There aren’t too many places in Paris where you can eat with your hands. The bad news, and really this is the only bad thing I can think of to say about the Roman-style pizzeria Al Taglio, is that the meager napkins are not up to the task.
First, stake out your seats and head to the counter to order as much or as little of whatever pizza you want. Second, feel no pressure to decide between the potato-truffle, spicy salami with artichokes, or tomato and mushroom: Have some of each. Third, wonder why you don’t own a good pair of kitchen shears as you watch the staff quickly snip your slab from the rectangular sheets laid out in the case. Go back to your seats and wait for the pizza to be delivered hot on a thin board. Prepare a stack of napkins.
This is Roman style pizza, sold by the weight. The crust resembles focaccia, actually, and is wonderfully crisp on the bottom. It holds up to the generous toppings, the golden mushrooms and burst tomatoes, the small puddles of cream (is this a French touch?) underneath those thinly sliced potatoes.
The price is right: Before wine (they offer a few passable Italians by the glass), the tab was under 10 euros per person. This means you can go to Al Taglio regularly without breaking the bank, as I suspect the mother who was sitting next to us with her young daughters does.
Or you can save up for a trip to Rome.
Al Taglio, 2 bis rue Neuve Popincourt, +33 (0)1 43 38 12 00
Ahh reading this is making me extremely hungry and ready to back to Al Taglio very soon! Although I wasn’t crazy about the pizza dough while we were there, I’m looking back on it and thinking about how soft, doughy, and fluffy it was…overall, very glad you recommended it.