In the centre of uber-cool Brick Lane opposite institutions like 93 Feet East and the Big Chill Bar lies Story Deli – one of the best pizza places in London.

The Venue
In typical East London style, the decor is very rough and ready but with a dash of cool. A few large, unvarnished wooden tables fill the small warehouse space, and the seats are boxes, or if you’re lucky, a basic chair. The accessories are simple to the core – a few antique mirrors, steel containers from your school canteen days holding cutlery, old cream candles and a massive pile of flour bags in the corner. By keeping it simple, Story Deli creates a quirky venue that proves its main focus is food, as is evident by the wall covered in blackboards showing off the menu.

The Atmosphere
The place is always packed full of hungry, eclectic and chic youthful East Londoners. The buzz is constant, with arty, intellectual, strange, or downright silly conversations floating around the room. Expect casual cool kids, which includes the staff, who have picked up on the underground fuss and want to fuel the rest of their day with a legendary pizza. Most customers will have to share tables, giving a laidback communal feel to the place where strangers rub shoulders.

The Food
The dazzling array of choice may make your head spin, especially if you’re used to pepperoni and Hawaiian takeaway, but take your time to realise that there is something to suit everyone’s taste buds. All the ingredients are organic and very high quality, creating delicious flavour combinations. The pizzas are served on a wooden board and they look spectacularly messy and they taste as good as they look.

One excellent choice is chorizo and roasted pumpkin. The base is thin and so crispy it breaks into shards as you bite into it. The stars of the show are the toppings which are heaped on in generous amounts to give maximum flavour impact. The roasted pumpkin is delicately sweet and soft and balances the spicy chorizo exceptionally well. With the addition of rich olives, sweet peppers and sharp artichokes, the flavour is delicious. Forget stringy cheese and grease overload, the cheese of choice is freshly grated parmesan to add a deep nutty flavour, and all the pizzas are loaded with fresh rocket to add a refreshing peppery taste to each mouthful. There are also a few cakes and ice cream available in case you need a sweet kick.

The Drink
The drinks are simple and fuss free with choices like beer, coffee, juice and coke served in plastic cups to wash down your meal.

The Last Word
At £10 a pizza, these might just be the greatest pizzas in town. No wonder people queue in the rain!

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