One of Philly’s most famous pizza makers is opening a bar in London

Joe Beddia, one of Philadelphia’s best-known pizzaioli and a partner in Pizzeria Beddia in Fishtown, is heading across the pond to put his stamp on a North London bar set to open this spring.

At Bar Etna, in Newington Green, Beddia is a partner with former Philadelphia designer Mike Stampler, who a decade ago co-owned the craft brand Norman Porter in Kensington (the Philly one), and chef-restaurateur Ed McIlroy of the Four Legs group, which owns the Plimsoll and Tollington’s, both London pubs.

Beddia said the relatively small space will sport “sort of a mid-century Milan vibe.” The menu will include small plates, baked dishes, and pizza. (The British media, quoting a news release about the project, seems amped about the Italian American dishes like “aubergine parmigiana.”) There will be a full bar for classic cocktails and it will have a late-night license, a rarity for London. And so far, Beddia said, they plan to offer soft-serve for dessert, just as he does in Philadelphia.

“I’m not well-versed in the pizza scene in London yet, but will just try and make the best pizza I can,” Beddia said when asked to define the style he would make.

Beddia, who grew up in Lancaster (Pennsylvania, not Lancashire), came to pizza-making after stints in Philadelphia kitchens and bars such as Tria, Osteria, South Philadelphia Tap Room, and Zavino, and an internship at Pizza Brutta in Madison, Wis. In 2012, he won zoning approval to take over a deli at 115 E. Girard Ave. in Fishtown, and in March 2013 opened Pizzeria Beddia with a stripped-down, takeout-only model. Cash only, no phone.

The shop’s deliberately limited output — about 40 pies a night, only a few nights a week — fueled long lines and a cult following.

National attention followed in 2015 when Bon Appétit named Beddia’s pizza the best in America, cementing him as a national breakout star. After five years and relentless demand, Beddia closed the Girard Avenue shop at the end of March 2018 — it’s now the slice shop Pizza Shackamaxon — to open a larger restaurant nearby with Defined Hospitality, the group behind Suraya, Kalaya, Condesa, R&D, and Picnic).

In March 2019, “Beddia 2.0” debuted at 1313 N. Lee St. with seating, a bar, and a private hoagie room. A Beddia cookbook followed in 2020.

In 2025, the restaurant was named a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide. The restaurant also placed No. 13 in the world on the 2024 50 Top Pizza global list and ranked No. 3 in the United States on the same group’s national ranking.