Al Bacio Ixelles — Restaurant in Ixelles - Elsene

Have been coming here for over 5 years, and boy - the disappointment is real 😞 This used to be my favourite pizzeria by far. Unfortunately it has gone downhill badly. The service is supeeer slow, the pizza toppings are no longer the same and now are definitely low quality and scarce (see photo of Margherita) + the last time I had prosciutto and burrata it tasted stale, and few of the cherry tomatoes were spoiled. Most importantly the waiting times are absurd. I waited for 50+ minutes for two pizzas. The terrace and the inside have way more tables than the space allows for, resulting in a crammed and overcrowded seating. Years ago, Al Bacio used to have a dream team of service staff and pizzaiolos and it really was a pleasure to eat here, but unfortunately it's gone really, really bad. Won't be coming here again...

Pizza itself was ok, but nowhere near a Neapolitan dough. Very light, thin, not much fluffy crust around. I personally liked it, but recognize the difference from pizza in Naples... The pizzaiolo is extremely skilled with his hands and very much in control, the girls serving the tables very formal. Beware, pizzas tend to be on the burnt side, again I liked it but understand some people may get funny when they see charcoal bits around their crust...Prices are expensive like everywhere in Brussels, eating pizza shouldn't really cost more than a 8€ for a Margherita or 12€ for richer toppings.... but Brussels is surreal for prices. That said, Al Bacio is probably on the lower spectrum price-wise, so go and enjoy their hard work, they deserve...

I've been wanting to try Al Bacio for a while (I've been looking for a thin-crust pizza forever!), and it did not disappoint. Likely the best pizza I've had in Brussels - it's not just a matter of dough preference, but also fresh produce that adds a perfectly balanced flavour to the pizzas we chose. Allow me to add that I don’t quite understand the negative comments about the pizza dough - just look at the pictures before booking here and if you really want heavy Neapolitan pizza just go to one of the million places in the city - internet is your friend. This is a real gem and for people who want to try pizza Pugliese (or romana 😝) and enjoy friendly Italian service....