Bonci Pizzarium — Restaurant in Rome

Oh dear!

OK, so I'm a big fan of the netflix series. But I should really stop going out of my way to places that take a long time to serve.

There are a few points that may be helpful if someone had told me.

They are extremely popular not just with tourists but also locals. The cowds were at least 60-70 people at 2 PM on a Saturday. You take a token and at some point the numner display reset and the numbers were messed up, and our dear friends at the counter decided to stop also calling out the numbers in english so I missed my chance by 4 numbers before I clawed my way through.

Tourists like me have a few hours in certain cities to spend. Now, had I known, there is a wait time of an hour. I would have potentially decided to make an informed judgement about getting here and planning my day.

Reached at 2 PM, HUNGRY but I was finally called on to order at 2.50 PM, got my pizza at 3:00 PM (I literally saw an entire sheet of the flavour of pizza I wanted get over and never replaced in an hour- but I think I remember that was their creative process I guess from the show- but had to change my mind 2 times the pizza I wanted or more so what was available. You may be at the mercy of the chefs mood!

There is no space to sit and wait. You have to stand and wait, stand, and eat. No problem except if you come after a whole day of walking around the Vatican or Rome. 4 hours of walking and then an hour of standing was a lot for me.

Now, if I was guaranteed that every single pizza that came out of the kitchen was superb, I would not hesitate to blindly ask them to give me any 2-4 slices and eat them. Out of the 4 we ordered, we thought 2 were OK and 2 were not to our taste. The toppings are not proportional. In one rectangle cut into 2, you could get maybe 3 pieces of sauggage or Nduja, and some of them kept falling off as you ate it, so it was a difficult eat.

The pizzas are baked in a sheet and then reheated. The order taking system with the counter and the whole reheating process is so inefficient that a popular place with such an acclaimed chef wouldn't have figured out a better, less chaotic system.

The reason I point out that there are no English menus isn't for me, I would manage most of the time. A sweet little lost woman was staring at the display, totally confused. I sort of looked at each pizza and described o her what the toppings might be and what sort of meat it could potentially be. She didn't want anything with pork and there is no one to ask these things there until your turn comes and then it's a mad rush to just point at stuff so you can get your slice and hurry along.

What I can praise is the quality of the bread (not the flavour combo or the toppings) and the fried balls of various kinds. All very excellent!

I wouldn't do it again. Eaten tastier sheet pizzas with lesser hassle.

Hope you guys can improve on the service.

P.S: Things people said to me in the hour that I waited.

I'm really annoyed at you for dragging me here and making me wait for so long. (Husabnd to wife)

I give up! (Girl who had a large bag who had just arrived from somewhere and whose number was 40 down from where the current number was)

I don't know what has what. No one tells you these things when you watch the show. How do I know which ones has pork meat? (Lady who had just arrived from the airport to eat here, who I had to help figure out toppings)

See ya! (People ahead of us who finally finished and left just as we...

In the heart of Rome, Italy, lies a pizza haven that's not to be missed - Bonci Pizzarium! With its exceptional culinary creations and unique pizza-making approach, this charming pizzeria offers an unforgettable experience for every pizza enthusiast.

A Golden Ticket to Pizza Paradise

Upon arriving at Bonci Pizzarium, we were greeted with a lively queue of pizza enthusiasts eagerly waiting to indulge in a slice of heaven. Securing our numbered ticket, we prepared for the grand pizza adventure that awaited us.

Slice, Weigh, and Decide!

As the clock struck the opening hour, we embarked on the pizza quest. Armed with our tickets, we wiggled through the sea of people to the pizza counter, brimming with anticipation. The sheer variety of unique creations amazed us - from classic Margherita to inventive vegan delights. Each pizza was a masterpiece in its own right.

Gabriele Bonci: The Pizza Maestro

Behind these mouthwatering pizzas stands Gabriele Bonci, a true pizza genius. With a staggering 1,500 different pizza recipes to his name, he's redefined pizza-making as an art form. Vogue magazine's food critic aptly refers to him as "The Michelangelo of Pizza," and we wholeheartedly agree.

Potato Pizza: An Unexpected Pleasure

Among the myriad of pizza wonders, the Potato Pizza stood out as a delightful surprise. Topped with thin slices of potato, this unconventional creation won our hearts with its delectable flavors. Trust us when we say it's worth trying - the taste will leave you in awe.

The Art of Dough: Patience and Perfection

At Bonci Pizzarium, greatness takes time. Their signature dough, made with heirloom wheat flour, undergoes a meticulous 72-hour fermentation process. The result? A pizza crust that's unparalleled in texture and taste. It's a testament to the dedication and passion poured into every single pizza.

Pizza Weigh-In: Precision at Its Finest

Once we settled on our pizza picks, the cutting-edge process began. Equipped with scissors, the skilled artisans cut each slice to perfection. Then, the slices were placed on a scale to determine the final price, ensuring you only pay for what you desire.

The Secret Ingredient: Roman Ovens

Bonci Pizzarium uses special ovens shipped from Rome to achieve the perfect crust and crunch. These ovens are the secret ingredient that elevates their pizzas to new heights of excellence. You can truly taste the dedication to quality in every bite.

Suppli: A Culinary Adventure

During our visit, we also tried the Suppli, a Roman-inspired rice and pasta ball filled with cheeses and meats. While we appreciated the culinary adventure, it didn't quite match the pizza magic. But with such a diverse menu, there's something for every palate.

When in Rome, Slice and Savor

As our pizza adventure at Bonci Pizzarium came to a close, we left with hearts (and bellies) full of joy. From the bustling atmosphere to the delightful flavors, it was an experience to cherish. If you find yourself in Rome, be sure to make time for this pizza paradise.

In Conclusion

Bonci Pizzarium has truly mastered the art of pizza-making. Gabriele Bonci's innovative approach and dedication to quality have earned him the title of "The Michelangelo of Pizza." From the impeccable crust to the diverse array of toppings, every aspect of the pizza experience...

We were excited to try this spot! I can understand as to why people would line up for the pizza here especially after watching the Netflix pizza series on Chef’s Table. We also thought that it would be excellent and phenomenal.

Nevertheless, we realized that it was not the best pizza we ever had. When you line up for a place as such, you expect that the food is excellent and worth it but to be honest, this whole experience wasn’t the best as first of all, there were no clear instructions and the staff was not very friendly either. There were also no seatings/tables inside and you end up eating the pizzas outside with parked cars and garbages. It’s more of a take-out spot.

Please do yourself a favour, make sure you grab a ticket and retain it even if the instructions say that you only need a ticket for the bread but this was incorrect as the personnel still require the ticket number for your pizza order.

When it’s your turn and the staff calls out your number, it is very confusing inside as there’s about 2-3 people behind the pizza counter trying to help as many people as they can, it’s almost like a zoo, the staff doesn’t even explain you on how this whole thing works. They only cut the pizza slices and weighs them and then reheat them in their oven. Our bill was over €100 for a couple of boxes of pizzas. Despite paying so much and waited in line for that long, the truth was that we were disappointed.

We waited over an hour at Bonci and tried a bunch of them and we were not blown away by the pizzas. Some of them even had weird toppings like eggs etc… the only ones that we really enjoyed were the spicy Marinara and the classic Margherita. Had we only bought those, I believe we would have been happy with our choices and maybe had a better experience at Bonci but the weird toppings almost throw you off which we didn’t get and some of them don’t even belong on pizza. The only redeeming factor was the crunchy pizza dough, other than that, the toppings or flavour weren’t there and did not make sense at one point.

All in all, I do not think that we would return or recommend as it was over-hyped and expensive for “slices” that aren’t even worth it. In my opinion, it almost felt like a...