Santa Maria Pizzeria Islington in Islington

Took my mum to Islington to explore and she wanted pizza as a treat, about to go to our usual Pizza Express and saw this gem and thought why not try something new. Really glad we did. Super fresh ingredients and authentic Napoli style pizza in a modern design and friendly staff. Mum is very picky with she food and she was really happy here. Was around 25 for two pizzas and soft drinks which is far better quality than at any other “high street” pizza joint. Would recommend.

Squisito! Santa Maria Is definitely one the best pizzas spots in London Everything about the pizza encapsulates what a true Neapolitan Pizza is about. Perfectly cooked with a nice char on the crust. An amazing balance of fresh creamy buffala mozzarella.Sweet, rich and full bodied San Marzano tomatoes. With most places you are offered chilli oil, at Santa Maria you get both chilli and garlic oil. That garlic oil is Devine. The chilli oil could do with a bit more of a kick. Maybe it hasn’t infused long enough. The cocktails were superb (Says my mother) and the blood orange IPA was nice too. The tiramisu was pretty good. Not the best Iv had but pretty good. Overall 5* all round. I apologise for my mother, she’s very picky, nothing is ever good enough for her! I hope she wasn’t insulting… Telling an Italian how Neapolitan pizza should be 😅😅 Hope to come back soon!

Delicious pizza. Fast service, very pleasant and accommodating. Had to be in and out quickly and they did it perfectly!!

Very nice evening! Pizza is tasty and very good quality. Dessert Pan di stelle to die for with very rich flavours! Top service from Orazio, will definitely be back

Best pizza I've eaten in a long while in London! The ingredients used were super fresh. Would highly recommend it.

Unable to have a conversation as the music was too loud. The waiter said it wasn't necessary for him to write down the order for a table of four, stating that he would remember everything. Well, he didn't remember everything. He missed off one pizza from the order (not a topping, a whole pizza. Someone's meal). He said he got distracted!! So, I got my pizza late and was expected to eat alone as the others had almost finished. My pizza was rushed and still doughy in the middle, the cheese had barely melted. I could not eat it and had to send it back. My husband's birthday dinner was ruined, not that anyone cared. The place is being run by a bunch of kids who couldn't care less. Since the owner/management has responded to my previous review, I am adding to it for any future unhappy reviewers. The response I got back is a stock reply asking me to send an email with more info so they can discuss the reason I left a poor review. They don't really care. My husband, whose birthday dinner they ruined, DID send an email, and they ignored it.

Delicious pizza with such great toppings. Had the burrata prosciutto and rocket one and was incredible. Also great drinks prices! Aperol spritz was very big and perfectly done at a cheaper price than you could generally find in London.

Another immensely brilliant meal at Santa Maria. This place is a beacon of light on the high street - guiding me towards a beautiful dinner. I always feel welcome (I only really go to restaurants alone - time to focus on my food haha) and the service is exceptional. Maddie today provided me with a great guide to the menu and my drinks were topped up at all times - delicious dessert too. Santa Maria is an icon both literally, and in pizza restaurant form. Thanks guys 💕

A tale of 4 people, 3 pizzas, 2 servers and 1 birthday. It was my birthday and we decided to go for pizza here after reading the reviews. We are seated and drinks are brought over by a young lady serving us. A second server then comes to take our food order. The order is complicated by the fact that the menu has a large amount of pizzas to choose from and all of them are customisable, so one person wants extra this and another more of that, you get the idea. But the waiter is not writing anything down, he's just nodding sagely, a perfect set of teeth flashing confidently with every pizza and topping order. "Aren't you going to write this down?" "No need, I remember everything." Indeed. You know what happens next, three pizzas arrive while my partner is sitting there waiting for the pizza that never came. And why did it never come? Because it turns out that if you had perfect recall, you'd be an analyst for MI5 or working for a hedge fund instead of flouncing around Islington in socks and Crocs.

The vegan pizza was incredible! The truffle cream base is to die for, one of the best vegan pizza I’ve had in a long time.

I used to love this place. But none of their cheese is vegetarian So none of the pizzas (apart from vegan ones) are veggie. I find it crazy they can’t find a vegetarian mozzarella

Fantastic pizza, definitely high up my list in London!

100% the best pizza in London! I come here all the time with my girlfriends. Staff are so friendly, had a lovely conversation with tamity the waitress. Amazing service. Well done Santa Maria

Best pizzas I've had in the UK, please come to Bristol!

Absolutely incredible. Every bite a work of art. Service was unfathomably brilliant. Five stars.

The friendly staff and the lovely atmosphere will make you feel at home. The best pizza I've had in a long time.

Just awful. Ran out of wine glasses, service slow, calzone raw in the middle, cold toppings on other pizzas Top tip- cook the pizza before serving.

I think that the most important thing in a good piece of pizza 🍕 is her flavour, in the point that you can to feel a great taste just with her flavour, this local to get maintain a big standard in this sense , but other thing is that they have a special waitress, her name is Matty, this girl enforced by give you a good service and is very nice and very kindly, really is a good motive for to go this place because in a lot of sites the food is good but the service is inneficient ! Good pizza good service =hapiness ☺️

The pizzas were Delicious well worth the money. definitely going back

The restaurant is very dull The staff are very attractive and the food is fabulous. I definitely recommend the pizza

Update: SORRY you can’t rectify wasted time. Also replies with attitude only works with places that serve ACTUAL good food, not yours xx Messed up our order and we waited over 30 minutes for our pizzas. Table arrived after us all got food. Very disappointed at the service and speed of serving. Won’t come back.

First time coming in here, had a great experience x Was served by Maddie, her enthusiasm and friendliness set the tone for a brilliant evening, pizza was definitely amongst the best I’ve had in London as well. Will definitely be coming again!

Had mixed experiences here. The first was on a quiet Sunday evening. Service was quick, and pizzas decent (not excellent, but way above average for UK standards). But on a busy Friday night... oh boy. The pizzas were not even average, the service was horribly slow, and the first waiter got our order wrong. Luckily enough, after around 45 minutes, another member of staff came to double check before sending the pizzas in.

Fab experience, food and service were top notch! Shout out to Maddie for being an amazing waitress ❤️

The food and atmosphere here is amazing, the staff are so welcoming especially Maddie, she is always smiling and always happy to help, will definitely be coming back 😋

Great pizza. Friendly staff. Beautiful location.

The food was absolutely delicious. The prices were great for the area. We had some less than great moments for service, but it was a busy evening and we were a big group. There is a full vegan menu, with tasty and inventive options. The wine was delicious and well priced. Olives and salads were great. The mushroom and truffle dip was sensational. Garlic and chilli oils were offered, which were great. Overall I'd really recommend the restaurant.

What an amazing experience! Beside the amazing pizza, the best customer service ever! Thank you Maddie! Well done! 💯

Great experience, great food and service! The staff were quick, attentive and calm especially because we had our kids with us. Will definitely be coming back!

Fantastic work from Maddie ! She made the experience wonderful for me! amazing work! Thank you.

Absolutely delicious pizza! The atmosphere was lovely, the food was great - especially the San Rocco pizza and the original drinks. The service was also amazing. Thank you to our wonderful waitress Maddie for the fantastic service and recommendations!

The best Italian Pizza in London. Absolutely amazing. Original Italian Pizza. There are also options to add or switch to burrata cheese which I love. Really nice atmosphere and people working there. We will definitely come back.

Brilliant Food. A real true authentic italian pizza and great service. Maddy our waiter was excellent. Definitely coming back again

I've come before and eaten in and it was very good. However in last few weeks have ordered take out and both times all the Pizzas were burnt. Not a little charcol but a lot. Something must have changed recently for this to be the case.

Great food, maddy was a great waitress very friendly and accommodating of our family in a busy time.

Food and service was awesome! Thanks to the team for looking after us with such short notice. They really took care of us and even noticed that it was my dad's birthday and managed to organise a cake and candle whilst it was soo busy! Definitely advise to book if you will be visiting on a weekend though :)

Amazing place with even better pizzas! The manager and his staff are really friendly, we felt welcomed and they catered for all our needs. Great experience eating out, we are definitely returning to try out the rest of the menu :). Most definitely recommend the pizzas to all our friends and relatives!

Was sitting waiting for my boyfriend to come and no one asked if I wanted some water or a drink while waiting. Waited for our order for 45 minutes. Pizza was nothing special and also burnt. The staff were nice but clearly overwhelmed. Management should do something.

The pizza is great. The meatballs starters tasted like a heated up ball up wound up chewing gum. The atmosphere non existent and the staff almost drove me to question my own purpose In life, the most miserable bunch of beings I’ve encountered for a long time. If you don’t like service, don’t work in the service industry

Nothing special, not the worst pizza but definitely not the best one. Franco manca is better for example. The place is also bloody cold due to the door always being opened for the deliveries, so you will have to wear a coat while eating. (Ask for the boot if you don't want l to be cold)

So so lucky we were to get a table here on Saturday night 🥹 and it was the best pizza I’ve had in London in a while, seriously try San Rocco with burrata (add extra black olives) 😚🤌🏻 will definitely come again and will try other locations too 🍕

I’ve now been to Santa Maria twice, and will definitely be back! Both times i got the Santa Carmela pizza, which was delicious. I was also served by a lovely waitress named Maddie. She was very welcoming and gave us enough time to choose our order etc. Thank you for giving me a lovely experience Maddie.

delicious pizza and wonderful hospitality! My friends and I had an amazing saturday night here. Federica greeted us with a warm smile and took great care of us with her attentiveness and friendliness. As for the staff, pizzas were absolutely amazing, so tasty and 5stars crispy crust! we will definitely be returning soon.

Best pizza I have eaten in London.

A Neapolitan pizza made properly. I didn't think I could find one this good in London.

Maddie served us with so much passion and charisma, she knew about the dough and how they make it, I truly hope she gets far in the industry and the least a promotion! Also the manager was lovely I didn't grab his name but he had a great vibe on him. Definitely will be back! Thank you Maddie! Enjoy Madrid!

Excellent Italian experience - I expected waiters to be more prepared to help some of my English friends navigate the menu. One of us wanted pineapple in his pizza 🤣 and, while we told him that was heresy and he ended up enjoying his anchovies pizza, it took me a while to convince him you call it San Gennaro...

Despite it being a very busy night, the waitress was perfectly competent and polite. The food came very quickly and was equally as delicious. The waitress was very kind and sat us in a lovely spot. Will definitely visit again!

One of the best italian pizzas 🍕 I've had in London! Santa Maria serves a selection of pizzas what sets them apart from other Italian pizzeria is the toppings, the mushroom cream with Yorkshire sausage is unique and delicious which Is highly recommended. The Highbury Islington branch is medium sized, definitely cosy for a party of 4 , though I'm sure they can cater for a larger group. The staff are friendly and helpful. Overall experience was great and definitely recommend 👌

Absolutely fantastic pizza, great starters, and an absolutely lovely experience. I would highly recommend this Naples style pizza. I had calzone, no way I could finish it. Great no tomato selection and vegetable-tarian selection as well. They even had no alcohol beers :)

Rudest staff ever...did not even bother to taste the santa margerita.....the waitress just laugh in our face when we asked to change a table..by the way the table.was next to the main door..

Great pizza, one of the best in London.

Excellent pizza and welcoming restaurant

Best pizza spot along Islington. Genuinely nice staff however a woman a table over was chatting about her bizarre pregnancy which sounded grim. So I know not the pizza places fault but MAYBE a little more space between tables

I came here with my friends and we honestly had a blast! The food is amazing and the staff were extremely nice and very helpful I truly enjoyed the experience would definitely come here again!

Santa Maria made 20 pizzas for us for a party on Saturday. We ordered online the day before, and the pizzas were ready for collection exactly at the time we requested and were delicious. Thank you so much for your help!

best pizza in London and great personal

Best Italian pizza in town - and I'm from the actual old country!

excellent restaurant and qualified staff

As an Italian myself, I can confirm this is a truly authentic Neapolitan pizza and Santa Maria is the best pizza place I have been so far in London. The quality of the ingredients is great and the service is outstanding. Especially Gabriella who is amazing!

The staff are nice and qualified, the restaurant is nice. They make the must delicious pizza I ever ate.

Lovely pizzeria restaurant. Massive pizzas with fresh ingredients for good prices! I had the San Rocco pizza and would highly recommend 🍕

Pizza e servizio perfetto come sempre

Surprised this place has such a high score. It was quiet when we stumbled in on a Sunday afternoon when the rest of Highbury was heaving with Arsenal fans. The service was slow and the guy was borderline rude. No kids menu, which seemed odd for a pizza place. They did provide a high chair to attach to a seat, but it felt quite grudging. Pizzas were fine, but nothing mind blowing and the garlic bread comes with largeish chunks of uncooked garlic on top, not my taste. Once we had eaten the service sped right up. In general, they seemed eager to get us out the door and we were really happy to leave.

I was a regular visitor in this pizzeria and love their pizzas, recommended them to many of my friends.But, my last visit put me off with their service. Their restaurant closing time was 10.30, while we reached at 9.50 and they denied restaurant service. And, suggested box takeaway which I took while I requested if I could just sit on one of the tables and eat from the box as it was freezing cold outside and there was still half an hour for restaurant to close and not much option to sit outside on high street. But, they were absolutely inconsiderate.they were at least 6 tables with people still eating/waiting for pizza. It looked very poor service where they could have easily told you can have till other people are eating. Btw our eating time was 15mins outside and when we crossed while walking back there were still many people eating. After this, I think this pizzeria is totally a no for me.

Pizza was good, the service in fact wasn't. Each time I am coming there they give me the worst table in the middle of the room, which has been broken for a month at least. How difficult is to put some cardboard under the table, so there is no spilled wine for the guests... There is usually only one waitress working and it takes long time to take an order or to bring a bill. The pizza in fact is ok👍

Bellisimo Fresh. Fast. Cosy environment

Tasty as usual! My go to pizza place in Islington!

Very delicious Perfect service 👍👌

A very nice pizza place, with excellent pizzas and a pleasnt atmosphere. The service was also good.

We ate here at a busy time over the weekend and were immediately made to feel welcome. Along with this friendly atmosphere, the food was really excellent - we're both vegetarians and felt very well catered for. Thoroughly recommended!

Super pizza place with huge portions, and a choice of salads and breads too. Good value and professional friendly service.

Slow, slow, slow staff, soggy, disappointing burnt pizza and seriously bad service. A disgrace to Italian pizza! Please do not go in……….. a frozen pizza from any supermarket for £4 is a better choice. Buon appetito 🤢🤢🤮

Ottima pizza, ristorante molto accogliente e staff cordiale. Ci tornerò sicuramente

Best pizza I’ve ever had and such a wonderful environment

As soon as I came inside, Gabriela and Vincenzo were very welcoming, my friend and I I were seated and were introduced to the menu, in different occasions I had to ask questions as I am not familiar with the menu, they were always attentive and happy to answer my questions, even tho the pace had some busy tables, they were always making sure everyone were well looked after.

Passing by with some friends, the local was very nice and clean, staff and food were amazing. Definitely a place that I would go and suggest to everyone. We get served by Vincenzo and Gabriella, they were really friendly and help us a lot with the menú and give a lot of suggestion that we appreciate it and loved it.

The pizza was good, but far from the best in London. The price was ok, but I will tell you was my worst experience in restaurants in London. After seating us, they have taken 45 minutes to hear our order - although we constantly called their attention. For desert? Same thing. Bill? Same thing… like they had a busy day, although there was not even half full. I would really understand if they come to say “hey guys, we are busier than usual because XYX happened and we are dealing with a backlog, I apologise in advance…”. I will avoid it for sure, doesn’t worth it people that doesn’t have the minimum respect for you.

The San Giuseppe pizza was great the Sant Anna wasn't. There was something missing in the flavour, and the oven was strong, because the pasta was burnt. I had the same pizza at Santa Maria in Ealing and it was better there . Thanks to Marika⭐

Great experience pizza was amazing will go again for sure

My new favourite Pizza outside of Edinburgh. Tomato sauce was amazing and dough was absolutely devine! Lovely attentive service.

Amazing pizza pure Italian service was great the prices where not expensive would go back again

The pizza was pretty average, there are many other better places in London if you’re looking for a decent sourdough pizza. If you’re looking for a place that is good for families with classic toppings, and a family friendly atmosphere, then this is a good choice. The service here was particularly bad, with the table next to us actually walking out because they were left waiting for an initial menu and drinks order for so long. After asking for the bill, it took another 30 minutes to get the bill and leave.

Ahhh. So long since we've had a proper pizza in London. This place is as it should be. Humble, well priced, friendly service, simple menu and top notch pizza which wouldn't be out of place in Naples. Will be back any time I'm in the area!

Amazing authentic Italian pizzas! One of the best I have had in London! Good service and good place overall! 100% recommended.

One of the best pizzas I had in London, an amazing selection of pizzas to choose from (very impressed by the menu!). Lovely and friendly staff, I will definitely return!

Amazing pizza and very kind and attentive staff!

Vado a Londra per lavoro ogni mese e la pizza non me la faccio mai mancare..siete una garanzia! pizza straordinaria!

Really good pizzas. Excellent quality ingredients in all the dishes. A good quality Chianti on the menu at £30 a bottle. Nice atmosphere and great service from all the staff including Fay and Ollie. I would highly recommend this place. Special mention to Ollie, who went as far as taking a photo of the vegan ice cream, unprompted, to confirm it was vegan when we asked him to check.

San Nicola is delicious and the tiramisu is to die for! Friendly staff good quality food. Highly recommend for all the foodies out there 👌 Came here again and it was so good! Beautiful food and service amazing as always!

Great restaurant with superb pizzas and cocktails. Atmosphere is relaxed but also classy. Highly recommend

Great pizza place! I had the Santa Carmela with ham, mashroom and parmesan; and I added truffle oil. Perfect combination of ingredients. Staff was super friendly! We will be back!

We loved the pizzas and in particular the San Nicola with caramelised onions. Very nice staff and we had the food served pretty fast. All very tasty and the Tiramisu was amazing and I normally don't like Tiramisu. Highly recommend this place.

Decent enough pizza place with a variety of extra toppings available.

We were waiting for Santa Maria to come to East London, and we couldn't be more happy! Their pizzas are some of the best in the city. Simple ingredients, great quality, light dough. We will go back again, again and again! ❤️

We have consistently chosen Pizzeria Santa Maria as our go-to pizzeria in London. It has become a regular spot for us, and we have no hesitation in recommending it to friends and clients alike. The atmosphere is incredibly pleasant, creating a relaxing dining experience. The manager, Valerio, stands out with his friendly demeanor and exceptional attention to customer service. When it comes to enjoying a top-notch Neapolitan pizza style in London, we highly recommend giving Pizzeria Santa Maria a try. Grazie mille.

One of the best pizza in london! Great and efficient service for a very good price!!well done guys!!!we will be back...

Easily the best pizza in Isengard, Iv seen Saruman himself dine here.

First time here but very disappointed with the quality of the food given the ratings provide. Staff were nice but quality was extremely poor. Ordered one of the salads with parmesan cheese, tomato and rocket. It said it came drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. There was none on there. My girlfriend and I ordered 1x calzone and a pizza that came with capers, anchovies and cheese. I can't recall the name of it. Calzone came with lots of meat but it was quite salty and seemed just like a pizza with pre cooked ham and the other pizza I think they had forgotten to wash and rinse the capers because it was the saltiest most horrible pizza I had ever had. The pizza base itself was decent on both pizzas but the toppings where truly awful. Maybe just got unlucky but I would avoid it if you want good pizza.

Food was amazing and Gabriela was just so sweet and gave us the best night ever!