23rd Street Pizza might just be the coolest pizzeria in Bengaluru

New York-style pizzas, soft serve ice cream and wine cocktails are on offer

Castle Street in Bengaluru is a quiet lane with a handful of restaurants. But it was abuzz last weekend, thanks to a new pizzeria in town – 23rd Street Pizza. The restaurant was started by Vijay Sekhar who wanted to bring a New York-style aesthetic to Bengaluru.

“I worked for months in New York. I worked in Italian joints like Baked by Luigi. I learnt the skills and did a lot of research, and decided to bring this to India,” he tells us as we grab a table. Neon signs, hip-hop music, a wine bar, a cool merchandise corner and a live pizza kitchen capture the aesthetic that Vijay is trying to create. Checkerboard patterns and pictures of New York City streets adorn the walls. The seats are limited with a few stools by the bar, so make sure to get there early. There are about 14 tables, but they do take prior reservations.

The two-page menu is short and to the point — something I really appreciate. The wine list ranges from fruit forward reds, to complex whites and sparkling bubblies. We chose an elderflower white wine cocktail. All the cocktails are made low alcohol and are designed to be sipped slowly while you enjoy your food. The floral and light drink paired well with the buttery food. 

And buttery it was! We started with garlic knots and potato wedges. Both excellent with a generous topping of parmesan cheese and fried garlic. The knots were served with a piquant Marinara-style sauce that we kept going back for. The chicken Caesar salad came highly recommended and lived up to the hype with fresh ingredients and a creamy dressing.

Curious to try their pastas, we ordered the rigatoni alla vodka before moving to the pizzas. The al dente rigatoni was toothsome, and the tomato sauce was the right balance between spicy and creamy. The portion sizes are just right, so you do not feel too full after having one of these.  

The pies are made in a live kitchen at the end of the pizzeria. The base is thin crust and hand tossed. The trifecta pizza had toppings of tomato sauce, vodka sauce, pesto, aged mozzarella, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. You can customise toppings such as n’duja sausage, lamb meatballs, hot honey or scamorza cheese. The crispy crust won me over.

Zeppole bites, olive oil cake and soft serve ice cream are the dessert options. My companion and I decided on the cake, which was served with a raspberry compote that was too sweet for my palate. Fortunately, the delicate and soft cake made up for it.