The world was at Berberè’s opening party at Manifattura Tabacchi, confirming the popularity of the pizzeria brand and the former tobacco factory development on the western side of Florence.
This opening marks Berberè’s third opening in Florence, following popular eateries in the Santa Croce and San Frediano neighbourhoods. Brothers Matteo and Salvatore Aloe are now turning to the cool and capacious Manifattura Tabacchi with 100 seats in the next phase of their company’s development, which is currently ranked fifth in the global 50 Top Pizza guide and boasts 13 locations, including one in London. It’s a success story for a pizzeria that started out in the backwaters of Bologna.
Neon red signage in the style of a Chicago deep dish pizza joint welcomes diners to the sprawling space. There’s a retro vibe with faux laminated tables alternating with marble counters, and visual artist TO/LET’s pop wall painting imitating Michelangelo’s David provides an Instagram op, while backlit screens state company values.
One of the highlights of Berberè is the friendly service. There’s no busiest night than the inauguration, but smiles were everywhere among the personnel, an attitude that is underscored by the choice to concentrate on a young, predominately female management team (70 per cent of Berberè’s store managers are women) and ongoing staff training.
All eyes are on the central kitchen island topped by a rose window in the form of a pizza, where a quartet of pizzaioli work in unison to shape, stretch and bake the pies. Out came a variety of tempting toppings: the spicy Diavola, with its circles of salami; the moreish Napoli, with Sicilian anchovies and Salina capers; crudo and burrata; speck and gorgonzola; ‘nduja; sausage and parmesan. We wolf them down, piece after piece, enjoying the lightness of the dough and the authenticity of the flavours, as well as the ease of eating. (Every pizza is already cut into eight slices to encourage sharing.)
At Berberè, pizza that’s as easily digestible as it is delicious is guaranteed, given the sole use of sourdough alive since 2010 and organic stone-ground flour, 24-hour leavening and strictly seasonal toppings.
Berberè @ Manifattura Tabacchi
Via delle Cascine 35, Florence
+39 055 0988190
Open daily 12 noon-3pm, 7-11.30pm
