Restaurants

Neapolitan gusto is so prevalent at Pizza Metro that it can feel more like a holiday destination than a dining hotspot. Waiters seem constantly on the verge of bursting into song, the walls feature murals of provincial life in the shadow of Vesuvius, and theres even a gleaming Vespa parked between the tables. Food is similarly boisterous: regional starters such as calamari con fagioli (squid and cannelloni bean salad) are offered before fish and meat mains and a range of own-made pasta (including a mighty scialatielli pesciosa packed with pretty much every edible underwater creature). But its the pizzas that have hungry punters hovering outside on busy weekend evenings. The olive oil-infused bases are as sublime as the combinations of fresh toppings, from baked aubergine and ricotta (somehow the consistency of melted marshmallow) to the patented Pizza Metro meatball pizza. All come in rectangular shapes and are served on towering metal trays that rise to eye level. This might intrude on conversation, if most customers werent too busy stuffing their faces to talk.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008