Madrid is known for many things. Pizza is not one of them. 

While Rome, Chicago, or New York have their signature styles of homemade ‘za, the Spanish capital hasn’t carved out a legacy in this realm. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a pie with much flavor at all, with late-night, budget chains such as Papizza and Telepizza reigning supreme over its sad, sad kingdoms.

But in recent years, things have been changing in Madrid. With globalization has come picky eaters with refined palates demanding all the hipster delicacies: specialty coffee, craft beer, artisan gelato, and now, pizza that makes your eyes triple in size.

This small “movement” has gained traction in the past year or so with players like Picsa (Argentine-style pies) and Massa (doughy, personal pan pizzas). But I’m tempted to give the top vote to PinsaPizza, an authentic Italian pizzeria with some very surprising twists.

We went on a freezing November evening to their Salamanca location near Gregorio Marañón (they have another shop up north in La Paz). We were immediately warmed up by the cozy dim lights and the smell of cheese being baked…

We started off with the burrata pesto salad, which, if you aren’t very hungry, is a meal in itself.

For the main course, my date went for the mushroom truffle pizza. Note: even the personal pan pizzas are enough to fill you up if you’ve had a starter, so be prepared to ask for a to-go box.

I went for the weirdest thing on the menu (¿qué quieres? I’m an Aquarius): the chicken masala pizza, hold the chicken. The sauce was very flavorful and the cheese fresh, but I recommend adding some veggies to it, as it was pretty basic without.

Aaand saving the best for last, as always: dessert. I ordered one of my favorite foods in the whole universe (and I would never exaggerate in a million years [yes, that’s 110% a dad joke]): tiramisu. And they don’t skimp here. The photo does it no justice—creamy, flavorful, and a portion big enough for two. Bliss.

All in all, the experience was fantastic, and the menu definitely had some options to come back for: diavola, tartufo di parma, flor de quesos, a veggie number with grilled asparagus on top, even a Nutella dessert pizza…

And if you’re a serial killer and don’t like pizza, there are also calzones and enormous Italian-style salads.

Next time I’m craving real, authentic Italian pizza, I’ll be back…

PinsaPizza

• Website & IG:  @pinsapizzaes
• Address: C/ María de Molina, 10
• Metro: Gregorio Marañón or Rubén Darío
• Phone: 915946723

Being a full time teacher means that I’m lucky enough to get some pretty major teacher perks, aka, a lot of holiday days – which let’s be real, is something that money can’t buy. So this week I found myself with a blissful 9 days off and aside from the on-going trauma that is ‘buying a house’ in Spain (that’s a whole other blog post that trust me no one wants to read) I basically found myself at a loose end.

The upside of this being that I had time to become a lady who lunches – so having managed to persuade a friend to extend her lunch break, I sought out somewhere tasty looking near her office that wouldn’t break the bank – my pennies are now being directed towards furniture sadly, and not food.

Fast forward to Grosso Napoletano, a lovely little Italian spot serving up some of the best pizzas in the city. Located on C/Santa Engracia, it’s neighbours with a whole host of hip and happening foodie outposts that are emerging weekly in Chamberi.

The beauty of Grosso Napoletano in my opinion was the simplicity of the menu – a few salads are on offer to share (we plumped for chicken and avo to get the tastebuds going) followed by diavola and a quattro formaggi pizzas respectively.

The cavernous wood burning oven cooked them to absolute perfection – the base was light but not doughy, the toppings charred but not burnt. I ate every last crumb and my friend took her leftovers back to work – much to the envy of her colleagues.

As the nervous energy that comes with the quest to becoming a homeowner appears to be burning some of my calorie intake, I plumped by a matcha tea tiramisu to round things off nicely. It was a quirky twist on an Italian classic and every bite as delicious as the pizza.

Pizza places are essentially ten a penny, but decent ones are not. Grosso serves up authentic Italian eats at prices that, let’s face it, are far more purse friendly than a return flight to Rome to sample the same.

So if you fancy living La Dolce Vita but the budget won’t stretch quite as far as Sardinia, Grosso Napoletano is no poor substitute. Both the service and the décor were spot on and if a simple lunch spot is what you’re after, then that’s what you’ll get. With two locations in the city (the other one on C/Hermosilla) it’s easy to grab a ‘pizza’ the action.

Photos from instagram @grosso_napoletano

Grosso Napoletano

• Website, Facebook, Instagram
• Address: Currently they have 8 locations
• Phone: 911 70 46 53

I don’t know about you but when I hear the word ‘Argentina’, pizza isn’t usually the first word that springs to mind AND I’ve been. I think of tango. I think of steak. I think of wine (more specifically I think of ruby red Malbec). I also think of the multiple jars of dulce de leche that I put away, for my sins.

So upon hearing that Argentinian pizza was able to rival a slither of wafer-thin New York pizza, I figured it was worth further investigation to see if the Argentinians didn’t just talk a good fight.

Photos by @adam_w_potts

Picsa is the Argentinian pizza mecca on Calle Ponzano. Foodies in the know will already be well aware that this street boasts a plethora of options that are all first class. However, in order to stand out you’d better have a strong USP up your sleeve and Picsa definitely has that; I’m yet to find anywhere else in Madrid that offers such gourmet pizzas in such a clinically chic setting – if there’s such a thing.

Picsa is almost sterile in terms of its appearance – it’s all white tiles and bare bulbs, but this just allows the food to take centre stage. Obviously the pizza is the big draw here, but the range of sharing plates isn’t to be dismissed. The bellota ham all but dissolved in your mouth and the Armenian roasted peppers were the perfect zingy compliment to the indulgence of the fat rippled jamon.

So after considering that a mere ‘warm up’, we plumped for a pizza to share and luckily (considering my topping tastes are relatively mainstream) you can do half and half and keep everyone at the table as happy as a clam.

On one side we split a chorizo criollo with provolone (a heart attack waiting to happen in all honesty but I was willing to take the risk). Whilst the other half was laden with roast duck and figs, like I said, Picsa isn’t serving up your basic margarita here. At this point, barely able to move and already pining for the thought of an elasticated waist, we figured in for a penny, in for a pound and split a chocolate cake with dulce de leche ice cream to really round things off.

If you’re working on your beach bod I strongly advise swerving Picsa unless you’re able to show any kind of restraint – of which I’m not. Picsa is not your average pizza joint and in light of this it was packed to the rafters on a Saturday night with patrons all looking for a ‘pizza the action’ – sorry, couldn’t resist one last pizza pun. Be sure to book, maybe skip lunch in preparation and stretchy pants are well advised.

Picsa

• Facebook, Website & Instagram: @picsa.madrid
• Address: Calle Ponzano 76
• Phone: 915 34 10 09
• Metro: Ríos Rosas or Cuatro Caminos

Read a previous Naked Madrid review on Picsa here!

Ahh, pizza. The star of so many childhood memories, last minute dinners, college dorm room feasts, and drunken (or sober) declarations of love. At this point pizza is more than a food; it’s a cultural emblem, no matter what country you’re in.

But if you want the real deal, you’ll have to go to Naples, where the original Margherita pizza was invented in 1889. And if RyanAir flights to Italy aren’t quite within your budget, head to NAP—Neapolitan Authentic Pizza in Madrid.

As soon as you walk through the doors, you’ll be greeted by a rainbow-hued mural by Okuda, the famed Spanish street artist. Check out the wood-fired pizza oven (essential for true Neapolitan crust) as you settle into the bright and airy space.

Obviously, the specialty here is pizza. They offer everything from the classic Margherita (tomato, mozzarella, olive oil, basil, and parmesan) to spicy salami and speck, to anchovies and eggplant, to innovative daily specials. If you want to get creative, you can add as many extra toppings as you like (for a small fee).

The pizza is made in the true Neapolitan style: a thin, doughy, and bubbly crust composed of nothing but flour, yeast, water, and salt, topped with tantalizingly fresh ingredients. Each one is enough to fill up one very hungry diner—but if you’re like me you’ll want to save some for lunch (or breakfast) tomorrow. At 6-10 euros per pie, it’s affordable either way.

Marinara pizza: tomato, garlic, olive oil, oregano, and basil

There’s plenty more on the menu, too. Don’t miss the bruschetta, burrata, and baked eggplant, plus tiramisu for dessert. If you’re going for the full experience, have a limoncello digestif, and then sit back and enjoy the satisfaction that only pizza can impart.

Eggplant bruschetta, one of the four varieties offered

Pizza may be beautiful in all its various forms (deep dish, frozen, square-shaped cafeteria style…) but if you ask me, nothing beats the original. Give me a charred and slightly sour crust with a thin layer of sweet ripe tomatoes, and I’m sold.

NAP provides just that: pizza in its simplest, truest, and freshest form. Forget Telepizza, get off your couch, and make the trek to Lavapiés—it’s not Naples, but it might just be the next best thing.

Info

• Facebook
• Address: Calle Ave María, 19
• Metro: Lavapiés & Tirso de Molina
• Phone: 932 46 26 15

(Pro tip: NAP also has two locations in Barcelona; Madrid is the latest addition.)

Calle Ponzano is one of the city’s most treasured local hangout spots. Situated in Chamberí, it belongs to a handful of Madrid streets that are lined with great bars and restaurants, together with La Cava Baja, Corredera Bajo de San Pablo and La Calle Pez, just to name a few. In addition to the old-school bars de toda la vida, it seems as though a new eatery opens up on Calle Ponzano every week, and I’m slowly making my way through all of them! So far I’ve been to Sala la Despiece, Bar Lambuzo and Taberna Alipio Ramos. Plus Naked contributor, Kate, has also just written about restaurant Toque de Sal.

Now here comes Naked’s fifth discovery along Ponzano: Casa Picsa, an Argentine restaurant specializing in pizzas made in a wood-fired oven with local and seasonal ingredients. I went with my friends Vanessa (who writes Las mesas de Vanessa, another foodie blog you’ve got to follow), Juan and James.

In true Ponzano form, Casa Picsa has a down-to-earth and comfortable ambience. I’d say it’s on the pricier side, but they serve some of the best pizzas I’ve had in Madrid, with high quality ingredients and great service, too. The décor is modern and simple, with a spacious bar and a small seating area.

To start, Casa Picsa offers small appetizers to share: mezzos from around the world with a Porteño touch, as stated on their menu. They’re only meant to whet your appetite, as the real deal is the pizza. As we were a party of four, the waiters recommended we order just a few mezzos and save room for the main attraction. So we went with their homemade Paté Picsa and Porotos en vinagre (organic beans in a vinaigrette). Both were delicious.

The pizza menu is separated into two sections: “old school” and “new school.” They cost €20-25 each and are meant to be shared between two people; and trust me, they’re big enough. Each pie has eight slices, or “servings of happiness,” overflowing with succulent ingredients. Plus you can order two kinds per pie; that way you get to try two in one! *You can also order gluten-free pizzas made with a chickpea based dough.

We followed our waiter’s advice and ordered two pies and four different kinds of pizza. We had the Papada de cerdo ibérico y alcachofas (Iberian ham and artichokes); Pato e higos (duck and fig); Butifarra negra (Catalan black sausage) and Chorizo criollo y grills (Creole chorizo with turnip greens). My favorite was the ham and artichoke one; the rest of the table said the winner went to the butifarra. They were all delicious, though. And as we walked out of the restaurant and looked at the mouthwatering pies on other patrons’ tables, we knew we’d have to go back to try the rest!

After our main course, we were contentedly stuffed and more than happy to end our night sans sweets. But the waiter managed to convince us to get dessert and we gave in to the Chocolate cake with dulce de leche ice cream. How could you possibly resist that? It was insanely good (sorry we forgot to take a photo of it!)

Casa Picsa

• Website, Facebook & IG: @picsa
• Address: Calle Ponzano, 76
• Metro: Rios Rosas
• Price: €20-25 per person