On a sunny day in March, after visiting an exhibition at the Neue Nationalgalerie, we made our way to Pinci, curious and hungry, to see the hype for ourselves.
When we arrived, we were greeted by a noisy crowd of people drinking wine outside the door. We wanted to turn back straight away as we thought it would surely take forever to get a table. But then everything went very quickly. We were able to stand at the bar, ordered a very tasty, smooth and light rosé sparkling wine that tasted like a summer breeze and looked around.
The ambience is very modern and hip, a place to be with a New York vibe. We couldn’t really have a conversation because it was just too loud and too crowded. The crowd was quite young and stylish, so there was a lot to see.
Once we had ordered our food at the bar, we were quickly shown to a free table. Admittedly, it was very cramped at the table, so nothing if you have a problem with sitting too close to other guests.
The menu is very small, but fine. We shared Noccalara olives, grilled artichokes with mint and Olio Nuovo as well as Crostino, Burra e Acciughe for starters. For the main course, we all had the Pasta Pomodoro with basil and Parmigiano Reggiano.
The olives were delicious, chewy and not too firm.
Behind the crostino, burra e acciughe were toasted and crispy slices of bread with butter and anchovies that tasted just like summer.
The artichokes were smoked and tasted of paprika and mint with a lemony note.
The pasta was simple and very tasty. It was very al dente, had a nice sweetness and the fresh basil was a real plus.
As dessert we shared Budino de Riso, raspberries and fresh cream – the perfect ending of this tasty menu for us.
The service was quick, friendly and attentive despite the overcrowded restaurant.
So, was the hype worth it? It was for us that evening, because we went home full, tipsy and happy after two bottles of the delicious rosé sparkling wine.