Da Vito & Amici Miei

While enjoying a long weekend in Paris, we decided that we should probably weigh in on a few of the highly rated pizza spots in the City of Light. Our first stop in the Bastille area was DaVito. A tiny spot serving only pizza (for the most part) is known for housing a speakeasy behind an ordinary storeroom door. We strolled up at noon (because the sign said midi) only to be told pizzas wouldn't be ready for 30 minutes. We dutifully grabbed a coffee up the street and returned at 12:30 to find the staff frantically finishing up desserts and not ready to make pizza.  

We finally ordered our Margherita pizza ... Electric oven at 700 degrees, so it didn't take long. We were optimistic when it arrived, although Stef was initially dismayed by the amount of cheese. We both held up a first slice. Despite the super thin crust, it was sturdy and smelled promising. But in the end, there wasn't much to say about the pizza except that it was rather bland. All the elements were in place, but it was fairly ordinary. Perhaps DaVito is known more for its speakeasy and the pizza is just a front. Undaunted, we decided to stop at AmiciMiei in the Marais. A lovely and lively Italian restaurant, we were encouraged by the beautiful pasta dishes and spirited conversation emanating from the kitchen. We ordered our Margherita and it arrived in minutes, smelling far more interesting than our last pizza.

But we were disappointed. The pizza was overloaded with cheese and had a strong dried herb flavor that overpowered any other taste. After the first slice, the cheese became gluey and slid off the crust, leaving a mess behind. We left the rest, sadly uneaten. We won't give up! We believe there is good pizza in Paris and it's up to us to find it.