081 Pizzeria: One of London’s finest pizza shops secures permanent site in Peckham

One of London’s finest Neapolitan pizzerias has secured a permanent site in South London after two years of residencies and pop-ups.

081, established in 2021 by the Naples-born Andrea Asciuti — one of the founders of the cult Streatham pizza shop Bravi Regazzi — will open at 66 Peckham Rye on February 24.

Ascuiti launched 081 two years ago at Peckham Levels, before stints at the Colonel Fawcett in Camden and the Smugglers Tavern in Fitzrovia.

The chef has since become synonymous with London’s blooming Neapolitan pizza scene, and has earned acclaim for both his pillowy crusts and sense of calming irreverence.

Among Ascuiti’s standout dishes is wurstel e patatine, which combines fior di latte mozzarella, chips, wurstel sausages, Parmesan, basil, and olive oil.

The pizzaiolo told the Standard: “It’s been a tough journey since setting up my own pizzeria; firstly, launching in the midst of a pandemic and then facing a number of challenges in the current economic climate which has meant that product margins have dropped, energy costs have gone up and staff have been difficult to retain.

“Despite all of this, I am incredibly excited about opening our first bricks and mortar site in the place where it all began in Peckham. Pizza is a real life passion for me and my team, so this is a huge milestone for us. We look forward to sharing the unique pizza culture from Naples with Londoners on a bigger scale.”

081, an intimate space with 20 covers, will also serve Napoli-inspired tapas dishes such as aubergine meatballs, frittatina, arancina, and crocche.

081 Pizzeria will open on Feb 24 at 66 Peckham Rye, SE15 4JR. For more information, visit 081pizzeria.com