Lost Boys Pizza: Cult Crusts and Cocktails in Camden
We may have fallen out of love with artisan burgers and had our fill of Asian street food, but really good pizzas never go out of fashion, especially when teamed with killer drinks and great music.
I must admit, themed restaurants have never really been my thing but when they’re as original and welcoming as Lost Boys Pizza in Camden, I’ll make an exception.
Then again, this is no ordinary themed restaurant – the friendly North London hangout is run by people with a real passion for hospitality and great food, which they have teamed with their love of the 80s – oh, and vampires – this my dear Belle, is the world’s only vampire-themed pizzeria, serving up signature black charcoal pizza.
In a nutshell, this means you’re surrounded by cool Californian design touches, neon, Lost Boys film memorabilia and cocktail umbrella lampshades, and serenaded by Guns n’ Roses and INXS. Which can’t be a bad thing.
Shunning single-use paper, affable owners Alex Fisher and Peter Crozier-Clucas, who have previously worked for a number of restaurant brands including Planet Hollywood and Hard Rock Cafe, opted to display the menu on the walls.
All the pizzas we tried had a bit of a heat kick to them: these are certainly not your bog standard thin crusts, and all feature original toppings that really work well together.
Pizza names are pun-laden and vampire-tastic, and include Kale All Vampires 10 – a vegan creation featuring kale, cherry tomatoes, caramelised shallots, lemon vest and oregano; and Fangs for the Memories, which is topped with chorizo, peppers, onions and chillis.
We also tried Ready Pizza One which was covered with smoked ham, red chilli and Lost Boys very own spicy green pineapple relish – a delicious twist on the ham and pineapple pizza.
You definitely don’t want to miss out on the drinks, and it’s great that there are low alcohol options, as well as a really nice alcohol-free ginger ale for drivers or those doing dry January. I adored the low ABV lychee and grapefruit sling, made with Jinro, lemon, lychee, sparkling water and love!
For those you want to drink some more, the fun continues downstairs at the intimate Croque Monsieur Absinthe bar. Yes, Lost Boys is actually two venues in one, and a one-stop shop for your north London nights out!
Inviting Londoners to have wild and wonderful times with ‘La Fee Verte’ (as absinthe was historically known), as you head down the iron staircase, a stained glass window will allow a sneak peek into the den – ring the bell and you’re in.
There are absinthe fountains on each table, church pews to sit on and Art Deco prints on the wall. It really is a bijou den of iniquity, especially when you throw a dressing up box into the mix.
Enjoy absinthe in its purest forms, as well as cocktails including Le Croque ‘Tini – Sauvelle Vodka, chocolate bitters, Oxygenee Absinthe and cheese on toast, and Death in the Afternoon – absinthe and champagne.
Just make sure you fill up on pizza first…
- Lost Boys Pizza & Croque Monsieur, 245 Eversholt Street, London NW1 1BA. lostboyspizza.com
