Disgraced Formula One Boss Turned Restaurateur Opens Pizzeria in London

Only one week after one of the most influential restaurants in London announced that it would be closing at its Marylebone location after nearly 18 years, it has been confirmed that Flavio Briatore, the ex-Formula One racing mogul, has opened a pizzeria called Crazy Pizza on Paddington Street in the same neighbourhood. It is a brand which, according to Big Hospitality, promises to “emphasise the passion and spirit of Italy.”

Last month, the latter day restaurateur spoke of the “the incredible immediate success of our new place,” calling for his 600,000 Instagram followers to help him find pizzaioli and sous chefs. He coupled the post with three explosion emojis.

The pizzas themselves appear extremely flat. Indeed it would seem this is by design, for the “secret” recipe eschews yeast. One early review from the Foodie Diaries blog says the pizzas “are surprisingly-light with an impossibly-thin crust so moreish, that even seasoned crust-leavers like us can’t help but chomp through it!”

Adding, though, that “they don’t peak at the craveable [sic] level of great achieved by stalwarts from Homeslice to our good ole neighbourhood restaurant, Del Fino’s.”

They differ from other, more celebrated pizzerias in London in other ways, too. A courgette flower and anchovy pizza comes in at a cool £30, while the showpiece “tartufo” which features shaved black truffle and white truffle olive oil is a sweltering £45.

Briatore, who has been convicted for fraud multiple times and was banned from Formula One following a race-fixing scandal in 2008, is the owner of the exquisitely named Billionaire Lifestyle Group, which operates Billionaire Porto Cervo and Billionaire Mansion in Dubai. He is also behind Maya Italian Brasserie in Knightsbridge.