Pink Mama

Paris

While France and Italy’s relationship may be on rocky ground, that’s not the case at this flamingo-pink beacon in the Pigalle area of Paris. Taking a Flat iron-like stance on the corner of two streets, a line slinks out the door come lunchtime as guests are manoeuvred to one of four floors. Expect an easygoing trattoria-style menu by ex-Ducasse chef Rocco Daniele, which features Neapolitan pizzas, quality beef cuts from tomahawk to entrecôte, all flamed over cherry wood, and simple pasta dishes.

Each floor has its own unique spirit and decor: a flea market-worthy array of retro pieces that form a friendly whole. Follow antique maps and mismatched art up the stairs to a glass ceiling sweeping the length of the building. Flooded with light, dressed in botanics and filled with the smell of garlic, this is a greenhouse effect we can get on board with. Fennel-laced charcuterie starts, swiftly followed by wild boar-stuffed pasta in sage butter and, the purist’s pick, a ‘mammargherita’: pizza with the creamiest buffalo mozzarella we’ve had outside of Italy. And dessert? Tiramisu, of course, plus a strong espresso.

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