Pizzeria La Montecarlo
Pizzeria La Montecarlo is a popular and busy pizzeria not far from Piazza Navona.
It’s usually wise to be suspicious of pizzerias right in the heart of Rome, especially places near the main tourist sites like Piazza Navona. There are plenty of tourist traps in the area offering all sorts of bilge. Fortunately, Pizzeria La Montecarlo isn’t one of them.
Located just off Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, on a little sidestreet called Vicolo Savelli, Pizzeria La Montecarlo offers the usual range of pizzas, along with fritti and desserts. They also offer pasta dishes, which are served in generous portions but aren’t great, as is often the case with pizzerias.
The reason people come to Pizzeria La Montecarlo (and they do come—so arrive early if you don’t want to wait for a table) is the pizza (€7-8), which has an authentically crisp base and a good range of toppings. One quirk is the shape of the dishes: they’re made of metal and are rather curved and bowl-like, meaning that a lot of your toppings will wind up in the centre of the pizza. La Montecarlo also offer a decent calzone made with cheese, ham, and egg.
The fritti (€2-3) at La Montecarlo are okay, but a little salty and cooked from frozen. For dessert try the homemade tiramisu (€3), which is superb—light and creamy, without too much Marsala wine or coffee in the base. Covered outdoor seating is available, and they’re open late.