All Aboard the Big Red Pizza Bus!

By Sarah Alexandra George Tuesday, May 13, 2014 0 Food bus, Deptford, food, Italian, pizza Permalink 1

On a rather deserted street in the neglected area south of the river known as Deptford lies a restaurant you absolutely must visit – the Big Red Pizza Bus!

What started off as an abandoned bus on a scruffy plot of land has been transformed into a work of art and a place for people to come together. The owner (and artist) told us that when he saw the old red bus, he imagined it popping out of the wall like a piece of Lichtenstein art coming to life! You can definitely tell that an artist owns this place – from the graphic design of the menus, the arrays of flowers and the easy flow from the bus to the space outside – it’s a feast for the eyes.

While it’s a totally novel and exciting experience to eat on a bus, the area outside is also really well done with foosball tables, live comedy, music and film screenings to entertain you to your hearts content! (Basically don’t panic if you don’t get seated on the bus – but if you’re adamant, make sure to let them know when you make a booking!)

I went for a tasting meal with the following menu:

Spidini – Brochettes of grilled chicken, rosemary and lemon served with salsa verde (pesto)
Caponata with salted ricotta
Lentil salad
Roast beetroot salad

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Spaghetti with pesto, pine nuts and salted ricotta
Fresh ravioli with chervil and lemon butter
Bigoli pasta with Italian sausage and tomato sauce

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Pizza of the month: ‘Flower of Italy’ with artichoke hearts, capers, pecorino and roast peppers
White pizza – anchovy, garlic, capers, buffalo mozzarella

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Knickerbocker glory
Banoffee pie
Mini chocolate brownies

The menu!

One of the things I love best about this place is the sheer number of plants and flowers – from orchids and tulips on the tables to frondy trails of green covering up the walls, the beautiful flowers aren’t just restricted to the pizza!

The people at the Big Red have definitely been trying really hard to expand the menu beyond just pizza, with their wide range of salads and pasta dishes.I was really impressed with the ideas behind the menu – the asparagus ravioli with lemon rind was probably my favourite idea and one I might try and pinch next time I’m making ravioli!

However I would still say that in terms of flavour – the pizzas are still the best! My favourite dish of the night was without a doubt the Pizza of the Month – The Fiora D’Italia (Flower of Italy) which comes decorated with an actual flower!

Pizza of the month

30 Deptford Church St, London SE8 4RZ
020 3490 8346

The Pizza bus is open from 12pm onwards every day (except Mondays) and is open late on Fridays & Saturdays

Every Tue is stand-up comedy, with new up and coming comedy acts
Every Wed is movie night – cult movies, new releases (check the site for latest showings)
Every other Thu is Trailer TV (Live music / Dj’s etc)
(All the events are free!)

For those of you who, like me, don’t have giant houses, this is a great place to come and socialise with your friends and family. It’s got a wonderfully warm vibe and everyone is really friendly – the perfect blend for fun time out!