Pizzeria Gino Sorbillo: The beginning of a tradition
In a street in the heart of Naples called “Via dei Tribunali” at number 32, there is the first pizzeria of the Gino Sorbillo’s chain which nowadays includes 12 pizzerias: 9 in Italy, 2 in USA and 1 in Japan. The surname Sorbillo belongs to one of the oldest family of pizza makers in Italy. Everything started in 1935, when Luigi Sorbillo and Carolina Esposito, the Gino’s grandparents, opened at this address their pizzeria. Later, they had 21 children who have become all pizza makers. Gino is the nephew who inherited this iconic pizzeria.
Indeed, the pizzeria in Via dei Tribunali is like an impressionism artwork representing Naples. From the smiling, patient and unordered queue of hundreds of people waiting for their turn, since the reservations are not allowed as in many restaurants in Naples, to the balcony over the entrance adorned with various and different symbols of the Neapolitan tradition as the cornicello: a horn bringing luck according to the local tradition.
The dining room is stuffed with tables in order to give a seat to as many people as possible. In fact, the pizzeria Gino Sorbillo ai Tribunali servers from 800 to 2000 pizzas per day.
The service is extremely fast. The waiting staff are run off their feet. As soon as you sit, one of them will arrive to your table with the menu. Five minutes later, they will be back to take the orders. Impressionably, 15 minutes later they will back with your pizza.
My pizza was the classic Margheritta (it is not a mispell, since according to Gino Sorbillo the original name was Margheritta and not Margherita) with Mozzarella di Bufala cheese. The aspect and the taste were perfect representation of what everyone expects from “the Neapolitan pizza”: wagon-wheel size, extremely slim and with the ingredients (tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese) well-distributed. The final result was a simple but extremely tasty dish.
T o conclude, if you are in Naples, you must pay a visit to Sorbillo in order to taste the original Neapolitan pizza at least once in your life. Besides, it is a cheap experience. A pizza and drink will cost around 15 euros.
