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Taste the classicano at Di Napoli
If you are a foodie, there are certain dishes you must try before you get a taste of the afterlife. Many like to head to the US to try an original hamburger or the much-hyped Starbucks coffee.
What: Di Napoli
Where: Free Press Journal Marg, Nariman Point
Call: 43473200
What’s on the menu: Pizzas, pastas, antipasti
Drinking: No
Smoking: No
If you are a foodie, there are certain dishes you must try before you get a taste of the afterlife. Many like to head to the US to try an original hamburger or the much-hyped Starbucks coffee. Or visit France for some authentic French Fries, i.e. till you realise that they were not invented in France and are, in fact, an American creation. Similarly, eating an authentic pizza from Italy is almost on every global traveller’s bucket-list. But with most international outlets setting up shop in India, you can actually get the original without having to spend on plane tickets or a visa.
Di Napoli is one such example. The pizzeria offers "handmade pizzas" that you could typically try out in Naples, Italy. Holed in the Dalamal Towers, the venue attracts office crowd during lunch breaks or before and after rush hour. White and red chairs and an informal setting make it seem like a place you could spend a few hours at. The staff is friendly. The menu, devoid of the usual Butter Chicken or Paneer Tikka variations, can get a bit confusing. But there is help at hand to ensure that you don’t opt for one with sweet toppings or for the traditionalist, without tomato sauce or cheese. We opted for antipasti, Focaccia (R160), and then went in for the Funghi (Rs 395) and Campania (Rs 465) pizzas.
The Focaccia was oven-baked flatbread drizzled with virgin olive oil, rosemary and sea salt. Though soft, there was only so much we could eat without something to go with it. Di Napoli serves only 12" pizzas with a thick crust and the Funghi, which is topped with sautéed mushrooms with San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, garlic and oregano, was a delight. The bitterness of the mushrooms just added to the taste.
The Campania, however, fell flat. A bit on the blander side, it didn’t suit our Indian palette, which is usually bombarded with multiple seasonings. We also wanted to try some dessert, but with the pizza portions, that was not possible. However, we do feel that we would make a trip back to try some other interesting options that we checked out on the menu.
What we like
Ambience
Unconventional pizza options
We don’t like
The prices
Some bland variations
Only one pizza size
Rating: ***1/2
