Mother Review - Battersea - London - The Infatuation
"With railway arches available to new businesses in the aftermath of Battersea Power Station’s manic redevelopment coupled with the influx of young professionals with beards buying up new properties nearby, where better for the Italian owners of Copenhagen-based Mother Pizza to open their second outpost? Because if you can’t sell a Danish pizza to a young professional in a railway arch, you may as well return your Supreme hoodies and burn your skateboard in a pizza oven. Mother’s setting is definitely the main draw. There are candlelit wooden tables throughout, and an open kitchen, and while exposed brick wall is something we’re sick of talking about, it contributes to a great feel. Two pizza ovens and an open kitchen will keep you warm enough from the draft from the front, which is usually kept open. There’s a projection of a flame on the back wall that we can’t quite work out, but overall, this is a space you’ll like hanging out in. As for the food? Mother Pizza has been raved about in Copenhagen. But we didn’t want to take their word for it, because most of their bread is flat and topped with herring. London, on the other hand, has some brilliant pizza places nowadays, from established homegrown chains like Pizza Pilgrims, Homeslice, and Franco Manca to trendy Italian imports like Da Michele and Quartieri. Ultimately, Mother’s pizza falls just short of what you’ll find at the aforementioned places. Although their dough is supposedly made with purified seawater, this does very little to set it apart from the big hitters. We were skeptical as to how seawater could markedly improve any meal, and this has done nothing to change our minds. That said, we’re talking very high pizza standards, and Mother’s offerings are still quite good. It’s a thicker Neapolitan crust that works particularly well with some of the rich topping combinations they have here, like the Salamina pizza which comes with punchy salami and mascarpone. There are some very enjoyable starters too - the fried mozzarella balls are a great way to get started and the burrata is also wonderful. Mother is a great place to mix it up for a casual date or to hit before a night out. And with a great drinks menu, plenty of big tables and generally a lively, buzzy atmosphere, it’ll suit a big celebratory meal just as well. After all, no one’s going to be too upset about eating pizza in a railway arch. Food Rundown Mozzarelline In Carrozza These slightly out of the ordinary fried cheese balls pack an oily filthy punch. If you’re not sharing mains, this might be a little heavy for a starter. Having said that, you should definitely get this regardless. Burrata Just a quality burrata and something to set you up nicely for the carb fest to come. It’s fresh, smooth, and very creamy. Bufala Pizza A simple pizza, made with buffalo mozzarella. You won’t go wrong here. Salamina Pizza Topped with salame and mascarpone, this pizza is creamy, rich and satisfying. Mother is big on interesting topping combos, and this is a good example. Marinara Pizza The tomato sauce isn’t quite tasty live on its own without cheese at Mother. Stick to the pizzas with more toppings." - Sam Collins
