and it was a really memorable part of our trip. Highly recommend not only the restaurant but the lovely people who run it.

Had a fantastic night with my partner, Pedro was our waiter and was attentive and enthusiastic throughout the night. Great experience

I have to say, the menu is apalling compared to what Pizza Express used to be in the past. I made the mistake of ordering "doughballs in blankets". This could have been great. Doughballs in pancetta. But this just seems to ape pigs in blankets, with the moist texture. And you only grt four sad measly balls. This sums up Pizza Express (or PE - how apt?). It's lost its way with shabby gimmicks, while doubling in price. The classics that used to make a visit to Pizza Express have been removed and you're left with posh Pizza Hut. This particular branch - service okay and was great to see the kitchen working hard.

Lovely atmosphere with nice pizzas and brilliant service. Our server Angel was great!

Over many years I and the boss have eaten at various Pizza Express establishments including the original incarnation, I believe was in what was a local London dairy in the nineteenth century. At all of these venues we have enjoyed what I could describe at the most consistent quality of pizza of which a real ‘Pizzaiolo’ would be proud of. Last night my dreams were crushed, after ordering two simple ‘Romana’ style pizzas, in a barn of a room so vast the staff seemed lost and unreachable within it. The ‘pizze’ on arrival, unlike the crispy thin crust Roman street food, piping hot & delicious, we were served flabby, over cheesed and under sauced, soggy bread which, quite frankly was almost inedible. The place wasn’t full or near capacity so to provide such a disappointment on a slow shift is beyond explanation. Pizza Express is an icon of value and taste and usually provides an experience, I like to tell my Italian family, pretty much comparable to that in the old country. Sadly not on this occasion in this establishment. Disappointment big time!

The staff at this pizzeria were incredibly friendly and attentive, creating such a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The pizza was delicious, and the overall experience was fantastic. Highly recommended!

Really tasty well prepared pizza and staff are amazing extremely helpful

We had a fantastic experience in PizzaExpress Royal Festival Hall. The food was delicious, but what stood out the most was the kindness and exceptional service from Armir and the lovely attendant. My friend and I were in a hurry as we had a concert in just an hour, and Armir went above and beyond to ensure we received our food quickly. Their efficiency and warm hospitality made our visit truly memorable.

It was fab! We were greeted promptly and taken to a table that met our requests. The server was attentive and friendly and was able to answer questions about what was GF from the new Christmas menu. The atmosphere was relaxed and mature - a perfect date night! The food was fabulous, and the snowballs were incredible!

The manager (I believe) at this branch was extremely rude and had a horrible attitude the entire time. I ordered a takeaway and she made me wait for so long, leaving my pizza box open in front of her the entire time until the pizza became cold, and even then, she refused to give it to me. I was there from 10.15pm. I also ordered a 2Good2Go, which gave me a collection time of 10.30pm. I spent 20 minutes waiting for her to give me my order, only for her to inform me that she doesn't have anything for me yet, and that I need to come back at 11pm, because for her "collection always starts at 11pm". I went to wait in front of london eye until it was time. When I came back for my collection AGAIN, she informed me that she threw away all the food so she has nothing to give me AGAIN. AFTER I HAD ALREADY PAID AND SPENT 1 HOUR WAITING!!! I used to enjoy going to PizzaExpress, but I will DEFINITELY NOT be going back to that branch, nor will I be recommending it to anyone. It is extremely unfortunate that I was treated so horribly and her unprofessional attitude was absolutely disgusting. THE STAFF WAS EATING WHILE COOKING! HOW DISGUSTING IS THAT!

Pizza ,service and when they know my friend it's my friend's birthday they secretly bring slices of cake and candles, a very sweet touch.

I went in on my lunch break and was seating immediately, and was provided with excellent service by Paolo. He talked to me about offers and helped me to have an enjoyable affordable meal. The food came very quickly and was very good. Overall great experience. Will make the most of their deals again.

Haven't been to a PE for around a year or so, but it's still as decent and good value as always. However, what's happened to the Diavolo pizza and the big square one ? More often than not, they were my pizza of choice: now not there... And not that impressed by the 'new' style coleslaw. Other than that, highly recommended.

The food and service is great here and its nicely tucked downstairs so you can get away from the hustle and bustle. They also space the tables away from each other so gives a sense of some privacy in a big restaurant. The only downside is the lighting which is at best weird and at worst really distracting depending on where you get sat.

Szabina was great and we had a lovely dinner!

Amazing service by Paulo. But the management is so rubbish. They have no control of the place. Under staffed. Staff are stretched so thin

Pizza Express es uno de nuestros restaurantes familiares, ya que nuestro hijo neurodiverso sabe qué esperar. Terminamos aquí en nuestra primera noche en Londres justo después de las 6 pm y el restaurante estaba menos de la mitad lleno, así que teníamos la esperanza de un paseo. Esperábamos a estar sentados, solo para ser ignorados por 5 o 6 empleados que entraban y salían del bar. Incluso si no estuvieran sentadas, un contacto visual simbólico y “alguien estará contigo en breve” no habría hecho daño. La persona que finalmente vino también nos había ignorado de manera similar durante alrededor de 10 minutos - si no hubiéramos tenido a nuestro hijo con nosotros y hubiera tenido hambre ya me habría ido en ese momento. Entonces nos recibió una actitud muy mocosa, ya que no habíamos reservado, y más de media hora de espera para una mesa. Comenté que el restaurante estaba menos de la mitad lleno, y probablemente hubiéramos terminado y salido muy rápido, pero acabamos de recibir un “lo siento, estamos llenos” En este momento mi hijo estaba llorando, pero no nos íbamos a molestar en buscar una mesa con esa bienvenida. Afortunadamente la pizza gourmet más abajo hacia Blackfriars nos recibió con los brazos abiertos, a pesar de estar mucho más ocupado de lo que PE estaba. Desafortunadamente, eso nos ha perdido como cliente de Pizza Express en el futuro previsible: mi hijo recordará esto durante mucho tiempo y se niega a ir a Pizza Express de nuevo.

Restaurant 200m from Eagle Eye. Quite pleasant. We had to wait a long time before someone came to ask about the order. Average pizza, but it all depends on what you like. We like typically Italian pizza, and this one is completely different. Prices are not low - normal for London. Toilets are cramped and a bit dirty. It would be nice to clean up more often. The service was nice and helpful.

I came here with a group of friends and we were served by Deborah who was brilliant! She was so lovely and helped us with some spillages. :)

Debora was extremely helpful and made our experience amazing. Would definitely recommend!

Debora was extremely welcoming and helpful, definitely recommend

amazing staff and atmosphere! Debra specifically was a breath of fresh air, and very helpful!🩷

Debora was extremely helpful and really welcoming. She is a credit to this pizza express!!!

Didn't get any service after sitting there so had to leave!

Good service, lots of tables and choice. Can’t really go wrong. Toilets need to be cleaner and bigger space.

Very sad with how bad the service was. I worked here years ago, the service used to be what it prided itself on. It was slow, inattentive and not effective. Very disappointing

Excellent customer service. Delivered food quickly and was friendly

Qué buen lugar - el servicio era genial, muy rápido y eficiente, la comida era fresca y en porciones generosas, y nos dejaron comer a nuestro propio ritmo sin ser molestados (nos alojamos durante siglos charlando, tuvimos una comida agradable y tranquila). El camarero (creo que su nombre es Servet) era un verdadero caballero, muy amable y servicial. Sin duda un lugar para volver a

Great experience, busy and vibrant place, we have been welcomed and we got a table very fast, food arrived in time, looked and tasted delicious, definitely recommend the place when in town.

Great food and good service always! Highly recommended!

Don't order the malbec. The pizzas were good, we got the special offer where you buy a Romana and get a second for just 2.95. worst was the malbec red wine. It was disgusting and spoilt and otherwise nice meal

Honestly was not great at all. The manager was extremely rude to the customers and to her colleagues. We were very upset and even heard several other tables complaining about the customer service with this manager in particular. I would like to note that some of the other servers were really good, it was just the manager that was rude. Food came late, we were told to wait at the door for 20 minutes by manager only to be let in after a couple of minutes by another member of staff. We waited over 30 minutes for the food and ended up late to where we needed to go after. If you’re in a rush, would not recommend - particularly because it was completely empty when we went.

Amazing atmosphere and service!

Las pizzas no tenían mucha cobertura. Una pizza se quemó en los bordes y en otra la cebolla y el pimiento apenas se cocinaron. El brownie era bueno, pero pequeño. El helado estaba bien, pero nada especial. £ 8 para postres parecía un poco caro. Estaba muy tranquilo cuando llegamos a las 4 : 30 pm un miércoles, pero pronto se llenó, la mayoría con familias jóvenes.

we were very happy with justiana's service. we had a great service, delicious food and chat&banter&jokes with very friendly staff. i would highly recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a place in the area.

Tried to do a walk in at Pizza Express on the Southbank at around 18:00 on a Wednesday evening - apparently they were too busy to set the two us…..(see photo)

I almost never write restaurant reviews, but we met a waiter there who had to be recognized publicly. Jakub was his name and he was phenomenal!! Thank you , Jakub , definitely I will come back !

Un almuerzo desafiante con muchos clientes llegando al mismo tiempo ( 12. 30 ) . La cocina claramente se respaldó, el gerente Winston intervino con calma, asertividad y con grandes habilidades de liderazgo asegurándose de que los clientes estuvieran bien informados. Realmente no puedo elogiarlo lo suficiente. Viajamos desde la costa sur para la graduación de nuestras hijas en la Sala de Festivales, almuerzo encantador

It was a busy evening last night. Still service was exceptional and relatively quick. Team including waitress and managers handled our orders professionally with requests. Atmosphere was chilled and enjoyable experience.

Pizzas are fine but not particularly authentic or exciting. Probably better Italians around but nothing wrong with this one

Having previously dined here an been happy we returned last night, This time we waited 15 minutes to even be acknowledged and seated, the man with the blond hair seating people is extremely rude with absolutely no people skills. When we were finally acknowledged with a huge queue behind us, his words were ‘ we have no tables for 7 people so you’ll have to wait, we have tables for 2 people only.. NEXT!! ‘ and then completely ignored us. The rest of the staff were very friendly but this man really shouldn’t be front of house.

This place is appauling. Avoid at all cost. Service is very bad, very slow, not efficient, cold food, would NEVER return to this branch. Avoid avoid avoid

In the past Pizza Express could be relied on for a satisfactory meal & in fact I have been to this branch before when on the Southbank. It has gone totally downhill. We had the Prawn Peperonata - this bore no resemblance to the picture on the website (which I have looked at subsequently) - no lemon/fresh parsley. I doubt if the ingredients cost more than a couple of pounds at most - it was tasteless. We had to wait a good time for the order to be taken & even longer (around 20 minutes) for the food to arrive. We then had to ask for parmesan which then came in a tiny dish so we had to ask for more. No black pepper. We were offered dessert but declined - not wanting to waste any more money. Getting the bill proved difficult. I asked for it but after about 6 minutes we got up & went to a desk to ask for it again. No receipt given or offered.