I have to confess that I went to Trabella only because the restaurant next door, which was my intended target, was full up. But it all turned out well, and I discovered an excellent pizzeria that I will likely return to.
Trabella’s three interconnected rooms open directly onto busy Oxford Road, and are almost completely devoid of décor: bare bulbs hang from the ceiling, the walls are boxy and plain black, and the only accents are the occasional wood figurine and chalkboard. One room is dominated by a large pizza oven, from whence comes wonderful things.
In fact the menu is 80% pizzas, which occupy one whole side of the double-sided menu. The other side is salads and pasta dishes, completing the Italian food trifecta. Pizzas range from basic margherita and quarto formaggi to grand gourmet concoctions such as potato, onion and creamy feta, and prawn teriyaki with fresh danhi and chilli. Trabella kindly caters to those on special diets by offering gluten free and whole wheat pizza crusts.
If you’re not into pizza OR pasta, there are two or three meat mains scrawled on the chalkboard; the night I went it was tandoori chicken fillets with Napoletana capers and olive sauce, and beef fillet with fresh porcini mushroom sauce. There’s also a smattering of appetizers, a good selection of focaccia breads, and a dessert or two. Beverages are simple: wine, beer, juice, and water…this is not the place for fruity drinks. And If you don’t like the “fat bastard Chardonnay,” you can bring your own for a modest corkage fee.
We ordered the margherita pizza and the “Tracy’s Special,” which seemed like the pizza version of the “everything” bagel: it was loaded with peppers, mushrooms, olives, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, chilli, garlic, salami (or chicken), basil pesto, parmesan and avocado. You can also add pancetta or salmon. Despite it being stacked so high I could barely get my mouth around it, I must confess it was delicious and visually stunning. The vegetables were properly cooked, the crust was not too thin nor too thick, and the spices were subtle but very present.
Service was a bit slow, but the place was packed and the prices are reasonable, so it all balanced out in the end.
Expert Review
I have to confess that I went to Trabella only because the restaurant next door, which was my intended target,...
I have to confess that I went to Trabella only because the restaurant next door, which was my intended target, was full up. But it all turned out well, and I discovered an excellent pizzeria that I will likely return to.
Trabella’s three interconnected rooms open directly onto busy Oxford Road, and are almost completely devoid of décor: bare bulbs hang from the ceiling, the walls are boxy and plain black, and the only accents are the occasional wood figurine and chalkboard. One room is dominated by a large pizza oven, from whence comes wonderful things.
In fact the menu is 80% pizzas, which occupy one whole side of the double-sided menu. The other side is salads and pasta dishes, completing the Italian food trifecta. Pizzas range from basic margherita and quarto formaggi to grand gourmet concoctions such as potato, onion and creamy feta, and prawn teriyaki with fresh danhi and chilli. Trabella kindly caters to those on special diets by offering gluten free and whole wheat pizza crusts.
If you’re not into pizza OR pasta, there are two or three meat mains scrawled on the chalkboard; the night I went it was tandoori chicken fillets with Napoletana capers and olive sauce, and beef fillet with fresh porcini mushroom sauce. There’s also a smattering of appetizers, a good selection of focaccia breads, and a dessert or two. Beverages are simple: wine, beer, juice, and water…this is not the place for fruity drinks. And If you don’t like the “fat bastard Chardonnay,” you can bring your own for a modest corkage fee.
We ordered the margherita pizza and the “Tracy’s Special,” which seemed like the pizza version of the “everything” bagel: it was loaded with peppers, mushrooms, olives, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, chilli, garlic, salami (or chicken), basil pesto, parmesan and avocado. You can also add pancetta or salmon. Despite it being stacked so high I could barely get my mouth around it, I must confess it was delicious and visually stunning. The vegetables were properly cooked, the crust was not too thin nor too thick, and the spices were subtle but very present.
Service was a bit slow, but the place was packed and the prices are reasonable, so it all balanced out in the end.