Vico Del Carmine, a review of the Neapolitan pizzeria in Florence

The environment

Featuring portraits of Totò and Peppino, and playing with the most characteristic elements of Neapolitan iconography, Vico del Carmine is a pizzeria with a distinctly touristy feel, aiming to appeal to tourists and pizza lovers in general by selling the most stereotypical and conventional conception of Neapolitanness. The problem is that it lacks substance... Granted, the service is attentive, friendly, and fast, but for various reasons, this pizzeria doesn't even remotely rank among the elite of Neapolitan pizza in Florence. The location is very gloomy (but when the weather is nice, there's an outdoor terrace), and the often half-empty place doesn't encourage relaxation and a classic pizza-and-beer experience. The table setting is very simple, but still in keeping with the menu and dishes. And that's not a flaw, while the others are.

The menu

The menu isn't overly extensive, and the offerings are generally fairly traditional. Fried foods, however, are a good calling card: in my case, the mixed fried fish, chosen as an appetizer, won me over with its battered texture, crispiness, and just the right amount of oiliness. The accompanying sauces are delicious. Next up, twelve pizzas, three focaccias, and three calzones.

The beverage selection is limited, consisting of two beers on tap (Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Raffo Lavorazione Grezza), a selection of commercial bottled beers, and a few more or less substantial white, red, and dessert wines. These include Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Vernaccia, Prosecco, Chianti Frescobaldi, and Pinot Noir.

The pizza

Neapolitan pizza? No, not at all. If the likes of Marco Manzi, Giovanni Santarpia, or Mario Cipriano—three of the leading figures in Neapolitan pizza in Florence—were to try Vico del Carmine's pizza, sold as "Neapolitan pizza," they'd feel even further from home. This is because, while it's a pizza you might actually enjoy, Vico del Carmine's is NOT a Neapolitan pizza. Take, for example, in addition to the usual classics (mozzarella and tomato were decidedly standard), the "Valdostana." Mozzarella, speck, pistachio, and radicchio were its ingredients: let's save what we could, the toppings weren't bad at all; the dough, cooking, and overall balance were also well-executed. Simplicity was the watchword, enhanced by the fact that the pizza arrived very quickly after being fried. But beware of calling it Neapolitan pizza: the crust was shallow and crispy, the dough lacking in salt, flavorless, and lacking much personality. And that Neapolitan-ness so evident on the restaurant's half-bare walls disappears with the sound of crunch crunch while chewing...

The dessert and the bill

The dessert menu is also fairly classic. I tried the Cheesecake in a Glass: an overall pleasant dessert, but a bit too creamy. At times, it tasted more like a mousse than a cake, with the lack of a biscuit base clearly highlighting its lack of crunch. Finally, the quality-price ratio was fair, at a total cost of €20 per person. It's hard to ask for more.

Opinion

Vico del Carmine in Florence is a pizzeria that sells the Neapolitan dream, without making Neapolitan pizza. Something uncool in the city's coolest neighborhood. That doesn't mean the pizza isn't good, the service isn't attentive, or the wait is long... Far from it. But more than a Neapolitan alley, the new management of Vico del Carmine offers a decidedly touristy and untraditional experience. The bill, however, is perfectly in line with the quality.

PRO

• The service was attentive, fast and precise.