Berberè Pizzeria Isola — Restaurant in Milan

Most important things first: this is an absolute pizza HEAVEN ! (hence the 5* rating)

This is our 3rd visit to this place. We visited Berberè Isola earlier (pre-Covid times) and were keen on a re-visit to see if they were still doing well, serving those absolutely perfect (to our taste buds) pizzas.

Be warned: without prior (online) reservation it is very unlikely that you'll get a table (especially on weekends and/or public holidays) during peak times.

Let's summarize our 3 visits:

The interior: we like the interior a lot. It is of a clean, minimalist type of interior design. Nice mural (of a local artist, if I am correct). Sorry, lovers of Italian kitsch, Italian flags, plastic flowers and pictures of Napoli, football crews etc.... you will be very disappointed here. It can get loud at times (especially when there are group tables arranged). Consider it part of the Berberè ambiance (or Italian experience in general). No Italian cliché background music either. As we visited there was a jazzy and relaxing series of music on (there is a link on the menu to see what's playing).

The service: Berberè Isola seems to be the victim of it's own success. Due to the amount of hungry customers, this place can get very crowded at times. The young waiters have a tough job keeping up with all the orders and serving food (and keeping up the smiles). But, rest assured, it's worth the wait!

The menu: Berberè Isola has a straight forward, mainly pizza oriented menu. You will be pleased to hear that there is a limited (but more than sufficient) variety of pizzas to choose from... so none of that nonsense of pages and pages of similar named pizzas, only differing in minor details.

Drinks: there are no cocktails available (remember, they take their pizzas serious and not so much the drinks/cocktails). But there is a (short) wine, beer and soft drinks list. And they do affordable house wines.

The pizzas... that pizza dough is HEAVEN!!!!... according to a short note on the menu, that dough has been given a 24h rest, before it went into the pizza oven. The toppings are all fresh (nothing out of a can). That pizza crust is to die for. I suggest the Berberè management to do pizza baking classes... I would immediately sign up!

Price level: for good food (as this place offers), one should pay a fair price. I am sure there are cheaper places, but for Milano City this is...

This pizzeria makes a pizza which, for several years in a line, was listed among the "50 Top Pizza" in Italy by the "Il Gambero Rosso" cuisine magazine. And very good it is, indeed. Their menu lists a limited variety of pizzas, most of them very classical but with quality ingredients, mostly typical gastronomic excellences in their respective categories. For the pizza dough, one can choose between three options, starting from the one based on sourdough, to the semi-wholemeal organic one, to finish with the extra light one, made by starch hydrolysis, without added yeast. Besides the pizza, they have a good choice of starters, among which it's worth mentioning especially the Montanarina, which is a kind of very small, bite-size pan pizza, which is proposed with a few alternative tasty toppings. As for the draft beer, they have a craft IPA one, which I liked very much, but I didn't manage to understand what brand it was. Last but not least, the desserts: the tiramisù and cannoli looked really good, but I tried the blueberry sorbet, which was quite good, but definitely too frozen, missing its characteristic softness. The service was good, quite fast and kind to the customers, although some had to remember the delivery of the ordered stuff. However, the waitress was very kind at us, and always smiling. The furnishing and decoration of the place is deliberately simple and essential, with a few sophisticated touches, such as the beautiful chandelier and the fresco in the main room. Overall the atmosphere is pleasant, even if the customers are a bit too crowded, which results in an environment that is too hot and noisy. The prices are slightly high, but I suppose that they are reasonable for Milano. The location is within the limited traffic area of the city, so be careful if you drive there, because you won't find easily a parking in the immediate...

In the quest for the best pizza delivery in Milan, many have raved about this particular establishment. As a dedicated pizza connoisseur, I couldn't resist putting their reputation to the test. After indulging in their offerings on three separate occasions, I can confirm that the quality of the pizza is indeed noteworthy – certainly one of Milan's finest delivery options. However, there are a couple of caveats that my non-Italian friends may want to be aware of before taking a slice of the action:

Anchovies, or "alici" in Italian, are a beloved pizza topping for many, including myself. While Berbere does offer this salty delight, I found their rendition to be a bit over the top in terms of saltiness. The portion size was rather small, but considering the intense brininess, it felt like each bite was swimming in a salty sea, making the reduced quantity a small blessing in disguise.

Milanese pizza delivery services, it seems, have yet to master the art of transportation. In all three instances, my pizzas arrived with a few battle scars: cheese migrating across the pie, slices folding in on themselves – a sight that might make a pizza purist weep. But fear not, for in Italy, these minor imperfections are part of the charm and are generally overlooked.

Although this review may come across as critical, it's worth emphasizing that Berbere may still hold the title for the best delivery pizza in Milan. It's just that the pizzas themselves may have had one too many "special brownies" before hitting the road. In conclusion, if you're visiting Milan and craving a delicious slice of Italian pizza, consider dining in at the restaurant for the...