Iconic Design

In 1967, renowned Italian designer Enzo Apicella joined forces with Peter to open a second restaurant on Coptic Street, in London’s Bloomsbury. Enzo’s task was to replicate the aura of the first PizzaExpress but with a unique design and décor, in keeping with the character of what was an old dairy building.

His design won high praise – so much so that Peter threw him ‘the mother of all parties’, attended by a host of artists and musicians. The restaurant was an instant success too – and Enzo’s work can still be enjoyed in our Coptic Street restaurant. 

As more venues were opened, Peter compared PizzaExpress to a piece of jewellery – with each restaurant being an individual and unique gem. Each opening added a new gemstone to the necklace. Enzo went on to design over 85 of our restaurants – quite the jeweller.

Ever since the 1960s, stunning and vibrant works of art have been on display, forming part of our unique style. Mixing prints with original pieces, the paintings in our restaurants include creations by respected artists such as Peter Blake – and his work can still be appreciated in our Chiswick restaurant.