Ciro Cascella's Pizza 3.0 review: a contemporary pizzeria in Naples' chic center
A young Neapolitan, his name is Ciro. There's a common thread running through Cascella's destiny: he seems destined to make clichéd pizza. Yet 3.0 is anything but ordinary.
Ciro Cascella himself explains the name: a play on Massimo Troisi and his film "Ricomincio da 3," 3.0 indicates the number of flours used in the dough. A blend created by Ciro Cascella using three flours from Naples' most famous mill, Caputo. This blend ensures long fermentation and leavening (24 and 12 hours, respectively) and can withstand a high percentage of hydration.
Proudly born in the Spanish Quarter, Cascella aims for a precise, almost scientific vision of pizza. A contemporary pizza with pronounced crusts, but one that, in his opinion, still remains true to Neapolitan tradition. Is that true?
Ambience, service and menu
Featuring shades of white and green, the spacious room immediately evokes the feeling of an evergreen garden. Highly appreciated. The meticulous cleanliness of all surfaces, noted on multiple visits, is noteworthy. This would be a minor point, but...
The tables and place settings are also linear, always suspended between white and green. If you close your eyes, you might almost think you're in a Capri lemon grove.
The service is direct and courteous, not overly polished but consistent. The menu is in digital format with a QR code: there's no paper version except for desserts.
In Cascella's opinion, a pizzeria shouldn't be limited to just pizza. Therefore, in addition to the proverbial fried foods, there's also room for cured meats and cheeses (with a Renzini and Beppino Occelli selection), and even a mini salad menu. We didn't see anyone order a salad during the service we attended; will they be more popular at lunch? The cheese and cured meat platter is visually striking, but we let it slide unscathed to make more room for the pizzas.
Before the pizzas, it's almost inevitable that you'll stumble upon some fried food. The montanarine variation is very attractive: two different sauces (one is a Neapolitan ragout), eggplant parmigiana, and the inevitable mortadella and chopped pistachios. Pleasant to eat, the fried food is rather dry. The montanarine are airy, soft, and quite large. Highly appreciated at €6.
The pizza selection is extensive. It ranges from classics, reinterpreted classics, and more creative options, some with an apparent food porn aesthetic. One, unfortunately, is called #FoodPorn 3.0: avoided, if only out of conceptual fear. Prices range widely: from the very reasonable €6 for the Cosacca to the daring €16 for the #Black Angus 3.0, which is daring and not just in terms of cost. The Black Angus carpaccio might be more at home on a nice, empty plate. But who knows? And after all, it's one of Cascella's signature dishes.
3.0 pizzas
Not tempted by the sirens of modernity, we opt for the Antica Cosacca, very faithful to the most classic tradition.
The San Marzano DOP tomatoes are excellent, generous in quantity and enveloping, not covered but enhanced by the shreds of Pecorino Romano DOP. We're certainly in the realm of contemporary pizza, but some parts of the crust seem to have an excess of self-confidence. When cut, they become depressed and never regain their chewiness. While the pizza base is springy and easy to chew, parts of the "deflated" crust also seem a bit tough on the teeth.
Even better in its balance is the Rosa Viola topping with steamed ham, grilled artichoke hearts that instantly evoke Campanian spring, and shredded provolone del Monaco DOP (with a Fordilatte base and the addition of 24-month-aged Grana Padano). Not salty, very punchy, and definitely worth a try.
The crust is in a constant state of crisis of self-esteem after being cut. The cooking times were balanced in both cases. Will the third pizza, the Scarpariello, save Cascella's overbearing and then smothered crusts?
Arrogant people are very arrogant, but more than depressed, this time also a little crude. Sigh.
It's particularly disappointing because it's perhaps the best dish of the evening: the Corbara tomatoes are rounded, almost caramelized in flavor, without being overpowering. The creamy 24-month Grana Padano and Parmigiano fondue enhance them without overpowering them. The flavor is perfectly balanced. It would deserve applause, but this time the entire dish, including the disc, verges on the chewy.
Honorable mention goes to the highly digestible dough. The next day, you wake up feeling perfectly balanced, thirst-free, and ready for another pizza!
Drinks, desserts, accessibility and bill menu
Commercial draft beers, a small selection of craft beers in 33 or 75 cl bottles: the Smaart 6 Weizen that was recommended to us is pleasant and has a reasonable markup.
The wine list is interesting, not particularly original but appreciable. The drinks are routine, perhaps in need of improvement at this point. But that's a venial sin. It's nice to have a dedicated pastry shop: these are the sweets by Margò, which the young Margherita creates especially for Cascella. The dessert menu layout is also beautiful, this time physically and not just digitally.
The prices are a bit on the high side, but the single portions are quite generous and formally refined. Of the two I tried, the lemon semifreddo was a bit less convincing. The Ciocofondente was nice and tasty. Nonetheless, they are tempting options, and if nothing else, original and designed specifically for the restaurant.
Accessibility, this unknown. Same old story. No proper entrance, full capacity here, and a lack of fully equipped bathrooms. Will we be able to become inclusive in Naples?
The bill was reasonable. After deducting the €30 for two bottles of craft beer, the setting, service, and products made the bill seem reasonable.
Opinion
In a charming, well-kept, and immaculately clean setting, Ciro Cascella brings his take on pizza to the heart of Naples. While undoubtedly original and carefully researched, Cascella's pizzas can be a bit tricky with the crust. They are easy to digest and cooked to perfection, except for one unfortunate case where the crust was a bit undercooked. The selection of beverages and desserts is good. Already highly acclaimed by the press, this place is definitely worth keeping an eye on.
PRO
- beautiful, well-kept and very clean place
- original and exclusively designed desserts
- good selection of beverages with fair markups
