IN MY opinion anyone wanting to make a bad pizza would have to try extremely hard. There is so much to love about the simplicity and flavour of pizzas that, in all honesty, I would be happy with even the most lacklustre culinary attempts.

Saying this, on sitting down at the Sacro Coure, Chamberlayne Road, Kensal Rise, I knew my future expectations would have to be raised substantially. These people know what they are doing.

The restaurant, which opened last summer, was bustling but not busy, friendly but not fussy and relaxed, but not overly so.

My friend and I skipped starters and went straight for the main event, but side-stepping the array of alluring starters was a difficult decision.

I had a capricciosa, which has prosciutto cotto ham, artichokes, black olives and Parmesan cheese, and it did not disappoint.

The service was speedy and the pizzas are made in a wood-fired oven in an open kitchen in the small restaurant and they are made in the strictest Neapolitan traditions.

My friend had a calzone ripieno, which was oozing with ham, salami, ricotta and mozzarella.

Most of it was gone before I had a chance to try any, but I was told it was a filling treat full of flavour.

In 16th century Naples – the birthplace of pizza – the dish stated as a flatbread and was a dish for the poor, sold on the street.

Oil, tomatoes or fish were then added and Naples became famous centuries later when Neapolitan pizzamaker Raffaele Esposito created the Pizza Margherita in June 1889, to honour the Queen consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy.

Although the Sacro Coure – its name translates as Sacred Heart – is thousands of miles away from Naples, in this pocket of north west London on the corner of Chamberlayne Road and Harvist Road, it served up real Italian pizza bases.

The atmosphere is very relaxed and the place is simply decorated with a black and white line drawing of a bustling Naples complete with the Vesuvius volcano in the background, on the far wall.

To try and recreate one magical birthday I spent in Rome eating as much ice cream and pizza I could manage, I persuaded my hesitant friend that we should share a Nutella pizza and some ice cream.

This delightful treat was a small stone-baked pizza covered in Nutella chocolate spread – simple and wonderful and just as good as anything found in Rome.

The ice cream was Oddono’s gelati, which the menu claims is the finest ice cream in London.

Despite my best efforts, I have not yet tried every ice cream in London so I will reserve judgement, but the stracciatella and vanilla flavours were very good.