Italian cuisine had almost always been a thing in Greece. But lately, we take notice of a fresh breed of fine joints offering the best of what the southern Mediterranean nation is known for: good food! Two years after its launch in 2019, ALIO ventures out to a sister Neighbourhood Pizzeria that we can’t get enough of!
Becoming a regular at a place is not just about eating there often. It’s about getting to know its people, the staff that strives behind the counter and that make ALIO a beautiful place. Akis Varthalamis, co-founder with Loucacos brothers at ALIO, had spilled the beans just before summer 2021 for this new takeaway concept the team was prepping. Finally, in early November 2021 they opened up and we couldn’t resist the temptation of tasting their menu first on opening night!
A modern and bright red colored space in the outskirts of Halandri, ALIO Neighbourhood Pizzeria is exactly what its name claims. An offspring of ALIO, giving it full, bold flavours; and a Neighbourhood Pizzeria, cosy enough to hang around for a quick pizza or pasta or a swift takeaway grab.
The menu lists around 10 delightful pizza and 10 delicious pasta dishes, a handful of colorful salads and more. Having witnessed the different versions of pizza carbonara on Akis’ instagram feed in the build up to ALIO’s opening, we had to try it. And we so damn loved it! Maybe the best pizza around, making it very hard to pick between that and the ALIO classic pizza bianca. ALIO’s signature dough, fermented long enough to make it both crisp and fluffy, with a complex mix of cheese and egg sauce imitating the tangy texture and taste of a carbonara pasta – oh dear lord.
We also tried a prosciutto cotto e pesto pizza, which was also very very tasty! The pasta carbonara was also delicious… so delicious we came back a few days later for a quick cheat meal to go.
With delivery service soon to be launched in the surrounding area, there’s no doubt this will be a hit. Give it a go and report back: pizza carbonara or pasta?
