Vampire Puns And Charcoal-Based Pizza Rule At Lost Boys

It sounds gimmicky; a vampire-themed pizzeria, where the pizzas are charcoal based. We can already see the old guard of London's foodies rolling their eyes, and disparagingly spitting out the word 'hipster'. However, they shouldn't mock what Lost Boys has to offer: it's so much more than a gimmick.

For those who don't quite remember, The Lost Boys was a 1980s vampire flick, which is referenced throughout the restaurant. Vintage Lost Boys comics hold pride of place on the wall, and there are vampire nods everywhere, including the pizzeria's tagline, Bloody Tasty.

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The menu is easy to navigate, each item with it's own bloodthirsty name. We opt for the Kale All Vampires and The Coffin Dodger... and yes, those sound cheesy, but they're actually both vegan. The menu doesn't play it safe — this isn't just a regular pizza place with blackened bases as a twist. Exciting ingredients including kale and lemon zest pop out, like a tasty horror movie jump scare. All the flavours come together and sing in perfect harmony.

Alongside our meal we have a beer and a glass of red wine — there's a solid enough collection of both to keep us happy. Perhaps it's a mistake to not try the cocktails though, as the Justic4Barb, a Stranger Things reference, got a giggle out of us.

Service is wonderful — inside, the restaurant is pretty cosy and we sit back and marvel at the attentiveness the waiters show to each diner. We're grateful that our waiter never tries to sell us on the health benefits of charcoal-based food, as there's little scientific evidence to back these claims up. Instead Lost Boys uses charcoal in the bases because of it's effect on the dough. And it works. The pizza tastes lighter. We feel full after finishing, but not in a heavy way.

This is a fun evening out, with tasty and exciting food, good drinks and an even better vibe. We're looking forward to the opening of their next venue in Camden in December, but in the meantime this Tufnell Park spot is lovely. There's a screen upstairs in 'the Crypt' where horror movies are regularly shown if puns and comic decor alone aren't enough for you. But you don't need to be into vampires to have a good time here. The pizza has that one covered.

Lost Boys Pizza, 141 Junction Road, Tufnell Park, N19 5PX. EDIT: for Camden fans of bloodsuckers and pizza, a second site is now open at 245 Eversholt Street, NW1 1BA.