23rd Street Pizza Is A Hit With Us For Their NY-Style Pizzas, Soft Serve & Vibes

It's going to be a year old in a few months. Before the anniversary, we felt we had to let the cat out of the bag when it came to one of our favourite dining spots in the city that we've been to on multiple occasions, from a preview to a dinner date and a friend's birthday party to some solo time. 23rd Street Pizza works for us because it's one of those spots in the city that opened up with a literal block party and since then have been doing something that we love: consistently good food and vibes. So here's why 23rd Street Pizza works. 

A diner-style vibe with hues of green and a giant cassette by the pizza oven catches your eye when you enter. It's not entirely modelled like a diner, but elements from the tiled bar counter to the photos of NY streets dot the space. The founder, Vijay Prakash, who you might run into when you are there, worked and learned the craft of New York-style pizzas and wanted to bring all of that back here, and boy, are we glad. It's a good thing he also brought the vibes. In the evenings, the vibe of the space is that of a cool, laid-back pizzeria where you are catching up with your friends over some wine and "za". Oh, and the community table is perfect for large group celebrations. 

So good. We love how uncomplicated the menu is. And if you are looking for a place to be a regular, then this is it. You start with a round of Mozz Sticks and Lamb Meatballs. And if there are too many vegetarians at the table, then a portion of Garlic Knots should be ordered too. And for those who don't mind getting their hands downright sticky and messy, the Buffalo Chicken Wings is the choice. Garlic Knots and the Mozz Sticks are the fillers you'll keep ordering again if you are in a larger group because they just work — one's garlicky and yum, and the other is deep-fried mozzarella. Could you even go wrong? 

Vijay told us during our preview here that we ought to order the Rigatoni Alla Vodka, and while it's not become our regular, it's an alternative for someone who might be like, "Oh, let's do one starter, one pasta, and one pizza."

Now, let's talk dough. It's 14-inch pizzas, New York-style, with an option of doing half-and-half. We appreciate it because sometimes we dine with friends who want mushrooms on everything, and unfortunately, this writer is allergic to them. The Trifecta for the vegetarians has been a hit with most pepperoni-loving friends of ours. It's probably because, somehow, the vodka-tomato-pesto sauce mix works. Truffled Mushroom is another vegetarian favourite. But our favourite? The Goodfellas with its nduja, bacon, and pepperoni trinity. Hot Wheels comes in a close second because of spicy chorizo. Who doesn't love a spicy pizza? 

As we dig into their soft serve, which has a cult following and tends to get sold out too, we leave knowing it's one of those places we can honestly rely on and enjoy the food and have a good time. Oh, and definitely get another serving of the soft serve — vanilla ice cream, olive oil, and sea salt.

Timings: 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM and 7 PM to 12 Midnight, Monday to Thursday and Sunday and 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM and 7 PM to 1 AM, Friday and Saturday

Price For Two: INR 2,000

Google Rating: 4.5/5

Social Media: @23rdstreet_pizza

Hit the button in the washroom. You'll know which. And you'll thank us later.