This pizzeria is a small, cozy place in the West Village. I had higher hopes for it based on reviewing the menu, reading the reviews, and seeing the pictures. But ultimately, it was the definition of mediocre Neapolitan pizza.
We had reservations for lunch time and though the place was busy, there were still tables open throughout. For dinner, reservations may be more useful. The staff was just nice enough, but not extremely helpful in answering questions.
The pizzas here are made too charred, so it’s best if you know that ahead of time and ask for them more lightly done. Even when we asked for them lightly done, they were still more charred than many places. And the oddest thing of all, they left black char marks all over our hands and face, which has never happened in any Neapolitan pizzeria in any city in the world we’ve ever been to. And we have been to countless! Literally our hands and lips were black and it didn’t even wipe off easily!
The pizza itself was just so mediocre. We ordered the marinara and margherita. Both were disappointing. The crust is so flavorless, it doesn’t even taste like dough or bread. We rarely leave crust behind and we left about 50% of it. The tomato sauce was one note – just tomato. No seasoning, spices, or flavor. Just very acidic tomato. And the house-made mozzarella was rubbery and not great quality.
Also, the pies were quite small (perhaps 8-9 inches instead of the usual 10-12) – good for the waistline, but bad for happiness!
I guess a lot of people will go just because of its location and the fact that there isn’t another Neapolitan pizzeria in the area, but if you have a choice, go to one of the far better ones in the city.
