Pizza Chic

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The Carciofi (foreground) and the Diva.


Pizza Chic
13, rue Mézières, in the 6th Arrondissement.
Tues–Sat, 12:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.–11 p.m.
(Fri and Sat until 11:30 p.m.) 01 45 48 30 38.

Pizza Chic is aptly named.
The cool corner location near St.-Sulpice is more New York than Naples, with large windows, unshaded silver-tipped bulbs, oversize wine and water glasses, and old Absolut bottles playing the part of water carafe. A gorgeous espresso machine sits behind the antiqued bar, backed by a huge gilt-framed mirror. The servers are bellissima.
The pizzas are pretty, too: the thinly sliced mushrooms on the Diva were almost translucent. The Carciofi was a study in green, with peppery arugula covering artichokes in two forms—nutty raw slices and a piquant purée.
The eponymous Chic, a white pie topped with ribbons of lardo di Colonnata (I had no idea cured pork fat was chic), is fragrant with rosemary. As with many of the pizzas here, the topping is added to the crust after baking, which will make purists wince but results in a lighter-seeming pie. The crust doesn’t go soggy in the wood-burning oven under the weight of rapidly melting mozzarella.

 


As can be expected in this neighborhood, the prices are a little high. The Diva—topped with those mushrooms, tomato, mozzarella, ham and olives—will set you back 19 euros, the Carciofi 21 euros. Chic is not cheap, and make no mistake: the “chic” in Pizza Chic is what you’re paying for.
If you want more than pizza, the menu offers a typical range of antipasti, from grilled vegetables to beef carpaccio. There’s also a page of “aperitivo chic”: wines paired with nibbles like aged Parmesan, Tuscan salumi and, to share, a hefty half-kilo of mozzarella di bufala. Desserts include tiramisu, panna cotta and gelato from Pozzetto—maybe the best in Paris.
In a nutshell: The substance of Pizza Chic lies in its style.
Price check: Sharable first courses from 8 to 18 euros, pizzas from 16 to 22 euros. Italian wines by the glass start at 5.50 and rise rapidly.
For better pizza and less chic, line up at nearby Pizza Positano:
Pizza Positano
15, rue des Canettes, in the 6th.
01 43 26 01 62.