Argentina may not be the home of pizza, but it is certainly a key feature of Argentine cuisine. With a comparatively high number of pizzerias per capita, finding pizza in Buenos Aires is incredibly easy. Finding great pizza is a slightly longer story. Standard Argentine pizza has a thicker crust than traditional Italian pizza making it very similar to the kiwi style pizza I’m used to. The other key feature is the cheese; there is so much more cheese. A great Argentine pizza is all about the cheese.
Pizzerias will often have a signature popular pizza as well as the handful of classic flavour combos lurking on the majority of menus throughout the city. The classic Mozzarella is one of my go-to pizzas, a totally cheesy pizza usually topped with a handful of green olives. The Neapolitana steps this classic up a notch with tomato and garlic. I found this really tones down the cheese-fest for those not up to the mozzarella challenge. Another pizza to try is a Buenos Aires original, the Fugazetta, which has a slathering of caramelised onions with of course a lot of cheese. A pizzeria in La Boca, Banchero, claims to be the originator of such a flavour combo. Founded in 1893 this pizzeria is certainly an institution worth visiting.
Also Learn About: The 101 of the Argentine Pizza Part 1
Admittedly I have been avoiding some of the more infamous must-eat-here pizza places off the tourist guide lists. Mostly for fear of a highly commercialised experience with long queues and a jacked up price, also known as ¨a tourist trap¨. However I found myself at one of these very places this past weekend, the historic El Cuartito, and it was great. We arrived at 10pm on a sunday night and though the place was fairly full we did not have to wait for a table. My local dinner companions insisted that was a rare feat for this pizzeria founded in 1934. The walls are totally covered in sports and music memorabilia spanning the history of the pizzeria. With a great atmosphere and plenty to look at I didn’t find myself bored with the slightly too long wait for pizza. Being a group meant we were able to order a few pizzas and try out the flavours. I absolutely loved the Neapolitana but the winner was the Cuatro Quesos pizza (four cheese) which to date was the cheesiest experience of my life.
Also Learn About: The 101 of the Argentine Pizza Part 2
I’ve now tried pizza all over the city, I’ve had OK pizza and I’ve had great pizza but I really haven’t had a terrible pizza. Arguably because it is pretty hard to mess up pizza, bread and cheese are a never-fail power couple. When it comes to the hunt for the best pizza there is some truth to the old saying you get what you pay for. They keep pizzas minimal here so an expensive pizza tends to have a higher quality of ingredients rather than just a ton of extra toppings. With that said the famous pizzerias are usually famous for a reason, and arguably the safest bet, but I highly recommend heading there a little early or a little late to avoid the queues. Unless of course, ¨standing room only¨ is your kind of thing. But these famous pizzerias are certainly not the only sources of great pizza in the city. There are thousands of pizzerias calling Buenos Aires home and a lot of them make a great Argentine pizza. So rather than send you to specific pizzerias for specific pizzas I would suggest grabbing a slice for here and slice from there as you wander the city. If you spot a place with good vibes and some Argentine customers get in there and discover your own Buenos Aires pizza perfection.
