Carmela’s joins London’s pizza renaissance

A Little Italy-inspired pizzeria lands in Islington with 13-inch pies, pepperoni heat and big flavour energy

Carmela’s
(Image credit: Courtesy of Carmela’s)
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published
in Features

London is in the grip of a pizza renaissance (pizzaissance?). August 2025 also saw the arrival of Alley Cats in Notting Hill, Bad Boy Pizza in Bethnal Green and Berberè in Marylebone, but might Carmela’s be the best thing since sliced garlic bread? Certainly, co-owners Gerry del Guercio and Paul Delany will end up with more than egg on their face if the place is a bigger flop than undercooked dough: the pair have 130k followers on Instagram for their BiteTwice pizza reviews. This time it’s personal: Carmela’s is both an homage to Delany’s younger sister, Carmel, and del Guercio’s late nonna, Carmela.

Wallpaper* dines at Carmela’s, London

The mood: Little Italy comes to Islington

Carmela’s

(Image credit: Courtesy of Carmela’s)

Delany and del Guercio (plus co-owner Phil Chaykin, founder of Ugly Dumpling) have taken inspiration from the sort of mom-and-pop joint you’ll find in the Little Italy of any north-east American city: the kind of place one could imagine Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci breaking bread in a Martin Scorsese movie. Think: Tala pendants, Dyke & Dean wall fixtures and bespoke 1950s-style brass lighting to evoke the feel of a midcentury NYC bar crossed with an East Coast pizzeria.

Carmela’s

(Image credit: Courtesy of Carmela’s)

‘Considered curation’ is how del Guercio describes the process of working with designer Joanna Warda to stay true to the site’s original features. ‘Our primary goal was to create a space that felt both authentic and elegant, with a dash of playfulness that truly reflects the soul of the pizzeria,’ del Guercio says. ‘The biggest impact was created by colour-drenching the bar and back dining area. We used Yes Chef by Coat Paints – a deep, moody red tone that suits the space perfectly. In low light, it grounds the room; in daylight, it turns into burnt pink that adds a quiet elegance.’

Carmela’s

(Image credit: Courtesy of Carmela’s)

The food: 13 inches of expertise

Carmela’s

(Image credit: Courtesy of Carmela’s)

If trialling more than 1,000 pizzas over the past five years wasn’t enough of a qualification for the BiteTwice boys, they can always call on their backgrounds: Delany comes from a family of professional bakers, while del Guercio spent his childhood Sundays obsessing over the ingredients served at lunch. A research trip to New York and New Haven earlier in January confirmed their favourite pizzas: a short roster of crisp-yet-foldable 13-inch, cheese, tomato and white pies with toppings such as fennel sausage, pepperoni, and vodka sauce, with Calabrian ricotta and ranch dips on the side and hot maple sauce to drizzle on top. To drink, there are Italian wines, classic cocktails and Mexican Coke (sweeter than the American original). Bada bing!

Carmela’s

(Image credit: Courtesy of Carmela’s)

Carmela’s is located at 149A Upper St, London N1 1RA, UK.

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Ben McCormack

Ben McCormack is a London-based restaurant journalist with over 25 years’ experience of writing. He has been the restaurant expert for Telegraph Luxury since 2013, for which he was shortlisted in the Restaurant Writer category at the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards. He is a regular contributor to the Evening Standard, Food and Travel and Decanter. He lives in west London with his partner and lockdown cockapoo. 


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