Al Taglio

Pizza with tuna, artichoke and arugula.

Al Taglio
2 bis, rue Neuve Popincourt, in the 11th Arrondissement.
01 43 38 12 00.
27, rue de Saintonge, in the 3rd. 09 50 48 84 06.
Open every day.
Al Taglio has just opened a second location (after their first in Oberkampf) in the 3rd Arrondissement, which means there are now two places to procure some of my favorite pizza for lunch in Paris.
The pizza at Al Taglio is sold by weight as it sometimes is in Rome. It’s baked in large rectangular sheets, with a crust that is thick but airy, crisp on the bottom, and that holds up to the generous toppings.
Here’s how it works: when you enter, go directly to the counter to see what varieties of toppings they have on offer. The person taking your order will be wielding a pair of scissors. Choose which kind you want and indicate how much you want. If your French is not great, don’t worry; there seems to be a universal sign language for “bigger” and “smaller.”  Order drinks while you’re there—a soda or something from the short list of inexpensive Italian wines. Now go find a seat and wait for your slices to be warmed up in the oven.

The dining rooms at both locations are bright and colorful, with long communal tables. There’s a little more elbow room at the new location, but the address in the 11th has a terrace.
Your slices will arrive on a little wooden board, cut into smaller pieces for easy handling, which is useful, because there is no flatware, just some flimsy napkins.
If it’s available, I almost always get a slice of the potato and truffle pizza. The truffles are in a cream that’s drizzled around the thinly sliced potatoes, and it all kind of melts together into a fragrant, comforting mess flecked with fresh parsley. You might also see artichokes and salami, zucchini or eggplant, and a more-or-less basic margherita. On my last visit to the new Marais location, they had a pizza meant to be served at room temperature, the crust topped with tuna, artichokes, red onion, arugula and herbs. It was light and fresh, the perfect presummer food.
If you have room for dessert, the gelato here comes from Pozzetto, which makes some of the best in Paris.
You pay at the counter when you’re finished. It’s cheap, delicious and you eat with your hands, which makes this a great place for kids, one where grownups can eat happily too.
In a nutshell: Al Taglio is a kid- and adult-friendly address serving some of the best pizza in Paris.
Price check: Plan on spending 10–20 euros per person depending on how hungry and thirsty you are.
If Al Taglio sounds good but you want something more polished, try Pizza Chic. Read the review.
Pizza Chic
13, rue Mézières, in the 6th.
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.