A NEW wave of restaurants has opened in Kentish Town Road, with Berberè the latest to try its luck.

This chain of pizzerias has 15 branches in Italy and another on Clapham Common at the end of the Northern line.

This new location occupies the site of the now-defunct Neighbour bar and is a stone’s throw from the station.

Judging by the crowds, the omens look promising. Berberè has been buzzing since the moment it opened, with their keen prices striking a chord in these cash-strapped times.

All artisan pizzerias bang on about the quality of their dough. Here at Berberè they use a sourdough starter created in 2010 by the Calabrian brothers who launched the business.

The chefs keep it carefully wrapped in a cloth parcel bound with rope, like a precious religious relic.

The starter is fed every day and a portion used for each batch of the dough, which is made with organic flour and given 24 hours to gently prove before it hits the oven.

The pizzas are great – more on them later. But my lasting impression of Berberè is the sheer good vibes of the place.

Brexit has wrought havoc on the hospitality trade, with chefs and waiters now thin on the ground.

But miraculously Berberè has recruited a fabulous team – all fast, on message and genuinely keen to make you happy.

The décor here is simple and effective, with a nod to Italian street art and an intergalactic twist.

The dangling lampshades resemble the flying saucers painted on the walls.

Framed pictures dot the stairs: one shows a man strapped to jet pack emblazoned with the words “sourdough is our super power”.

The food arrives fast. Definitely try their riffs on the Montanarina – a snacky deep-fried dough ball from Naples.

“See how beautiful this is,” proclaimed our young waiter, as he brought over the donut-sized delight. “It’s so light and lovely”.

We tried one topped with anchovies, slippery fried leeks, fresh chilli and burrata.

Then swiftly ordered another with ‘nduja, tomato, smoked ricotta and basil – also good but perhaps not quite as divine.

The menu list 14 different pizzas, although you can customise as you wish.

They offer all the classics but a couple are more leftfield, such as the vegan Orange Crush with creamed butternut squash, leeks, black olives, fresh chilli and peanut butter for £9.

Another is topped with Yorkshire pork sausage, two cheeses and fresh chilli.

We tried several and it’s true that the dough is terrific. The crust and base have a lovely flavour and crunch – more firm and structured than the Neapolitan style served at Franco Manca down the road.

You may want to add a few dips for dunking, such as their spicy ‘nduja and honey or the basil and walnut pesto.

Berberè gets the key things right and fizzes with a sense of fun. Just make sure you leave space for the tiramisu.

Berberè Kentish Town
300 Kentish Town Road, NW5
020 3417 7130
www.berberepizzeria.co.uk
@berberepizzeria_ldn/