The Great Parisian Plate Debate

74-76 avenue de la Grande Armée, 75017
Tel. 01.40.55.04.73

At first blush a place named Pizza il Naturale may strike some as an odd choice for a bar. But, curses, our time to complete the challenge is dwindling rapidly, weekday bars are becoming a necessity, and we have an urgent need to close out the 17eme. Plus, we’re all tired of baguette sandwiches. Pizza il Naturale in place of a Bonne Journée is a gem of a trade, and if you’re smart you will do the same if you’re ever a similar situation.

We went to Pizza il Naturale for the wine, but let more impressed with the pizzas. They were doing brisk business with the lunch crowd, but we were quickly shuffled over to a table and delivered a loaf of bread which only minutes before had been hanging out in the open ovens at the rear of the restaurant. When the pizzas were delivered to the table– one per person, of course – they arrived in true Paris pizza fashion. Chicago has deep dish, St. Louis rocks the provolone, New York provides giant foldable slices, and Paris…well, Paris style is unique. I’m convinced that all pizza places cook the same pizza, with basic sauce and cheese, and then dump all your specific toppings right there on top in an occasional semblance of culinary style. I once had a Parisian pizza with a sunny side-up egg smack dab in the center; I’m pretty sure they added it just because they had an extra egg sitting around the kitchen.

While this may strike some as odd in a city so style conscious – that applies to food as well as fashion, of course – would add toppings in an unceremonious heap, this takes little away from how tasty the pizzas are. Ugly pizzas can still be delightful pizzas. Pizza il Naturale does cook up a quality pizza, plus they provide a friendly bottle of Tabasco sauce at each table – hard to beat!

Pizza il Naturale is a quick ride away from La Défense, assuming you get on the one line going the correct direction. While I don’t know if their pizza is truly all ‘naturale,’ I can confidently speak for Dan and I when saying that they’re worth a trip for a lunchtime bottle and pizza.