Finding Pizza (hipster style)
- Faye Goldsmith
- Mar 13, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 14, 2019
Okay, okay so I know that the 'H' word is a little bit passé these days, but it is what I always say in my head when I think of the new wave of pizza places that hit Berlin and pretty much everywhere else over the last few years.
I remember the good old days when traditional Italian pizza came with the same toppings (quattro formaggi, quattro stagioni, campanola etc) and was served with a checked tablecloth, a chianti bottle candle, and a half litre of unidentified vino di tavola. I also remember the really bad old days when pizza was grotesquely chunky, slathered in bbq sauce, terrible pepperoni, or pineapple, and mainly suited to poor students, hangovers and terrible all-you-can-eat work lunches at Dominoes in the early 00s when we really didn't know any better.
Thanks to the hipsterfication of urban spaces the world outside of Italy has grown to know and love Neapolitan, Naples style, or sourdough pizza as it is also (falsely*) known. This style of hand crafted pizza is on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list and has its own accreditation from the AVPN (Associazione Verace Pizza napoletana). The extremely high cooking temperature and hand raising guarantees a crisp base with puffed up, chewy edges.
Through embracing this style of pizza making, dough has been elevated to new levels becoming a form of creative expression. It is cultivated over many hours and baked to crisp, fluffy perfection in the hottest ovens and paired with simple, perfectly curated toppings.
It may sound like I am being a little sarcastic but I am truly won over by 'hipster pizza' because once you've tasted artisan dough perfection how can you go back to the bad old Dominoes days? In search of the perfect hipster pizza, I have explored the frontrunners in Berlin and here are my thoughts...
Hobrechtstrasse 57, Kreuzberg/Neukölln
We visited in opening week and despite experiencing somewhat chaotic service it was love at first slice with their cool but intimate decor and heavenly dough (which meets the three requirements - crisp, fluffy, chewy). Now six months on they are running like a well oiled machine, and have added new toppings to their "sin win" menu of locally sourced, sustainable and natural ingredients. Their singular stand out dessert of soft-serve buffalo milk ice cream is the stuff that dreams are made of plus they have a well curated reasonably priced drinks list with a selection of spritzes and some seriously good Italian wines.
Templiner Strasse 7, Prenzlauer Berg
Truly delicious high quality toppings and pillowy dough matured and baked to perfection make Standard the standout pizza restaurant of North Berlin. Bookings are essential especially at weekends as it is very popular and for good reason. My only complaint is that at an average of 13 euros a pizza, it isn't the cheapest place but you are getting a very high quality product. Also it gets so busy it becomes hectic and despite booking we were still made to wait for over ten minutes for our table with a crowd of people blocking the door. Luckily it is also available on Deliveroo so you can avoid the chaos and have some seriously good pizza without even leaving your bed.
Fuldastrasse 31, Neukölln
The canalside location of W Pizza is a huge advantage as they also offer take out. If Gazzo hadn't come along this would be my local pizza place of choice. What they do do, they do brilliantly, excelling at simplicity: the pizza dough is pretty perfect and the mozzarella and burrata are delicious. However I found the choice of toppings a bit limited, stingy in portions and dare I say boring. However the decor is nice, the atmosphere chilled, and the staff were very sweet when I brought a dog along so extra points for that too!
Paul-Lincke-Ufer 39-40, Kreuzberg
I have thought long and hard about putting Zola on this list because of the service which is the personification of Berliner Schnautze in their cooler than thou serving staff. A friend recently visited and said that the couple next to them were shouted at for asking where their pizzas were after long wait, and other times I have visited they haven't been the friendliest of folks. But the pizza is bloody good and people love it so here it is...
Zola make pizza. It is really good. Try it if you are in the area and Gazzo is closed/fully booked. Toppings are a bit boring compared to other places in my humble opinion but my husband really likes it.
Liebenwalder Str. 11, Wedding
I really like the vibe and energy of Stranero which is the most traditional of these pizza joints when it comes to topping choices but with a hip and chilled vibe. The staff are really friendly and the pizza is very tasty and expertly baked. Extra kudos for the location in Wedding where it livens up a quiet neighbourhood. Compared to other places their topping game is weaker but Stranero is the cheapest here and offers a great value, tasty, mid week treat.
Other notable mentions:
Bänschstraße 91, Friedrichshain
The new kid on the block in which attracted massive queues of free pizza seekers on its recent opening. We haven't visited yet but plan to do so soon, so watch this space...
Weichselstraße 17, Neukölln Another place on the to try list that I have heard good things about. Cosy and cool but with maybe some confusing toppings from what I have seen.
Maybachufer 21, Kreuzberg
Whilst the pizza here is unfortunately a bit weaker than others, I love the atmosphere and 1960s cool italia style of this neighbourhood restaurant. A great place for aperitivo and a pizza to share.
Hauptstrasse 85, Schöneberg/Friedenau
A bit off the beaten track this AVPN accredited pizza and pasta joint comes highly recommended by the likes of Berlin Food Stories and is definitely on my to try list.
What do you think? Have I missed out your favourite place? Please comment and subscribe and also visit our Instagram page for regular pics of all the best stuff to eat and drink in Berlin and beyond.
* Gazzo messaged me to explain that theirs is the only true sourdough pizza on the list but this style of pizza is widely and sometimes falsely known as sourdough nonetheless :)
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