Customers queueing for pizza on Devonshire Road. Picture: ChiswickW4.com
August 14, 2025
Napoli on the Road, the pizzeria founded in Chiswick by chef Michele Pascarella, is set to open its third site this autumn with a focus on fine dining.
The new venue will be at 140 Wardour Street in Soho. The expansion follows a series of accolades for the business, including retaining its title as Europe’s Best Pizzeria (outside Italy) at the 2025 50 Top Pizza Europa Awards.
The Chiswick restaurant, which opened in 2019, marked Pascarella’s transition from a mobile street food operation to a permanent presence. A second site followed in Richmond in 2023. The new Soho location will introduce a fine dining element to the brand, with a basement tasting menu designed to present pizza in a format akin to haute cuisine, including curated wine pairings and detailed course explanations.
The ground floor of the Wardour Street venue will offer an à la carte menu featuring antipasti, fritti, and seasonal pizza toppings, continuing the approach established in Chiswick. Interior design for the new site is being led by Barcelona-based studio Isern Serra, with a minimalist aesthetic featuring chrome ovens, whitewashed walls, and mustard-toned accents.
Pascarella, who began his London career in Soho after moving to the UK at age 19, described the new site as a personal milestone. “Returning feels like a homecoming,” he said.
Napoli on the Road’s Chiswick origins remain central to its identity. The business was launched locally and has since gained international recognition, including the award for “Pizza of the Year” for its dish Ricordi d’Infanzia, which features slow-cooked beef ragu, Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, fondue, and basil. Pascarella accepted the award in Madrid earlier this summer.
The pizzeria’s success has been attributed to its seasonal menus and commitment to working with local suppliers. Pascarella, who began making pizzas at age 11 in his family’s restaurant in Caserta, originally operated from a three-wheeled Piaggio Ape fitted with a wood-fired oven, serving markets across London before establishing his Chiswick base.
The Soho opening precedes the global 50 Top Pizza World Awards, scheduled for 8 September in Naples, where Napoli on the Road is expected to be among the contenders.
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