Bookings Open | Bar Enta, An East Coast-Style Pizza Bar in Newington Green

A cross-Atlantic collaboration between Four Legs founder, Ed McIlroy, and Pizzeria Beddia founder, Joe Beddia

Bar Etna, the new East Coast-style pizza bar from Four Legs founder Ed McIlroy and Pizzeria Beddia founder Joe Beddia, will officially open on Thursday 7th May, bringing signature slices, soft serve, spritzes and late-night energy to the heart of Newington Green. 

Marking Joe’s first and only restaurant outside the United States, and Four Legs’ first international partnership, Bar Etna will blend the spirit of New York and Philadelphia pizza culture with the ease of an Italian neighbourhood bar. The new opening will bring together two influential voices shaping contemporary casual dining on both sides of the Atlantic, marrying Ed’s casual, ingredient-led approach with Joe’s Bib Gourmand-listed signature slices, widely credited for redefining modern American pizza culture.

Of the new opening, Joe comments, “I’ve always wanted to do something outside of the US, but it had to be the right place. London’s been at the top of my list for a long time – the quality of the produce, the people, and the food scene all make it feel like a natural fit, and doing it alongside Ed and the Four Legs team makes it even more exciting.”

Ed adds, “We wanted Bar Etna to feel like a proper neighbourhood spot. It’s not just about pizza – it’s about creating a place people can drop into whenever, whether that’s for a quick Negroni after work, a stop on the way to somewhere else, or to hang out a bit longer over really good wine and snacks.”

THE FOOD

The Italian-American inspired menu centres on four traditional 14-inch thin-crust pizzas, each featuring a range of toppings sourced from trusted UK suppliers, setting hyper seasonal produce against the spirit and grit of New York slice shops.

Expect classic combinations such as the Number One Pizza, featuring a fresh Italian tomato base, mozzarella and rich Neal’s Yard coolea; and the Number Two Pizza: a rich cream base topped with Calabrian chillis, greens and Neal’s Yard coolea. More experimental pies will also be on offer such as the Etna Curry Pizza – spinach, cream, mozzarella and spices – a nod to the curry houses that shape London’s gastronomy and to co-founder Ed’s London roots. On Fridays and Saturdays, pizzas will also be available by the slice until late, offering a more casual option for evening diners.

Simple small plates are packed with flavour and designed with sharing in mind with the Tomato pie, hailed as a Philly institution, alongside Judion beans, Anchovies and Cured meats.

No menu is complete without a sweet finish, and here it takes the form of silky Soft Serve, with opening flavours of Sweet Cream and Espresso.

THE DRINKS

The drinks offering at Bar Etna draws similar inspiration to the food and is designed for easy ordering, featuring a concise selection of house spritzes – Blood orange and rosemary; Elderflower, white grape and mint; and Bitter, vermouth and hibiscus – alongside Negroni and Vermouth on tap and a seasonally-rotating special. House-made soft drinks including flavoured sodas will be on offer alongside a considered wine list, spotlighting Italian producers. The beer selection is equally focused, with a single bottled option, Ichnusa, alongside a concise draught offering of pale ale and pilsner sourced from local breweries including Lost & Grounded and Beak.

THE DESIGN

Ed and Joe have collaborated closely with Michael (Mike) Stampler on the restaurant’s interiors – set over a split level space – taking inspiration from mid-century Milan and its relaxed, social approach to dining and design.

At the front of the restaurant sits a ground-floor bar area, reserved for walk-ins only, where diners are encouraged to drop in, stand and take perch, which features stainless steel and mirrored surfaces, terrazzo tiles, and touches of colour. Vintage spritz taps sourced in Milan and bar stools fabricated in Portugal add character to the room, while bespoke wall-mounted pizza stands free up space for guests to eat, drink and socialise. The restaurant spills out onto the street, with outward-opening windows that frame Newington Green Gardens directly opposite, reflecting the neighbourhood’s street-side energy.

An upstairs dining area will seat up to 40 guests, with interiors moving into a darker palette and timber panelling for a more intimate feel. A custom floor mosaic by artist Anja Maye references the late Italian painter Novella Parigini’s figures and inscriptions from Christ treading on beasts, 6th century Italy, all encased in colour.

The back of the dining room overlooks a mint-green open kitchen, where diners can observe dough being shaped and dishes being fired in real time in the pizza oven, which serves as the restaurant’s sole piece of cooking equipment, shaping the menu and giving a clear, focused approach to how each dish is created and prepared.

Bar Etna opens on Thursday 7th May. Reservations can be made online now here.