For all the local criticism of Pizza Pilgrims going into a food court, I guess it makes logistical sense for them to be there given Grand Central needed a pizza offering, regardless of your thoughts on eating in a train station. You only have to look around on a damp Monday night to see that it is a safe space (well, as safe as central Brum can be at present) for big-hitters to dip their toes in our outstanding Severn Trent Water. Pho is busy, there is a queue at Tortilla, and Mowgli looks to be steady, as does Nando’s. The inexplicably bad Comptoir Libanais is doing good trade, as is the dire Slim Chickens. Only Shake Shack has failed to catch a light, for reasons unbeknownst to this particular Shake Shack fan. The food choice within the dome of New Street Station is better than any other station in the UK, which I appreciate is a tiny victory given everyone is a chain, but one we have to take as a city right now.
Should you find yourself being one of the sad sacks who oppose someone taking a central position here over one of the many failing parts of the city centre without the same level of footfall you’ll be missing out, because Pizza Pilgrims is very good. Probably a fraction better than Rudy’s and Amore, about as fun as Otto and Smoke & Ash, and not quite as good as Poli was. Yes, there are other pizzas available in Birmingham, but we are talking specifically about neapolitan-style pizza, with its high brims, charred edges, and tender, slightly soupy centre.
We’re meeting good friends tonight and happen to be fifty minutes early for dinner. Whilst we wait for them to arrive we plough through both styles of negroni, a very sweet daiquiri, a good spicy marg, and a very delicious Pilgrim Spritz, which is really a limoncello spritz and therefore very en vogue right now. We have bags of Fonzies which are a kind of irresistible wotsit / nik nak hybrid and just a quid a bag which makes Pizza Pilgrims inexplicably cheaper than the Sainsburys local on Harborne High Street. Little deep fried balls of smoked mozzarella with sweet chilli jam are nearly as good as the little deep fried balls of cheese and pepper favoured pasta. I’ve seen a lot of dishes masquerade under the title of cacio e pepe of late and nearly all miss the mark of being emulsified cheese and black pepper. This screams with both flavours.
I liked the pizza. Some more than others, but generally I liked them all. I am, in total truthfulness, very familiar with the original Soho site and a much newer Euston Road site, with these hitting the same standard just over a week after opening. The cook on the dough is exactly how it should be; stretched-out like a lazy cat at the base and curled up like a lazy cat around the edges. Excellent tomato sauce to work off and high quality toppings. I went for the Christmas special with beef ragu and ‘nduja meatballs which was superb, another had the pricey Principessa at around £20 with its fancy 30 month ham and expensive cheeses. The most important opinion was his twelve-year old daughters who loved her burrata and pesto pizza. She gave the crust a solid 9.5 which is more than this jaded old man will do.
My mate picked up the bill for the five of us, though you can work to just over £20 per head for a pizza and drink without turning it into the mini-session that we did. And for that. Pizza Pilgrims is excellent value. The pizza is consistent, the service warm and kind, and the whole place has a sense of fun that is too often missing here. I’ve been since and I’ll continue to go back. Frankly who cares that it is in a food court in a train station, this city has far bigger things to worry about at present.
8/10
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