The Team Behind The Plimsoll and Tollington Is Launching a New North London Bar Showcasing ‘America’s Best Pizza

North London‘s already-booming bar and restaurant scene is about to get another serious contender. The duo behind much-loved neighbourhood hit The Plimsoll and Holloway Road favorite The Tollington are gearing up to open a new drinking den – and this time they’re pairing pints and cocktails with what’s been billed as “America’s best pizza.” In collaboration with Time Out Worldwide, the team is importing a slice of stateside hype to the capital, promising a venue that blends cutting-edge drinks, big-flavour cooking and the laid-back energy of a modern US bar. As anticipation builds, industry watchers and locals alike are asking: can this new opening raise the bar yet again for London’s already world-class food and drink landscape?

Meet the team bringing a new slice of New York to north London

At the heart of this north London newcomer is a tight-knit crew who’ve already turned The Plimsoll and Tollington’s into local institutions. Front-of-house is steered by co-founders Jonah and Eliot, the double act responsible for the buzzy, queue-round-the-block feel their pubs are known for. In the kitchen, head pizzaiolo Mariah “Mo” Delgado – poached from a Brooklyn slice joint repeatedly dubbed “America’s best pizza” – has assembled a brigade of dough obsessives who treat fermentation charts like scripture and tomato sourcing like investigative reporting.

• Jonah: neighbourhood ringmaster, playlist tyrant, martini evangelist
• Eliot: menu whisperer, supplier scout, professional barstool diplomat
• Mo: dough technician, New York native, sworn enemy of soggy crusts
• Bar team: highball fanatics, bitter-leaning, ice-nerd certified

Why this pizzeria is already being called home of America’s best pizza

In a city that treats sourdough like a second religion, this new north London bolthole is quietly rewriting the rulebook on what a slice can be. The team behind The Plimsoll and The Tollington have reverse-engineered the glossy,deep-charred pies of New York and the pillowy,pan-fermented crusts of the Midwest,then filtered them through a distinctly London lens. The dough is cold-proofed for days, the sauce is a bright, barely-cooked crash of San Marzano tomatoes and salt, and the toppings are assembled with a chef’s obsession rather than a takeaway’s haste. It’s that combination – of dive-bar casualness with near-fine-dining precision – that has American food writers whispering that the most exciting pizza in the States might, awkwardly, now be found a short walk from Finsbury Park.

What’s winning over transatlantic critics is not just flavour, but intent. The menu dodges the usual safe bets in favour of brash, dialled-in combinations that feel more Brooklyn than Bloomsbury:

• Crust-first philosophy: a blistered, leopard-spotted edge that’s light yet satisfyingly chewy.
• Low-key opulence: toppings like smoked ‘nduja,pickled chillies and confit garlic,portioned with restraint,not excess.
• Bar-room energy: loud playlists,low lighting and a drinks list that treats a slice as a serious drinking partner.

What to eat and drink at north London’s most talked about new bar

Forget limp slices and anonymous sharing plates: here, the menu reads like a love letter to stateside comfort food put through a distinctly north London filter. The headline act is the fabled US import, a blistered‑crust pie with a chewy rim and leopard‑spotted base, topped with unapologetically bold combinations – think pepperoni cups with hot honey, clam and garlic butter white pie, or a vodka sauce margherita that’s already destined for Instagram ubiquity. Around it,the kitchen doubles down on bar-snack maximalism: buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches dripping in dill pickle mayo,Old Bay-spiced prawn rolls,and a rotating cast of seasonal veg plates that swap out heavy cream for smoky,charred flavours. Even the late-night options are engineered for soakage – Detroit-style slabs, garlic knots glossed in brown butter, and a house ranch that regulars will inevitably demand by the jug.

• Signature pie: ‘London/New York Union’ – red sauce, fior di latte, fennel sausage, pickled chillies
• Snack hit: Hot-honey pepperoni cups with blue-cheese dip
• Vegetarian hero: Charred broccoli, lemon ricotta, hazelnut crumb
• After-hours bite: Crispy mortadella squares with pistachio pesto

Behind the bar, the team is clearly aiming for “destination” rather than afterthought.A tight list of signature cocktails riffs on American dive-bar staples, sharpened with London bartender know-how: there’s a smoked mezcal Manhattan on draft, a pickleback michelada that leans briny not blow-your-head-off, and a cherry cola Old Fashioned that tastes like a grown-up cinema snack. The beer list hops between north London breweries and cult US names, while natural-leaning wines are grouped by mood – ‘crispy’, ‘juicy’, ‘reckless’ – instead of grape variety. Non-drinkers aren’t parked in the corner either: expect house ferments, tart sodas and a frothy, nitro-chilled iced tea that might be the stealth hit of the whole operation.

How to beat the queues and make the most of your first visit

Arriving fashionably early is your best weapon against the inevitable lines. Doors will pull a crowd from day one, so think pre-peak: slip in for a late afternoon slice before the post-office surge or aim for the lull between the early birds and the night owls.Weeknights are your friend – Tuesdays and Wednesdays, in particular, tend to be when hype meets genuinely relaxed vibes.If you’re flying solo or in a pair, head straight for the bar or any counter-style seating; those spots usually turn over faster than tables and frequently enough give you a front-row view of the pizzaiolos at work.Keep your order focused and decisive – knowing what you want before you’re seated speeds things up for you and everyone behind you.

• Best arrival window: Just after opening or post-9pm on weeknights
• Group strategy: Split into scouts – one on the host, one on the bar for drinks
• Order hack: Start with a classic pie and one “wild card” topping combo to share
• Payment tip: Go contactless and keep the table for eating, not faffing

Once you’re in, treat it like a one-night-only residency. Nab a spot with a line of sight to both the oven and the bar – it’s where the action (and the refills) are. Staff here are veterans of The Plimsoll and The Tollington’s, so they move fast and know the menu inside out; lean on their recommendations rather than doom-scrolling for reviews at the table. Alternate pizzas with a couple of sharp, unfussy cocktails or a lager-and-amaro combo to keep the pace steady. If there’s a blackboard of specials, hit it early before they sell out, and keep your phone handy for last orders – this is one of those places where the night ends with a shout, not a whisper.

To Conclude

As the team behind The Plimsoll and The Tollington prepare to light up another corner of north London’s nightlife, their latest venture looks set to be more than just another buzzy opening. By importing a stateside slice of “America’s best pizza” and folding it into the city’s ever-evolving bar culture, they’re once again betting on the simple formula that’s turned their previous projects into modern local institutions: good food, good drink, and a room people actually want to be in.Whether this new spot becomes a neighbourhood staple or the next stop on London’s rolling hype cycle will be decided in the months after the doors open. But for now, one thing’s clear: in a city that rarely stops to catch its breath, there’s still room-and an eager audience-for somewhere new to gather, raise a glass, and see what all the fuss is about.