RéNapoli

RéNapoli is widely known as a Sound Beach staple and as the classic goto pizzeria for people in Old Greenwich. Nestled amongst the cute shops of Old Greenwich, RéNapoli’s interior is comfortable like the shops around it. A look deeper shows a slightly different picture: RéNapoli is a pizzeria with something to prove. The massive pizza oven and notably ambitious pizza offerings detail RéNapoli’s pursuit of pizza perfection. The crown in the restaurant’s logo is close to making a statement as it subtly asserts a reigning status over the Greenwich pizza scene. I’ll be the judge of that. A look through their menu and a poster by the cash register reveals RéNapoli’s pizza philosophy where it places full emphasis on the quality of ingredients. The establishment’s menu describes their cheese options which include their 60 day aged mozzarella base, burrata, and Fior Di Latte Mozzarella. They even specifically explain that their margherita pizza uses “San Marzano Tomatoes DOP” (DOP being Denominazione d’Origine Protetta which certifies its origin). The about page of RéNapoli’s website describes the founder’s “quest” around Italy for the perfect ingredients. I set out over a series of visits to see if RéNapoli could meet its high standards and to sample its variety of pizza offerings.

During my several visits to RéNapoli, I tried their cheese pizza in its prominent varieties (Margherita, Sicilian, and classic New York style). All three varieties were delicious. The Margherita pizza had creamy cheese and managed to avoid common floppy crust issues with its thin yet sturdy crust. In my notes, I described a slight citrus note which caught me off guard (haven’t heard about that taste from others so maybe it was a one-off) and a flavor from olive oil. The margherita was unfortunately victim to cheese freefalls where its circular pieces would fall off the slice but with a hand-assisted “airlift” back to the slice, the dough to cheese to sauce ratio could be restored. This same ratio was the source of the minor flaws of an otherwise awesome Sicilian slice. I really enjoyed the Sicilian pizza I got from RéNapoli and while it's part of the style, I think just a little more cheese/sauce atop the puffy dough that’s the distinctive trait of Sicilian style pizza would correct the ingredient ratio. The New York style pizza was distinctly savory with a clear salt note from the cheese and I loved it. When I pulled the slice from the larger pie, I was greeted with a cheese pull that can’t be matched by any other pizzeria in Greenwich. RéNapoli’s remarkable consistency across its wildly different styles of pies definitely allows them to keep their crown (despite earning the number two spot in the Rankings at the time of this review). I wholeheartedly recommend RéNapoli to anyone who places importance on the ingredients in their pizza or is seeking a traditional Italian pie.