Gazzo — Restaurant in Berlin

UPDATE: I was there a second time and the dough was much better. It still wasn't my favorite pizza in this city, but it was very very good. The service was really nice and I had the famous buffalo milk soft ice dessert and since then I recommended this place over and over again. It is a must visit because of this dessert. Why? It is not overly sweet, yet sweet enough and the olive oil adds a beautiful complexity to it. The "Streusel" and the seasalt give the necessary texture and the seasalt gives a contrast.. Everything is balanced. This is as minimalistic as it gets and as good as it gets when it comes to food. Yes food in general. That good.

Original Review (3 Stars):

Certainly not a bad Pizza! Not a (very) good one either, though. I ordered a classic Margherita with Mozzarella di bufalo. That's my benchmark Pizza.

-The dough was simply not exciting at all if I compare it to the other top level places. -The tomato sauce was too intensely flavoured more like a American-Pizza (which is not a bad thing, but it wasn't fitting with the rest) Mozzarella was very mild (maybe it was normal and I just couldn't taste it because the sauce overpowered) I prefer when the basil is baked, but that's only personal..

My friend had a white pizza with sausage and thyme and that was much better.

Overall I would easily give 4/5, but service was bad. I am usually super chilled with service, but the first waiter acted weird, by asking my friend if we wanted our water sparkling or still. He asked in a way that implied everyone gets water for free and it's just a matter how we want it. In the end the water was charged, which is a cheap trick and maybe our fault for being naive enough to fall for it. I expect this kind of behavior from a tourist place who only wants to see their customers once and never again...

With the highly competitive pizza market, there is no reason why I would go there again. Zola, Massaniello, Cassolare are in the same neighborhood and are better (each in their own ways).

Disclaimer: The ambience is really nice, I don't care about that when I eat pizza. I am a simple man. So this doesn't go...

Picture yourself in a chic Italian eatery on a chilly December evening in Berlin. Your friend is there before you, and as you walk in, you remember why you were reluctant to agree to this particular restaurant in the first place... The crowd, the aesthetic, the significance of this place in the broader context of the city and its history... Well this all comes back to you as you brave the curtains and look around the room self-conscious of your quizzical look and unfashionable jacket. Whatever, your friend wanted to come here and the least you can do is agree to his preference -- he is going to end up paying for the meal, so it all kind of evens out. Anyway, you find him and place your hand on his shoulder as you slide between the tables and then into the upholstered booth-like seat along the wall. To your left, a group of four Americans. To your right, a group of three Germans who have a self-reflexiveness to them, as if they've internalised someone else's idea or image of themselves, and feel unsure how to proceed authentically. You exchange pleasantries with your friend, it's been three months since you last saw each other. Eventually the waiter arrives, and you suspect he doesn't speak German -- nope, they definitely don't. For a second you allow yourself to think: is it really that hard to learn the language? But then you think the better of it -- but then (!) you think: is it really so hard to at least adopt the mannerisms and non-verbal qualities of waitstaff in a country you move to? You know, like the way things are phrased, if not the phrasing itself. I guess, the form, if the content is too hard -- there we go. You're not really sure if that thought is politically incorrect, or if people like Emma Dickson, the most PC person you know, would let you get away with it. Anyway, you both order the same glass of wine, and later two different pizzas, so you can try each other's -- and the food is okay, but the whole thing kind of reminds you of a cafeteria, and you're not sure how to feel about that. The content of a cafeteria, and the form of a chic Italian eatery. Or is it the...

I stumbled across this place after raving recommendations from some solid foodie IG accounts and boy, am I glad I did. Went for an early lunch today and grabbed a table in the garden. The staff was very friendly, everyone was wearing masks properly, and took care disinfecting the tables after all the guests. I ordered a seasonal pizza with hokkaido pumpkin, bacon, ricotta, mozarella, sage, garlic, parmesan, and honey. My girl got a classic Margherita. The pizzas were amazing. The dough was absolutely delicious, Gazzo definitely knows how to ferment their sourdough. The toppings were great quality too, I like how some of them were sourced from other local, or less local but still carefully picked, businesses. No frills, just good quality fresh ingredients in perfect ratio. For a dessert we got a soft-serve ice cream made from buffalo-milk, with olive oil, sea salt, and shortbread (shortbread from another Berlin business, Katie’s Blue Cat). THESE ICE CREAM SLAP. These ice cream ruin you for other ice cream and make you want to pour olive oil on the sad Häagen-Dazs sitting in your freezer. I am not sure what happened there and how they can be that good, but that ice cream alone is a reason to go to Gazzo, and please don’t forget that the pizza they make is just chef’s kiss. A home-made lemonade was lovely too, not to sweet, nicely sour, very sparkly and refreshing. I will be popping in here whenever I am in Berlin, because in the world of so many pizza restaurants, it’s not that easy to find a true gem. Thanks a lot for the...