How to eat (and how long to wait!) at Gino Sorbillo in Vomero: a review

Gino Sorbillo's Casa della Pizza in Vomero is the latest Neapolitan opening in the tireless pizza chef's whirlwind of locations and formats.

Casa della Pizza, the atmosphere, the service and the menu

There's certainly more, but it's actually a cardboard cutout of Gino Sorbillo (almost life-size) with a pineapple around his neck that greets us at the foot of the small entrance staircase. The place is colorful, divided into several small spaces that convey a sense of cheerfulness and warmth. The tables are simple, wood-colored, set with branded plates and placemats with accompanying menus. The seats aren't overly comfortable, but they're charming, with padding that matches the blue wallpaper on some of the walls. A table with a sofa might be better for larger groups, but we fear the seats with stools overlooking small windowsills overlooking Piazza Vanvitelli might be worse: for one or two people at most, they're a bit like children being grounded by their teacher, rather than a metropolitan bar. La Casa della Pizza also has an outdoor seating area right in the central Piazza Vomerese, with a glass-enclosed platform covered with umbrellas. The staff, from welcoming guests to serving tables, is smiling, attentive, and even cheerful, though we must note that the wait times are at least meditative, if not downright long. We visited for a weekday lunch, which wasn't particularly busy, yet we still waited a few minutes too long for both our appetizers and our pizzas.

The menu features traditional Neapolitan appetizers, such as the Neapolitan meatball (€9.50), strictly red, eggplant parmigiana (€9), and a variation of fried montanare (€11.50), among others. Then come the stuffed fried pizzas (which can also be baked), such as the complete ones with pork crackling, salami, or cooked ham (all €11), and a long selection of pizzas, Sorbillo's ideal homage to the most authentic of all pizzas: the Margherita. Whether plain, red, or with a hint of sauce, for Sorbillo, all pizzas are Margheritas. And don't ask for more! The more conventional Margherita with tomato and Agerola fiordilatte, topped, like all the others, with shavings of Cilento buffalo mozzarella on the crust, is also available (€6.90).

Other options range from €7.90 for a Margherita with smoked provola and black pepper to €13.50 for one with Cantabrian anchovies or Patanegra pancetta, among others. The infamous white Margherita with twice-cooked pineapple stops at €9. You can also choose from four salads: from the proverbial Caprese (€9.50) to the more international Greek, Nicoise, or chicken salad (€10).

Fried food and pizzas from Casa della Pizza in Vomero

A dish, a proclamation: Welcome to Naples with traditional fried foods, this is the name chosen for this variation of fried foods. Two potato croquettes, a bit plain but not exactly unforgettable, a pasta frittata with a filling that's too soft, and some delightful battered vegetables. The start was uninspiring and there was a little too much oil.

We confess: we didn't have the courage to give in to the pineapple pizza. It's been so much talked about that, in a Moretti-esque way, we thought it would be more noticeable if we didn't mention it at all. We went ahead with two white-based Margherita pizzas: porcini mushrooms and fiordilatte, artichokes and Colonnata lard, both topped with buffalo cacioricotta. The two large discs were well-rolled and had slightly pronounced edges. The dough was evenly cooked with a slight over-chewiness that didn't translate into rubberiness, but risked coming close. In the white Margherita pizza with mushrooms, the porcini mushrooms lost a bit too much moisture during baking. The Margherita pizza with artichokes was more convincing: the lard provided a pleasant sensation on the palate; we only noticed a slight over-savoryness, but it didn't compromise the pizza's overall flavor.

Drinks, desserts and the bill at Casa della Pizza

In addition to water, classic commercial soft drinks and Peroni beer in various variations complete the beverage offerings, including Limoncello and Aperol Spritz, as well as a small wine and sparkling wine list. A white and a red are also available by the glass. The dessert menu is modest: tiramisu and babà. A pineapple platter follows (maybe they bought too much?).

Aunt Esterina's tiramisu is presented in the inevitable glass jar with a hinge: without excess sugar or a high perception of fat in the cream, it is a pleasant end to a meal.

A small aside on accessibility: there's no access at the entrance (which has a staircase) (or even on the raised outdoor deck) or in the restrooms. The venue isn't at street level, of course, but we believe a solution could have been found to accommodate customers with mobility disabilities.

The bill for two people, with two bottles of water, was €53.10, a bit high for this experience without any particular highlights.

Opinion

The latest of Gino Sorbillo's Neapolitan creations, the Vomero branch of Casa della Pizza is a pleasant and colorful establishment, albeit more modest in its format and pizza production. The menu, which focuses on a tribute to the Margherita, still features the infamous pineapple pizza, the social media staple of the most social pizza chef in Italy. The friendly service doesn't make up for the long wait at the table.