A Tal da Pizza

Let’s talk about pizzas! Pizzas are an easy choice in São Paulo – actually, I would say pizzas are one of the traditional dishes of São Paulo. Everybody likes them and has their opinion about which is best. Is this the Italian heritage of the city surfacing up?

“A Tal da Pizza” is a “posh but we are also kind of relaxed” place to enjoy a good pizza meal in São Paulo. I have been to the one in Itaim Bibi, and the first message if you pretend to go there on a weekend is… book first or go really soon! If not, you’ll have to wait – it is as simple as so. Now, if you actually come in, you will be facing a big, open room, absolutely full with tables and chairs, in an orderly chaos, mixed with red and timber decoration… and with a massive oven (a wooden one) at the back of the restaurant. That is where the cooking is done in front of you, and the mastery of the cooks and the oven will be responsible for the “yummi” feeling you will have in a few minutes.

There are a couple of specific things that are not very usual outside of this place. I think the first one is that there isn’t any cutlery – yes, you eat directly with your hands and fingers, without any help from any kind of fork and knife. And yes, you do this in a posh environment (the prices enforce it), surrounded by beautiful people. For any pizza, you will have to choose it’s halves – meaning, you can can choose half of a a pizza, and then complete it with a very different one. And it will arrive your table already sliced in tiny pieces – that will actually make it easier as finger food…

Now… for the pizzas. They are thin and delicious! And, if it would be any other way, I wouldn’t be writing this text. The ingredients are… tasty! You will find white truffles, mascarpone, olive oil and garlic, pepper, parmeggiano, tomato, several types of sausage, catupiry cheese, ham, olives, shitake, Dijon moustard, anchovies, tuna, shimeji, cheese and red-fruits jam,… All in the right proportion and incredibly mixed! Great for your senses! (and don’t ask me about desserts here! They seem to have great sweet pizzas for that, but I just had to shout enough…)

Do you like pizzas and happen to be in São Paulo? Go to “A Tal da Pizza”, eat with your hands in a posh environment and pay more than you expect. But, your senses will love that wooden-oven…

Where: São Paulo - Brazil

Address: Rua Dr. Mario Ferraz, 351- Itaim Bibi

Phone: +55 11 3079 3599

Website: http://www.ataldapizza.com.br

Expensive: Pizza a 1 beer for around 35 euros…

Last visit: November 2011