Pizza to go
Slice and easy

By Alessandro Mirra
march 2009

One of the best things that Rome has to offer visitors in search of a quick and satisfying snack is takeaway pizza or pizza al taglio. You just go in and choose the amount of pizza you want by weight or by price. There are an almost infinite variety of toppings to suit all tastes and most places will offer a wide range of other hot foodstuffs such as suppli (balls of risotto with tomato sauce bound together by eggs around a piece of mozzarella, the whole surrounded by breadcrumbs and then fried) filletti di baccalà (salt cod in batter) or potato crocchette. The city is packed with takeaway pizza stores that provide office workers, students and tourists a cheap, quick alternative to traditional restaurants or imported fast food outlets.

One of the most famous is Lo Zozzone, tucked away down the Via del Teatro Pace behind piazza Navona. Zozzone’s pizza is so go good you can often find members of the Senate from the nearby Palazzo Madama who have deserted the luxury parliamentary restaurants for a quick and tasty snack.
Another popular place among pizza afficionados is Pizzarium in Via della Meloria (Metro Cipro). This gourmet takeaway outlet not far from the Vatican Museums is run by celebrated pizza chef Gabriele Bonci, who combines slow-rise dough made from special flours with fresh, seasonal toppings like wild asparagus, or pesto and aubergine. You’ll also find super suppli and a wide range of imported beers to wash down your lunch.

Antico Forno Roscioli in Via dei Chiavari 34 (Campo dei Fiori) is one of the oldest pizza bakeries in Rome. The choice of toppings is perhaps not as vast as in other places but the quality of the ingredients is unparalleled and the pizza itself is second to none.
Near Piazza San Silvestro is Pecora Pazza (Via della Mercede 18). Despite fierce competition from the mass-market “Spizzico” pizza joint in Via del Corso, this place is always packed.
To finish on a sweet note, Laboratorio Pasticceria Lambiase, better-known as “Il Sorchettaro”, is a superb bakery store at Via Cernaia 49/a (not far from Porta Pia) famous for its deadly luscious pastries. Pride of place goes to the Sorchetta doppio schizo a freshly-baked croissant covered with whipped cream and melted chocolate. But they also sell a vast array of pizza fresh from the oven. Open until late, it’s the perfect spot for a tasty treat after a night on the town.