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2029 P St. NW
(202) 223-1245
Hours of Operation and Prices
Open: M.-T 11 am -11 pm, F-Sat 11-midnight, Sun noon-10
Entrees: $5-$10
Other Information
• Credit Cards: Discover; MasterCard; Visa
• Reservations: No
• Dress: Casual
• Parking: Street
• Nearest Metro: Dupont Circle
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We've grown suspicious of designer pizzas that foist soy sauced, stir-fry vegetables or fajita chicken on a defenseless round of dough. But what Pizzeria Paradiso serves is creative without stepping beyond the bounds of tradition - or good sense. Amend that: Cooking mussels with their shells on top of a pizza is pretty silly. Otherwise, the vegetable and cheese toppings, the salami with black olives and hot peppers, four cheeses with parsley and garlic, even bottarga - roe - with egg, garlic and parsley are reasonably Italian. And, of course, you can compose your own combination.
Paradiso keeps its eye on what's important: the dough, flavorful on its own and baked in a wood-burning oven; and the quality of the toppings, which include fresh vegetables, real Parma ham and buffalo mozzarella, forceful cheeses. The rest of the menu is even simpler, just a few straightforward salads and sandwiches, including a most memorable roast lamb - pink, crusty and infused with garlic - layered with roasted vegetables that are almost a ratatouille, spinach leaves and mustardy dressing on a golden-crusted, house-baked roll. I could even pass up the pizza for this. And the lemonade is so good it could divert you from a beer.
The problem with Pizzeria Paradiso is that its small, cheerful, town house dining room is always crowded. The solution is carryout; I've even seen devotees eating their pizzas-to-go right on the front steps.
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