Northcote: say hello to Pizza Meine Liebe Two

After 14 years in Northcote, Pizza Meine Liebe's Elena Bonnici has decided there is room on High Street for a spin-off. Say hello to PML Two.

It has moved into For the Love of Pizza, a mostly takeaway pizza-only restaurant Bonnici also owned. "For the Love of Pizza wasn't working anymore, so I closed up shop [in August] and had a think about what I was going to do there," says Bonnici. "And I thought, why not just do a Pizza Meine Liebe Two?"

It was a simple enough decision. At weekends, Pizza Meine Liebe was so busy they'd stop taking takeaway orders for 90 minutes every Friday. After a paint job and a revamp, it has re-emerged as Pizza Meine Liebe Two.

Like the original, there's more to the menu than just pizza, although that is the focus. Starters include salt-and-vinegar fries with a blue cheese aioli, fried zucchini with chilli and mint, and organic garlic ciabatta. There are a couple of salads, regular pasta specials ("I go crazy with specials," says Bonnici), and about 15 pizzas, similar to those on at Pizza Meine Liebe.

For drinks, there are house-made fruit cordials, granitas, fermented colas and – once the licence comes in – it will be BYO.

At around 30 seats, PMLTwo is half the size of the original, with a similar colour scheme – greys, whites, and coloured planet lamps.

By March 2019, Bonnici also plans to revamp her United Arab Eatery in Preston, turning it into PML Lunch, a pasta-focused version of Pizza Meine Liebe.

"I've spent more than a third of my life feeding people, and I still love it even after all these years," says Bonnici.

Open Wed-Sat 5.30pm-10.30pm.

493 High Street, Northcote, pmltwo.rocks