Nipped across the road last night to Il Giardino (just 10 meters from my front door) to take a pizza with an Italian work colleague. I get take-away pizzas from them regularly (when too lazy to cook) and they’re pretty tasty, the service is friendly and personal (when they get to know you) and a take-away pizza costs between SEK 90-120 including salad and a soft drink. (They’ve got the usual antipasta and pasta dishes too but so far, I’ve never got past their pizza menu!)
But taking an Italian to an Italian restaurant outside of Italy is another matter. And I was curious how she would rank my neighborhood favorite! We both took my ”regular” choice - the Formaggi – which arrived quickly and accompanied by the famous Swedish “coleslaw” that goes with pizzas here and which you either love or hate! Her only comment: “We don’t eat this coleslaw with our pizzas in Italy” but she still ate it and cleaned her plate, admitting that the stone-oven-cooked pizzas were pretty good.
Il Giardino is just a stone’s throw from the Gamla Stan end of Drottninggatan but their food and service is much better than some of the other local spots. Next time you’re in town doing some shopping, and craving a pizza, try them … generally you don’t need a reservation and will get a table, plus they’re quick!
