Pizza Rossa - 3.5

Pizza Rossa

There are certain kinds of food you should be able to take for granted; a good pizza being one. Yet only a handful of people seem to get it right. That is why a new pizzeria is always a welcome addition to the city for me.

Pizza Rossa is Hauz Khas Village's first proper Pizzeria. It's small, rustic, and it fits right in with the laid back vibe of the market. Though there are a few random decor elements, the overall wood-cabin feel ensures a certain amount of cosiness that took to me instantly.

We decided to skip the predictable sort of mains that made their way to other tables around us, and stick to the pizzas. When in a Pizzeria, order a pizza! To warm up our appetites, for starters we ordered Artichokes covered in an egg white batter and served with a pomodoro sauce. Not quite the start we had hoped for. To begin with, the egg white batter could have done with some crisp & crackle to it, instead what we got was soggy, eggy, and oozed oil with every bite.

As a guilty compensation for the carb onslaught to come, we ordered a salad of watermelon, oranges and greens that came drizzled with an orange chilli dressing. Sweet, punchy and fresh - just what we needed to lift us from the greasy starter and prepare us for our doughy delights.

We started our pizza-party with the Chorizo & Boursin and the Quattro Formaggi. It didn't matter which one we tried first, to know that the pizzas were built on a good foundation; a paper thin base, wood-fired perfectly to reveal crisp edges, but a malleable centre eager to fold right up, topped with the right amount of sauce, which is a little! The Quattro Formaggi came with separated slices of Cheddar, Provolone, Blue Cheese, Mozzarella and a surprise slice of Ricotta. As with the quality of some of the cheeses, the chorizo too could have been better, but nothing too deal breaking.

The next round brought to table the Lamb, Eggplant & Feta Pizza and the Rocket & Prawn. There are days when the thing you are most excited about lets you down, and it was one of those days. The deliciously intriguing lamb pizza was in fact, a rather unflattering combination of some insipid eggplant, a sauce I couldn't decide if I liked or hated and gamy lamb which I certainly disliked. Mince meat as a tasty alternative to the chewy lamb strips, someone?

So far we had pizzas with great crusts but some questionable toppings – I might have left, but did not. Thanks to the Prawn & Rocket Pizza which rid me of that contemplation. The prawns were cooked perfectly. What made them exceptionally delicious was that wood-fired smokiness that went so wonderfully with the clean freshness of the rocket.

(+91) 9910476975, (+91) 11 40587275

26, Ground Floor, Hauz Khas Village