Restaurants / Food and drink
Taste of Napoli – restaurant review
The belch and roar of buses pulling up alongside the biggest Primark in the Northern Hemisphere might be about as far from the gentle lap of waves on the Amalfi Coast that you can imagine. But, tucked into a tiny shop on the Horsefair, next to The Arcade, the taste of fresh pizza will transport you to Italy – albeit with your back to the window.
When I arrived at lunchtime, one of the tables in the tiny ground floor was already occupied by some Italian guests, and as I chose my pizza slice from the multitude of options (including dairy- and meat-free) in the glass counter, rapid-fire Italian bounced off the tourist shots of Rome, Florence and Venice that adorn one wall of the shop.
I chose a slice covered in aubergines, torn mozzarella and prosciutto ham (£3 to eat in, £2.50 to take away) and took a seat to eat it, while more long-lost friends entered the shop and were kissed on both cheeks by the owner.
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The pizza was heaven. It was incredibly light, with a base that had risen to the consistency of a trampoline-springy focaccia – far more a bread than a heavy pizza dough. The toppings were applied liberally, nestling into the base’s lumps and bumps and crevices, and were generous, fresh and delicious – particularly the wafer thin prosciutto.
Taste of Napoli is a new venture for Neapolitan business owner Carmine Montuori and his family – his daughter serves behind the counter, while his wife and son cook in the kitchen. The family have lived in Bristol for three years, and saw a gap in the market.
“This is regional food and drink,” he explained. “We have some speciality items that we import in, and everything we make is typical of the Italy you get to taste when you visit. People come back from holiday and want to have what they ate when they were away, but before they could not find it here. This is authentic.”
The big, square slices of pizza that they sell are traditional, he explained: “We have round pizza to eat at night, and square at lunchtime in Napoli. The dough rises for three days, so it is very light. This is real pizza!”
The cafe is also open for breakfast from 8am, with Carmine’s talented wife whipping up special pastries that are left to prove for 36 hours, and crème pâtissière typically served in Napoli City. Under the counter at lunchtime they looked a little dull and neglected, but fresh from the oven in the morning I have no doubt they’d be unbeatable.
Their enormous espresso machine also got a good workout while I demolished the last bit of pizza and contemplated going back for a second slice, and they offer speciality coffee from the Napoli region, including a hazelnut blend. The shop was full of people by the time I gathered my things, and people perched at the counter sipping tiny espressos and having a chat in Italian before continuing their day.
Stepping back out onto the grey pavements of the Horsefair was a shock to the system – for just a moment, as I licked a final crumb from my fingers, I had hoped I might find myself beside a glittering azure sea. For now, Debenhams will have to be close enough.
Taste of Napoli, 32 The Horsefair, BS1 3HZ
0117 329 1340
Read more reviews: The Smoke Haus
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