Vincenzo Capuano

When the promise of authentic Neapolitan pizza dangles in front of you – courtesy of a third-generation pizzaiolo and World Champion of Contemporary Pizza, no less – expectations run high. Vincenzo Capuano's Lower Parel outlet is the brand's first in the country, with Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru soon joining the pizza chef's roster of 50-plus restaurants worldwide.

The hype has been considerable, with some declaring it the city's first taste of ‘real’ pizza. I went in with that fanfare in mind, keen to see if it holds up. Walk-ins seem to be accepted depending on availability and cancellations, but reservations are highly recommended.

The vibe

Designed by Vinay Agarwal of KOSMOS Workshop, the space is as contemporary as the menu. The ambience is warm, with weathered brick walls set against concrete, and neon signage anchoring the open kitchen and bar. The tiny washrooms are frescoed and worth a look, and the main dining area has a relief stucco depicting a quaint Naples village – catch it if you can. Between indoor and outdoor seating, the total capacity is 110.

The food 

The ingredients are the real show-stealers. Their freshness shows. The salumi platter – a generous spread of prosciutto, mortadella bologna, salame napoli, stracciatella, fresh arugula, sun-dried tomatoes and taggiasca olives – is a solid start.

The gnocchi speziati is creamy and well-seasoned, though it turns starchy and sticks to the palate once it cools. The ragù di agnello fares better: the lamb is slow-cooked to a rich, spoonable density, and the house-made fusilli holds up well against it. It's the standout of the mains.

Then there's the main event: the pizza. The menu has been widened with India-exclusive pizzas and Jain-friendly options. Torn between the cheese-stuffed Don Vincenzo and the diavola alla nonno enzo, I went with the latter, mostly for the base. The dough is 30-hour biga-fermented using Nuvolo Super flour from Mulino Caputo, giving it a distinctive honeycomb structure inside and a properly blistered Neapolitan-style cornicione. The crust alone is worth the visit. It arrives with a theatrical touch too, a pair of gold scissors engraved with the Vincenzo Capuano name, used to cut through the pie tableside.

The San Marzano tomato sauce is appetising, the fior di latte mild with a hint of tang, and the spicy spianata (a southern Calabrian salami made to Vincenzo's grandfather Enzo's recipe) brings the heat. Chilli oil is the only condiment served alongside, though mine never made it to the table. Even without it, the pizza held up on its own – I put it through the fold test without issue. Whether it lands for Indian palates used to bolder seasoning is a fair question; the tables on either side of me were making the same observation.

The beverage programme covers aperols, limoncellos, negronis and draught beer, alongside mocktails, soft drinks and canned juices.

The service

The staff-to-diner ratio is decent, but on a busy evening it was stretched thin. Hopefully that eases as the restaurant settles in. I flagged the service gaps to the manager on duty, who took the feedback well. Mumbai's dining scene is unforgiving of any place that coasts — the real test for Vincenzo Capuano will be whether the food alone is enough to keep it in demand if service doesn't catch up.

Time Out tip: An afternoon reservation is an easier get than evenings, which are booked out for weeks.