To think pizza express has officially lost its charm and is not the same place it once was.

[SonnyHoney]

I cashed in my Tesco Clubcard points for a nice meal out this evening.
We had:

• shit pizzas
• shit chicken wings
• a crappy Caesar salad

I used to love PizzaExpress. It was family-friendly dining with nice lighting, Fun kids colouring that didn’t feel really cheap.

Is it just me, or has it really gone downhill over the last few years? I was genuinely disappointed, as it was always a reliable treat.

There are obviously fantastic little local pizzerias we frequent, but PizzaExpress was always that easy option.

We popped into franco manca new years eve with the kids and that was much better and cheaper.

I just remembered what I do really like when I go, is their mini desserts with coffee. Now I want a mini Biscoff cheesecake.

My kids' best friends have coeliac. A lot of places their options are so limited, but at pizza express they have pretty much a full choice from the menu. So if ever I'm taking them all out it's my top choice.

I like Pizza Express - it’s reliably good and DS likes it as well.

Honestly I have enjoyed many visits to pizza express. Theres one particular restaurant that went down hill but that was the service and staff and not the food.

but others we’ve been to I can’t fault really. Often use a deal or voucher. Love the dough balls!

those saying it’s cheap - where do you normally eat??

30 years ago it did, to be fair.

My main gripe is it is expensive, and to get money off takes quite a bit of fiddling round on the app and trying to work out which, if any, deals can be used together.

I liked it 25 years ago as a student so it must have been more approachably priced then. And I also liked it when I had two children who were young enough to get the kids menu- it was a nice after school treat and I could have a glass of wine. But tesco clubcard vouchers were worth more then and we had our mortgage with Tesco bank so loads of vouchers!

Not willing to spend £100+ now for the four of us now kids are on the adult meals! So we don't go any more as too pricey for what it is.

Like 20 years ago, yep.

Never understood the attraction 25 years ago, it’s seems so expensive for mediocre food. We fortunately have zero chains in my town and instead 3 good pizza options including one under 5 minutes walk over want a takeaway, my favourite overlooks the water and is cheaper than pizza express, family owned and wine is from their cousins vineyard in Italy, no need for mass chain pizza.

just make your own alternatively, caesar salad takes 5 minutes as long as you have leftover crusty bread, make dough earlier in the day and let dc choose toppings

It's so expensive now! We went before Christmas and I was shocked at the prices. Much rather go to Franco Manca or Rudy's.

twenty years ago it was fab for a casual lunch or early dinner. Staff were amazing, always accommodating of young kids , decent food.

now is all sticky tables, grubby floors that you don’t want to put your shopping bags on, freezing cold and harsh lighting.

But the point of eating out is not just the taste of the food, it's the not shopping, cooking and cleaning.
Pizza Express is fine for what it is. Would I go on a date with my husband there, probably not. But it works for large groups or kids and those with dietary requirements (echo what others say, my coeliac sister says it is one of the few places she can trust so we often use it for takeaway).

I like PE and have been going for years, (tho' still mourning the loss of the original Giardiniera pizza, which was my fave pizza ever, plus the summer pudding - boo hoo). I think the quality depends on which branch you go to. Our local one (Ilkley) is great; the pizzas are consistently good, service is great and it has a nice ambience. We've never had a bad meal there. Others can be hit and miss. And yes you can save loads by using the app or going when there is a special offer.

Yes great 20 years or so ago, now I avoid it, my local one is full of parents not parenting, whilst feral kids run round screaming, pizzas in hand, food all over the floor and it’s not an enjoyable experience.

Also, the hot honey dough balls are lovely.

Making dough etc defeats the object of eating out though doesn’t it.

Late 90’s one opened in Durham. It was lovely. All the other pizza places were late night greasy take aways. Since then the chain has become shit.

Pizza Hut is McDonald’s for pizza… ok if that is what you’re looking for

30+ years ago it was the only chain offering something approximating Italian pizza and pizza was still a little bit exotic. Compared with Pizza Hut it was a pleasant experience. These days it’s simply a standard affordable pizza chain with a menu that has grown too large. I wouldn’t describe is as ‘shit’ but it’s not haute cuisine and doesn’t claim to be. My kids went there recently on a buy a second pizza for £1 deal, so it cost them about £8 a head.

It does what it needs to well. It’s consistent, kids like it and you know what you’re getting. It’s always a very safe and easy meal out and good with allergens. Not everywhere needs to be experimental haute cuisine. It’s ideal for kids and also quite good for larger groups.

Why laughing?

A fantastic pizza from a family restaurant, as simple as can be, made with skill from scratch with basic but good quality ingredients, can taste like heaven!

It’s nothing to do with superiority for the sake of it. A pizza made in a chain restaurant isn’t remotely the same thing.

When places like Tapped, independent Italians, Rudy's, Franco Manco etc etc exist, all of which sell better pizza for less money then what exactly is the point of Pizza Express?

Totally agree. As a child it was a fancy step up from Pizza Hut. Some friends did have their teen parties there. It was a nice treat as a student. And then it was reliable for a family friendly lunch if out with the children. It's the price now. That is not an £18 lasagne and if I’m spending that I’ll go somewhere else.

i went recently,
the previous time we had organised a birthday party there for ds, 20 years prior
there is no much else available in my area so it was fine, nice pizza - although expensive, but i guess everywhere is expensive

Pizza for unsophisticated palates.

Pizza express is fine for a quick dinner with the kids after school, the food is quite good and reliable, and obviously it’s family friendly.

It’s expensive now though, for a little bit more, you can go to much nicer restaurants. The wine is overpriced and rubbish

go later in the evening, when the feral kids are in bed, or at least elsewhere