MFWF: Pizza Pronto — James Lowe at Figlia

Overview

If you know your London dining scene, then you almost certainly know Lyle's — a Michelin-starred Shoreditch hotspot that was dedicated to new-wave modern British cuisine. But the man behind the operation, James Lowe, had another passion to pursue in the interest of culinary greatness — the perfect pizza.

Born during lockdowns in 2020, Lowe's ASAP Pizza quickly established a dedicated following, transforming his Borough Market wine bar and bakery Fior into a forward-thinking pizzeria until mid-2021. Now, for Melbourne Food and Wine Festival 2026, you've got the chance to discover the same short-lived slices that drove Londoners barmy.

Taking over Figlia on Lygon Street from 6–10.30pm on Thursday, March 26, Pizza Pronto sees Lowe serve a tight menu of renowned favourites, including clam pie, speck and gorgonzola and an elevated take on Hawaiian — think pickled Scotch bonnet peppers, grilled pineapple and guanciale. Plus, he's raiding Figlia and Grana's deep wine collection to hand-pick the best pairings.

"In some ways, pizza isn't that big a leap from what we were all about at Lyle's — it's an extension of our love of simple ingredients," says Lowe. "Even though you're basically working with the same few ingredients, that spectrum from crap pizza to something amazing is huge. And a great pizza is life-changing."