It started down a dirt track – an out-of-town, family-run pizzeria where patrons picked up their fresh-from-the-oven pizzas from the counter. No cutlery, no waiters and a cult following among the city’s elite. A Tal da Pizza’s city progeny is an altogether different set-up. A piano (plus pianist for an R$8 charge), Louis XV-style chairs and velvet sofas are a far cry from country simplicity.

As for the pizza – we weren’t disappointed. The menu is an epic tome with a page dedicated to each pizza. The house special combines homemade Neapolitan sausage, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. The more adventurous can try pizza pies like the Scaramouche, with aubergine, raisins, prunes, peppers, mozzarella and cashew nuts – a surprisingly good combination. Large pizzas (R$75) can come with up to four topping combinations. The small ones (R$49) serve two modestly, though with just one type of topping. 

On our Thursday night visit, we were among just a handful of diners. Perhaps paulistanos know where to get pizza that’s just as good, for less, elsewhere. Either way, roll up your sleeves – it’s faithful to the original, so you won’t find any cutlery here – and dig in.