Bonci

So good and so many options! Try several! My favorite toppings were prosciutto, ricotta and pine nuts. The dough is crunchy in every bite, but also soft and chewy. Really good stuff.

I’m writing this short review by taking out the fact that Anthony Bourdain enjoyed this place and that Bonci is deemed the king of pizza in Rome.
The pizza was good! It’s definitely worth a trip to try it out. I like the innovative toppings and atmosphere of the place. It does get knocked down a bit by the staff and selections. The staff was not unfriendly, but not really friendly either. I may have stopped in after a huge rush because the place only had a few patrons and the selections of pizza were sparse (good, but sparse). I do recommend going here and trying it out.

A great variety. You can get bite sized pieces to try as many as you want. More photos and details on my blog. Link in profile.

Yes, this place has some interesting combinations, a little pricey but delicious. But you know what? When you pass another little place with awesome looking pizza, it will be delicious too! So don’t sweat it if you don’t make it out here.

This is that one slice of pizza that I daydream about and makes me make the obligatory stop when in Rome.
I’m telling you this slice was life changing and I recommend to all my friends that make a stop in Rome. The first time I came here it was much smaller then it currently is and it was called pizzarium. But I’m guessing when you have amazing pizza business starts booming and you expand.
Lines are usually out the door but trust me it’s well worth the wait. The first time I came it was summer time and I’m guessing since many of bonci’s venders were on vacation (like any Italian) there was only vegetarian pizzas. At first I’ll be honest I wanted to leave because I wanted pizza with some ham or any other kind of meat. I ended up trying this pizza with lots of cheese and potatoes and cooked sweet onions. I WAS BLOWN AWAY !!! I never knew such a combination can excite my taste buds. This is truly one of my favorite pizza spots in the world I would recommend to anyone that is in Rome to try it out.

Love it! Read all there is on this place then try it for yourself! We went there on a Monday afternoon around 3:30 and still had to wait about 15 mins to order. Obviously, this place has a lot of hype. But it is well-​deserved! The crust is airy,
Tasty, but has a crunch on the bottom like you never had. The toppings are interesting but not for the sake of uniqueness. Just plain, honest, and delicious. Also had some of the supplí which was fantastic. Paired it off with an Aussie IPA – made for a great late lunch. I feel like they could get away with charging a lot more. 25 euro for 2 big slices, 2 drinks, and supplí. Go there now!

Excellent food. You order slides of different pizza’s and pay for the total weight. Many different kinds available (try the one with fiori di zucca!) Also very cheap arancini available. Prices are average: we paid € 20 for two person, wine (organic, € 1.8 per glass!) included.

How do I even begin to explain the amazingness of Bonci…
Rome is where you go if you want to experience amazing pizza, but really, you just need to eat at Bonci (Pizzarium). The shop is small and crowded, chances are you’ll have to eat outside or take to go. Once you arrive, get your ticket number. Their number system is displayed on the corner of their TV screen and people will be standing around waiting and deciding what to order. So once you’ve decided and they call your number, you have to tell the server what type of pizza you want, and of what size. Everything is priced by weight so if you do not tell them, they’ll cut your slice pretty big. When I try new places I always order more than one thing so with Bonci, I asked for two different pizza’s in a little smaller size so that I could experience more than one. (And of course eat whatever my husband orders) After they take your order, they warm your pizza in the oven so you do have to wait again before you’re able to finally enjoy your pizza.
We came on a day where the line was not out of the door but they were still packed inside and waited only 10 minutes or so to order. We were lucky to grab some counter space indoors to enjoy our meal as it was terribly windy and cold that day in Rome.
The pizza variety is vast and you’ll see some pretty amazing things like rose petals on your pizza. So beware, it will be difficult to decide what pizza’s to choose. The pizza is amazing, unlike any other pizza I had in all of Italy. The dough, the toppings. I will be purchasing the cook book and I will be so happy if I can at least recreate the dough. (He also sells his flour in the store)
So again, if you are eating pizza in Rome, eat here or you will be doing yourself an injustice.

Was visiting the Vatican and saw this place nearby so decided to stop by for lunch. Got a couple of slices. Margherita was excellent and the onion pizza was pretty good as well. Prices were very fair. Got pizza for my wife and I and it only cost $ 10 euros. Service was friendly and even though they were swamped, everything came into in a pretty quick manner.

Sig. Bonci is Rome’s king of pizza. The place is a nice walk through the neighborhood out behind the Vatican. There are always a variety of options. Vegetarians and vegans will find something here as will the meat lovers.
You’ll be sorry for missing this!

4.5
Within hours of landing in Italy, I was already smitten with Rome. So many of my friends told that I would want to get in and out but I wanted to spend my entire Italian vacation in Rome. I loved the city. Places like Bonci are why.*
Let me back up: after checking in to my incredible AirBnB (I wanted to move in – sensational flat in Trastevere), I really hit it off with my host’s friend (who was serving as my host). After finding out that I worked for Unilocal,he insisted on taking me around to some Roman spots I could appreciate — and not just the usual tourist haunts. Did I mention he was a chef? So, the taste was accounted for. I was ready for adventure. First step in my local adventure: travel by scooter. Dear Lord. What did I do? It’s bad enough that Italian drivers are insane (I was briefed by an Italian friend to never ever ever drive in Rome), but I was weaving in and out of traffic on a small vehicle with only a helmet to protect me. But, I wasn’t alone and, I figured, everyone (car driver and scooter operator) was used to interacting with these tiny things so all should be well. Plus, I was near The Vatican so prayers should be heard extra fast, right?
Our first food stop was Bonci. I hadn’t heard of it but I’m always in the mood for pizza. Thing is, I was expecting Neapolitan pizza… Naples. But, I was in Rome so… Roman pizza. What the heck was/​is Roman pizza? It’s long rectangular slabs of pizza CUT WITH SCISSORS and the price is determined by weight. What? How did I make it through [redacted number] years of life and not know this? Even better I was here with an Italian regular so he chose four different pizzas for us to try plus two arancinis. You stand in front, order your food, pay, get it cut (WITH SCISSORS!!), grab it, and find some where to mill about while you eat it. He drank water. I opted for a soda I couldn’t find in the States. I was living that local life and loving it. Of the pizzas we tried:
Prosciutto: ridiculous. Even though I don’t normally eat a lot of pork, I let go of my restrictions on vacation. After eating all the jamon iberico, I was ready to do the same with Italian prosciutto. Prosciutto in Rome + pizza = ridiculous. I could have eaten my weight in the stuff;
Potato, parmesan and sausage: potato on pizza is quite common in Rome I found out. It was a new (ish) experience for me but I dove right in. The oddness of the potato texture in this setting was offset by the familiarity of the sausage and parmesan. Get it;
Squash blossom & cheese: another local favorite. Lookit me eating all these vegetables! It’s how I stay so svelte. Oh, and the squash blossom was fried and filled with cheese so, yeah. Awesome;
Eggplant & chickpea: I was realizing that Americans eat way too much meat on our pizzas. It’s what kills us. Rural Italians drink and smoke every day and live to be 3204. We gotta chill with the meat thing. I like chickpeas. I can handle eggplant. It wasn’t my favorite slice of pizza but it was also my fourth slice of pizza. I was pretty full and my taste bud impartiality was at risk.
Oh! Remember those arancinis? I totally favored the meatless one. The mushroom/​cheese/​rice combo was delectable and but for my protruding stomach and the fact that, somehow, I was going to have to balance my fat ass on a scooter, I would have eaten more. Bonci made me feel like an in-​the-​know local and foodie with cred. I was psyched to have eaten authentic Roman-​style pizza in Rome. My horizons were broadened, my palate was sated and my jeans were tight. Vacation, y’all!
*I capped off my scooter tour with a trip to the Aventine Keyhole and a view of the city from the orange groves. You won’t find a lot of information about either on Unilocal but they absolutely need to be a part of your Roman experience.

Best pizza I had while in Rome. That says a lot because I had pizza one a day during my 6 day trip!
I stayed in Prati and was getting tired of all the tourist traps minutes away from the Vatican. Thanks to Unilocal,I found this delicious spot! It wasn’t too crowded and everything was in Italian. The employees were extremely helpful when they figured out I didn’t speak their language. I’m not even sure what kind of pizza I ordered but I did take pictures. SO many pizza options! They have craft beers and house (boxed) wine for less than 2 euros!
There isn’t much seating — so be prepared to stand at a hightop table. There are also two benches outside.
I would highly recommend checking out this spot if you want amazing pizza!

Bonci is BOMB! We came after visiting the Vatican City. It’s not a far walk from there, but if you’re lazy like we were, it’s only a short metro ride away.
When you get here, be sure to get a number and they will call you to come up and order your pizza.
Bonci has so many different types of pizzas to choose from. When you decide what kind you want, you tell the staff behind the counter and they will cut you up a slice. People normally get more than one slice. When we came here, we ordered like 4 – 5 different types of pizzas in small slices. They charge you by the weight of the pizza, so the price can or cannot be reasonable depending on how much you order.
They got a few standing tables and benches outside for you to enjoy your pizza!
Must try if you’re in the area!

Came here after the Vatican, about a 10 min walk, and fairly easy to get to.
There was about a 10 min wait in line. Tip: don’t forget to pull a ticket so can you be serviced.
We ordered the salami, prosciutto, duck and a sandwich looking pizza.
Salami and prosciutto — they were good but the meats were so chewy that if you took a bit out of the pizza, you’d get the rest of the meat. A bit frustrating to eat and chewy. I wouldn’t get this next time but I’m glad we tried it.
Duck — was amazing! I love how they balanced savory and sweet in this pizza! Same problem I had with the salami and prosciutto but, at least once you had the meat in your mouth it was tender to chew.
Sandwich looking pizza — I wish I knew what his type of pizza was called, it was amazing!!!
They weight everything and out total came to about 18 euros. Quite pricey but worth it. Not a bad way to start out with our first pizza in Italy!
Tip, their purple soda was really good too!
Enjoy!

If you’ve ever thought, «I’ve had one pizza, I’ve had them all,» I have several things to say.
1) Um. Sorry. You’re wrong. What!!!
&
2) GO TO BONCI!
This was the most inventive, playful, creative pizza we had in Rome, and that I’ve ever had. Sometimes the restaurant is referred to as Pizzarium, but Bonci is the name of the big, jolly, character of a man who masterminds the pizza and runs the place.
Here’s what you do: walk in, and try not to get overwhelmed by a) how many pizzas there are, and b) the fact that you can’t tell what is on some of them. It’s going to all be great, so don’t worry. Next, wait your turn (sometimes they apparently use numbers, but it wasn’t that crowded when we were there) to order, and then chat with one of the friendly staffers, pointing at pizzas and asking what the toppings are. You’ll also have to signify (using your hands) how much pizza you want. They’ll cut off a section, and slide it into the oven to warm, and then you’re all set to pay at the cash register. Wait a few minutes, and maybe try to grab a standing table outside to eat your pizza at. Then wait at the counter and take your now-​warm pizza.
I know that a lot of people think that this is a good «add-​on» when you’re in the neighborhood to see the Vatican, and excuse the blasphemy, but… I think the Vatican is a good «add-​on» when you’re in the neighborhood to eat at Bonci.

Reading reviews and knowing that Anthony Bourdain came here, we had to go.
You walk in, you take a number to wait to get serviced. It reminds me of a butcher where you take a number and look at the meat you want to get. There is a whole case of pizza ready to be sliced and baked in the display case. The workers shout out your number and ask how much of a slice you want and weigh it for you.
We got the purple cauliflower and sausage, potato, and smoked cheese with bacon, onion and herbs.
–The cauliflower and sausage slice was remarkably good. The cauliflower was soft and tender while the sausage just added more flavor and texture to the pizza without over powering it.
— To be honest, I thought the potato pizza was cheese that had been turned into a nice crisp. It was alright, nothing too notable about this one.
— The last pizza, smoked cheese with bacon, onion and herbs was okay. Seems like their bacon is salty here and I think it’s because it’s actually cured ham that was cooked. It was really hard to eat this one because the bacon would come out in one bite, leaving the rest of the piece empty. :(The herbs were super abundant on this one so I used some of the potato pizza, making it a less plain.
There were fruit drinks on the bottom left side that were really tasty!
I wish there were more space on the inside for seating or even standing for that matter. Everyone kept pushing and shoving, not cool. All in all, great pizza with great crusts!

BEST PIZZA EVER.
Came here for the good reviews before we headed to the vatican museums and it was the best decision ever. I tried several fast food pizza places while in Rome and this is by farrrr the best one. SO many types to chose from. My personal favourite is the mushroom one and this other one that had some sort of meat on it with spinach. HEAVENLY. The eggplant one i had was a little boring and the staff warned me it was spicy.
just perfect. please do yourself a favour and come here. if it wasnt so far from my hotel I wouldve come here again for my trip. LOVE.LOVE.LOVE.

Je peux sincèrement dire que je n’avais jamais vraiment goûté les pizzas avant celles du Bonci.
Après une longue matinée au Vatican, quel bonheur! (faites attention à la queue, c’est la rançon du succès!)
Il y a un très très large choix de pizzas, les produits sont frais et diversifiés.
Ce qui est bien c’est que l’on peut prendre plusieurs parts (rectangulaires) de pizza, le tout servi sur un plateau ou à emporter (le prix est au poids).
Mon copain et moi avons pris 5 grosses parts de pizza différentes, ce qui était largement suffisant.
Etant pourtant une bonne mangeuse de viande, j’ai adoré les pizzas végétariennes (5 sur les 6 parts), elles étaient vraiment bien garnies, et la pâte avait un goût extra (je vous le dis, c’est pas de la herta au rayon frais).
Si vous allez à Rome, né manquez surtout pas ce petit coin de paradis.

I read about this place on one of my favourite food blogs, Serious Eats, when doing research on where to eat near the Vatican. Unlike many places which are a bit of an effort to get to if you want non-​touristy food, this was only a 15m walk from the Vatican Museums and right next to Cipro Metro station.
The storefront is fairly unassuming but it still looked less sketchy than many places inside Rome, and was certainly one of the nicer spots in the neighbourhood. A main display case contained several different types of rectangular pies, priced by weight, and you’d have slices cut off by a guy who was like Edward Scissorhands if he only had one pair of scissors. And normal hands. I’m not sure what was on everything but there were basic styles and some fancied up ones. Slices were cut and thrown into and oven for re-​heating. I got a sauce-​only slice, one with a generous amount of prosciutto, and another that had hunks of mozzarella and what appeared to be some sort of pickled peppers.
I paid at the counter while they re-​heated, and then our slices were cut down to more manageable sizes from the approximate 4×6 original, and took to a high top table just outside the door. Unfortunately there are no chairs for sitting down, which is a downer when you’ve been on your feet all day tourist-​ing.
The crust was fantastic, airy but still crispy on the bottom, seemingly unaffected by sitting in a warmer, although they seemed to have a steady clientele, even in the middle of the afternoon, which would help with turning over product. The sauce-​only pizza was a great display of the crust and the hearty, lightly acidic sauce and the herby hit from the basil were the pure basics of pizza done wonderfully. Adding prosciutto to the mix on the other slice added depth, and you can’t go wrong with prosciutto. The other slice had a bit of a mild funk to it, and wasn’t completely to my tastes, but that’s just a personal thing.
Naples may be synonymous with pizza in Italy, but Pizzarium is well worth the walk if you’re at the Vatican and can resist the allure of the easily accessible street side restaurants and tourist-​friendly menus.

I think everyone knows by now that Anthony Bourdain visited this place and LOVED it on an episode of «The Layover». So, even knowing that one detail is enough for people to come here.
There’s always a line during lunch all the way around to 7 PM. After that, it slows down a bit. But they have tickets at the entrance, just grab one and wait for your number up on the screen, or for one of the employees to announce it. If it’s slow, just go on ahead and they’ll help you out regardless of a number.
Now, let’s get to the important stuff. The food.
Oh my god. By no means is this place a traditional Italian pizzeria. The pizza toppings they have are insane. And the pizzas change everyday– they keep making the most popular ones on a daily basis but it’s evident that they are constantly trying new things.
My favorite pizza were the potato, which was drastically different than the other potato pizzas I have in Rome. As opposed to the think crust and the thin slices of potato, Bonci’s pizza had almost a thicker crust, and the potatoes were almost like a semi chunky mashed potato. I know that isn’t described eloquently, but it’s the best I can do. And just by looking at the pizza, you can tell that it’s delicious. So definitely try that one. I also tried the tomato sauce and basil one, really simple but really delicious. I also tried one with asparagus, and I believe scrambled eggs, mushrooms, onions and sausage, radish and gorgonzola, and so forth. I didn’t get to try as many pizzas as I would have liked to for one reason…
Suppli.
I kept coming here, day after day, (sometimes back to back, one of the employees even started recognizing me. embarassing) just to buy suppli. I’d buy three supplis and that would be my lunch or dinner. Little balls of heaven. There, I said it.
My favorite suppli was definitely the spaghetti one. Especially when it was freshly made and you bite into it and the mozzarella just oozes out. ah. So good. The traditional and classic was also very good. I also tried the potato croquette, which was a bit bland for my taste as well as the suppli with radish and gorgonzola cheese– which was just ok for me.
It is slightly pricey– especially if you’re buying a few supplis on top of your pizza slices, but it’s so worth it.
And it’s conveniently located next to the Cipro metro. It’s less than a minute walk. So there’s no excuse as to why you can’t make it here while you’re in Rome.

Super endroit pour passer chercher les pizze à peine réalisées sous vos yeux ou les déguster sur les petits mange-​debout installés devant. on y fait souvent la queue vu le succès du lieu.
Le choix est large, original et selon l’humeur des pizzaioli.
Et pour bien faire, on peut y choisir des boissons bio et artisanales de son choix comme des bières (je conseille la «punto di fuga») et partir avec le pain bio fait maison, il en existe plein !

In preparation for our trip to Rome, we watched Anthony Bourdain’s «Layover» episode on this delicious city, and Bonci immediately went on our list of places to visit while we were there. It’s located near the Vatican, so we had lunch there before spending the afternoon at the Vatican.
It’s a tiny little restaurant, just a counter where they serve the pizza, and a few standing tables outside that fill up quickly.
I have to say, they definitely serve the most beautiful pizza I’ve ever seen. The pizza is all already made and sold by weight, so you choose the one (s) you want and they slice off a piece and heat it up for you.
They have a wide selection of beautiful, fresh toppings – all sorts of greens and veggies, meats, cheeses, and even flowers – piled on top of focaccia sans sauce.
With such a beautiful array of toppings, I was expecting a ton of flavor, and was surprised by how bland the pizza was. We tried three different varieties (one with anchovies and chard, one with all different veggies and beautiful purple flowers – I’m guessing chive blossoms, and one with prosciutto and cheese) and none of them were particularly flavorful.
I really wanted to love this place, especially after seeing how beautiful everything was, but I just couldn’t muster it.

Waouh ! Je n’avais jamais vu de parts de pizzas aussi généreuses auparavant. Et ce choix… J’ai passé de longues minutes à scruter la vitrine avant de jeter mon dévolu sur celle à la sauce tomate, burrata et épinards. Une petite merveille, vraiment, vraiment !

Sehr leckere Pizza und große Auswahl!
Tafel war nur auf Italienisch und auch an der Pizza selbst war keine Sortenbezeichnung, so dass wir uns mit Fingerzeigen bei der wirklich freundlichen Bedienung durchfragen mussten. ;)
Wir haben von Holzbrettchen im Stehen vor der Tür gegessen. Sehr cooles urbanes Feeling. So bekommt man auf jeden Fall den Puls der Stadt mit.
Die Preise waren etwas höher, als man es aus deutschen Pizzabuden kennt, aber für die Qualität auf jeden Fall gerechtfertigt.
Wir würden jederzeit wieder im Pizzarium essen gehen!

Pizze délicieuses! Pâte parfaitement maîtrisée et différente des autres Pizze romaine, beaucoup plus souple et épaisse (comme je les aime!) et garnitures délicieuses. Le choix est assez énorme et en fonction de votre heure d’arrivée vous n’aurez pas accès aux mêmes recettes. Nous avons pris dans un premier temps une pizza à la saucisse qui a été très appréciée ainsi qu’une pizza toute simple à la sauce tomate qui fut délicieuse. Nous avons tenté une pizza au fenouil qui né nous a pas plu mais c’est parce que nous n’aimons pas ça et avions cru commandé une pizza aux oignons (la prochaine fois j’apprendrai mieux mon vocabulaire culinaire !). Ensuite nous avons été tentés par une pizza aux anchois et à la burrata (le paradis sur terre ! L’une des meilleures garnitures de pizza qu’il m’ait été donné de goûter) ainsi que par une pizza mozzarella tomates cerises très bonne également.
Le hic, s’il en est un, est qu’il s’agit d’un snack. Nous avons donc du manger debout, pas très reposant !

J’ai l’impression que c’est un incontournable du quartier… Peut être de Rome… On y mange même assis sur le trottoir tellement les pizzas on du succès ! Ça participe au charme et à l’ambiance !

Un super souvenir !
Ils étaient dans le guide du routard, d’où notre venue.
Des pizzas délicieuses, avec des produits frais! Et puis ce côté typique de Rome où on mange sa pizza debout avec une bonne bière !!

Pour les amateurs de pizza à emporter, cette adresse vaut le détour. Ce n’est pas sur le circuit touristique mais ça vaut le détour. Au nord du Vatican, vous trouverez des pizza pour tout les goûts.

Die angeblich beste Pizza EVER?!
Die amerikanische «Vogue» nannte ihn «Michelangelo der Pizza», der britische «Guardian» übertrumpfte das mit «Pizzagott», und in Rom pigern Feinschmecker zu ihm, um seine Pizza mit Zucchiniblüten und Blauschimmelkäse zu probieren, oder die mit Dattelpflaumenmarmelade, Ricotta und feuerscharfer Nduja-​Salami.
All das gibt es nicht im Nobelrestaurant: Gabriele Bonci beschränkt sich auf ein kleines Straßengeschäft und backt die typisch römische «Pizza al taglio» nicht kreisrund und dünn, sondern dick, saftig, auf riesigen Blechen gegart und dann stückweise auf die Hand verkauft.
Wenn ihr mich fragt — ein Geheimtipp in Rom!

Auf dem Weg zum Pizzarium waren unsere Erwartungen den Internetberichten nach sehr hoch. Ein so unscheinbares kleines Lokal soll so gute und kreative Pizzen anbieten?
Es ist ein Erlebnis für sich. Man kann es nicht mit den üblichen Pizzen vergleichen. Der Belag ist immer sehr außergewöhnlich. Pizza mit Roastbeef, Kaninchen, rotem Spinat, Bohnensprossen, Kartoffeln mit Mozzarella, überbackenen Makkaroni, es sollte für jeden etwas dabei sein.
Leider ist der Preis entsprechend hoch, aber man gönnt sich solche außergewöhnlichen Pizzen ja auch nicht jeden Tag. Bezahlt wird per Gramm und die Pizzen kosten hier im Schnitt zwischen EUR 25 – 30 pro Kilogramm.

De la street food excellent.
De la créativité dans les pizzas, et il y en a pour tous les gouts. Un vrai régale, et on peut en gouter un bon nombre de différente, car les pizzas sont découpé au ciseau et à la demande, et même à la taille que vous souhaiter.
Pas très loin de du musé du vatican, cette petite échoppe vaut un léger détour du circuit touristique.
A faire!!!

Un must de la pizza !
Si je vous dis qu’on y mange la meilleure pizza de Rome, me croirez-​vous ?? Gabriele Bonci, le patron, règne en empereur sur sa petite boutique (il se plaît à dire «I’m the lion in my kingdom»…). Il n’a nul besoin d’un grand territoire pour faire étal de tout son savoir faire. Il prête une grande attention à la préparation de la pâte et les ingrédients, tous d’une très grande fraicheur, concourent à ce que vous puissiez vivre une expérience inoubliable. Tout est utilisé: pomme de terre, truffe, fleurs de courge, jambon de Parme, cèpes, morue (si, si…), saucisse, poulpe.
Un vrai maître de la pizza al taglio (à la coupe) comme seuls les italiens savent faire.
Pour vous faire une religion, précipitez-​vous dans son échoppe située à deux pas du Vatican (métro: Cipro Musei Vaticani… ;o))
Je serai tenté de dire à mon tour «my kingdom for a pizza !!»