FROM Durham to Soho, the many outposts of Rudy’s are invariably packed. So what’s their magic ingredient?

Over the past decade, Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana has grown lightning fast with more than 20 branches now buzzing across England. The business launched in Manchester in 2015 but is now taking on London, with fresh sites in Wardour Street in Soho, Tottenham Court Road, Spitalfields and Shoreditch.

Right now, it’s a tough time for most restaurants faced with spiralling costs and customers feeling the pinch.

Yet pizzerias, in contrast, are generally in rude health as they offer excellent value and a fun night out.

I visited the Tottenham Court Road branch of Rudy’s and was turned away – with great charm – at my first attempt as every table was full.

The décor is simple but alluring. Vertical stripes of fairy lights illuminate the glass frontage. Inside, the pizzas chefs tend to a gigantic, turquoise-tiled oven; the waiting staff flit between tables, constantly scanning the room for customers craving attention.

The upbeat soundtrack keeps the mood vibey – from Donna Summer’s I Feel Love to the garage anthem Flowers.

The two-sided menu starts with a Marinara priced at £7.50 and a Margherita for £9.90. There are starters such as a whole burrata cheese or caprese salad.

Drinks include Rudy’s Kick Ass Lemonade, a range of spritzes and cocktails and glasses of wine from £5.90.

The pizzas are made in a Neapolitan style and cooked in around 60 seconds the gas-fired oven. They have a pillowy crust and soft, floppy base, so eating a slice with your hands requires a special technique: you fold over the tip of the triangle to trap the toppings, then fold the whole slice in half.

We tried two of the specials. The Triple Pepperoni, £13.90, was terrific, with sweet notes from a drizzle of chilli honey.

I was less taken with the Almost Carbonara, made with a white base topped with nuggets of guanciale cured pork, fior di latte and scamorza cheese, finished with pecorino, a twist of black pepper and zigzag of egg yolk sauce. The saltiness of the pork overwhelmed the other flavours.

A rum baba for dessert was sensational. The sponge cake, soaked in rum, is split lengthways, and served with a dollop of cream and candied cherries with their syrup.

On the way out, I asked the manageress for her theories on why Rudy’s was so popular. “It’s because we’re amazing”, she said, only slightly tongue in cheek.

This positive ethos infuses the whole operation. Somehow the bosses crank up a sense of fun and train their staff to be both razor sharp and super friendly.

There’s a huge amount of competition for pizzerias in London but the formula at Rudy’s is hard to beat.

The restaurants are dog-friendly, too. Rudy, I discovered, is the name of the founders’ much-loved pooch.

Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana
53-54 Tottenham Court Road, W1T
020 8165 9960
@wearerudyspizza