Plenty of restaurants try to recreate a summer in Portofino or a night in Mexico, but only a few manage to actually pull it off. At Alley Cats Pizza, an NYC-style pizza spot in Marylebone, exposed brick walls and chequered tablecloths whisk you to the streets of Williamsburg. No gimmicks, just excellent thin-crust pizzas. The industrial-looking room mixes out-of-the-way corner booths where pizzas are layered on stands and huddled together tables for two that make for a cool dinner date when you’re trying to show someone that you know “just the spot”. At night, when the room is busy, dimly lit lamps throw shadows, and a projector plays The Sopranos, this place is a real scene. So know that when the clock strikes 6pm—or it’s a weekend—expect to stand outside for a little bit if you haven't booked. But it’s still quicker than a flight to New York. The pizzas are thin, covered in a rich tomato sauce, and big enough to share. Toppings like vodka sauce or vegan ‘nduja and potato aren’t something you find at every pizza place in the city, and they’re made to a high standard here. The slices are crispy, even when they’ve been sitting in a puddle of stracciatella, and the crusts are nice and chewy. Plus, get the scotch bonnet dipping sauce and there probably won’t be any crusts left over. Alley Cats isn’t just one of our favourite pizza spots in Marylebone, it’s up there with some of the best in the whole city.