Festival season has landed at PizzaExpress, and it arrives in full colour.
This summer the restaurant is getting into the festival spirit with ExpressFest ’26, bringing together two things that have always worked rather well together: food and music.
At the centre of it all is the new limited-edition Chipotle Corn Palooza pizza, which is bright, bold and unapologetically bougie. In short, it’s the sort of pizza that demands a photograph before being sliced, diced or inhaled.
But enough about the festival. I was here for the pizza.
Sweet, Smoky and a Little Bit Spicy
I dined gluten and dairy free in solidarity with my friend, with a legitimate nut allergy of my own thrown in for good measure. Even faced with this terrible trio, the kitchen was absolutely spectacular.
I went for the Chipotle Corn Palooza, one of the headline new pizzas. The standard version combines smoky chorizo and chicken with sweetcorn purée, mozzarella, roasted peppers, garlic oil and red onion, finished with parsley and Sauce Shop Chipotle & Lime Aioli.
Mine came reworked on the gluten-free base with vegan mozzarella, and it lost nothing in translation.
It was every bit as delightful as it sounds. The best way I can describe the flavour profile is sweet, smoky and cooling, with a side of om nom nom.
And that’s quite important, because eating gluten or dairy free can sometimes feel as though you’re being given the slightly less exciting version of whatever everyone else is having.
Not here.
PizzaExpress offers both its Romana and Classic bases gluten free, made in a dedicated gluten-free bakery. They’re topped with what I still argue is one of the best vegan cheeses out there that isn’t made from cashew or some other nut.
The new dough is a quiet triumph too: light, flavoursome and mercifully free of the bloat that usually follows.
The flavour? Magnifique.
Good Service Still Matters
A special mention has to go to Arek at the Gloucester Road restaurant, who was knowledgeable, helpful and attentive throughout.
With three different dietary requirements on the table, he checked everything carefully, right down to whether there was egg in the aioli, all delivered with the perfect level of playful sass.
It’s easy to overlook service when talking about restaurant food, but it can completely change an evening. Having someone who actually knows the menu and takes dietary requirements seriously means you can relax and enjoy yourself rather than interrogating every plate that arrives.
For that, I’m grateful.
A Little Bit of Festival Without the Mud
ExpressFest ’26 is essentially PizzaExpress bringing some of the good bits of festival season indoors. There’s music, new food and an excuse to get a few people together without the mud, questionable toilets or discovering at 2am that your tent isn’t waterproof.
The Chipotle Corn Palooza fits the theme nicely. It’s colourful, a little different and definitely more interesting than playing it safe with your usual order.
Bring a date or a mate, share a bottle of wine and don’t be shy about requesting a doggy bag.
Because I can also confirm that the Chipotle Corn Palooza is just as delicious the following day, eaten straight from the box on the train home.
Until next time.
Hasta la feasta, baby.
The Chipotle Corn Palooza is available at PizzaExpress restaurants nationwide for a limited time.