Pizza Napoletana in Rome: Da Michele Pizzeria
Pizza from Naples will change your life. I had, with no exaggeration, a culinary epiphany when I tried my first pizza napoletana. The chewy crust, tangy sauce and mozzarella that actually has a flavor gets me every time. Unfortunately, there are only so many day trips I can make to Naples, which is where Da Michele Pizzeria comes in.
Da Michele is a pizza institution in Naples. It’s been around for since 1936 and is ranked on multiple websites as the “best pizza in Naples”, which can also be translated to “best pizza in the world”, by the transitive property. I’ve tried the real thing, so when I heard they opened a new shop up in Rome, you can imagine how excited I was. I went there last Friday night for dinner, around 7:30 to avoid the notoriously long lines (there are no reservations taken). After a quick look around the children’s museum it’s located in, an interesting aspect of the new pizzeria in itself, we found the entrance and were sent up to the second floor.
I had heard great things about Da Michele’s new location and the pizza really lived up to expectations. They import their products (tomatoes/mozzarella/flour) from Compagna to maintain flavor consistency and while nothing can live up to the magnificence of a pizza from Naples, theirs came pretty close.
On the menu are some new offerings, including nodini fritti (fried pizza) and other appetizers. Just like the original spot, they serve only pizza margherita and pizza rossa. Edoardo (lucky guy) went for double mozzarella on his pizza and it was decadent.
My pizza margherita was amazing. Da Michele has the flavors down just right and takes the time to check that every pizza is perfectly (read: lightly) charred, top and bottom. The only difference I found in the two variations was that my pizza in Rome was a bit heavier than the original. But it's to be expected with a doughier pizza than its Roman counterpart.
Da Michele pizzeria is a great option for families, couples or even a solo pizza excursion (which is sometimes required if you're alone when the pizza craving hits). If you can't get to Naples for the best pizza of your life, a trip to Da Michele or a classic Roman pizzeria (options 1 & 2) is a must.
Da Michele in Rome is located close to Pizza del Popolo and the Flaminia metro stop. No reservations are accepted so get there early and don't expect anything but the classics and a handful of Italian beers to go along with them.
Explora, Via Flaminia, 80/82, 00196 Roma
Every day, 12 pm-5 pm and 7 pm-12 am