Pizzeria Bianco DTLA

Pizzeria Bianco isn't just a restaurant--it's an experience. The first time we went, we had the pleasure of meeting Chef Chris himself, and the food, the ambiance, the everything--it was unforgettable.The second visit? Even better, because we got to share it with my father and best friend, both certified pizza fanatics. Their verdict? "Where has this been all my life?" And honestly, I couldn't agree more.From the pizza (perfection in every bite) to the salad, bread, and gnocchi, every dish was crafted with love. But the real showstoppers? The olive oil cake and the passion fruit panna cotta. Oh. My. Every bite felt like a celebration.If you're a pizza lover--or just someone who appreciates incredible food--this place is a must. Chef Chris and his team are creating magic here, and I can't wait to come back for more.

Finally made it to the storied Pizzeria Bianco, and had the pleasure of meeting owner, Chris Bianco, who was a warm and welcoming host. How nice that he was in town, and to know his Bronx-born personality hasn't been softened too much by his years living in Phoenix. The industrial design of the space works well within the refurbished industrial milieu of Row DTLA, with wood accents and pastel-colored artwork adding an appreciable warmth to the warehouse bones of the building. The young staff is uniformly friendly and helpful, though a few seemed to need a little more time getting their very casual Gen Z roots in line with the more upscale variety of service that Bianco is requiring. They'll get there, and the fact that this is a pizzeria makes any current, minor deficiency in this area far less important. The menu is small and carefully curated, and I might have enjoyed having a few more choices, but there's no denying that what's on the page is both creative and intriguing. We began with the Burrata Salad, which might be the best-ever salad for someone who's not big into salads. The fresh burrata was creamy and flavorful, with just the right balance of salt and sweet. The "salad" or "greens" aspect of the dish comes in the form of a spinach mousse that preserves the best flavor aspects of the greens while incorporating a creamy and comforting texture that marries perfectly with the burrata. One could easily imagine these two placed on a fresh baked roll with Mortadella to make a sublime sandwich, but I digress. In this case, the cheese and spinach are served with lightly toasted slices of house made focaccia, which managed to have enough outer strength to neatly hold the cheese and mousse, but retained its inner softness, adding yet another spot-on texture to this enjoyably satisfying bite. For pizza, we began with two: the Sonny Boy and the Rosa. The Sonny Boy is Bianco's elevated take on a pepperoni pie, with the 'roni being replaced by thin slices of artisan soppressata that's offset by olives made somewhat melty by their time in the oven. These toppings, combined with fresh mozzarella and a masterfully balanced tomato sauce, make for a pleasing taste of traditional NY pizza. The crust, of course, is perfectly rendered, both chewy and crispy in all the right places, and with more than enough flavor to enjoy eating once the meaty midsection is gone. The Rosa is a beautiful-looking pizza, with red onions and green pistachios nodding nicely to the Italian flag. I was very excited to dive into this pie, but found I had misinterpreted the description on the menu. I had assumed the listed Pecorino Romano would be an accent, but it is actually the primary cheese on the Rosa and it was just too strong for my taste. I could imagine the pie being cut into small pieces and served as very satisfying 1-bite hors d'oeuvre, but I could not eat a whole pizza, and so I traded the Rosa for a Wise Guy, and this was a very wise choice. The Wise Guy features fresh smoked mozzarella, fire roasted onions and fennel sausage. The pervading smoky flavor of the pie was extremely welcome, and I found the Wise Guy to be everything I'd hope for in a pizza emerging from a wood-fired oven overseen by a James Beard winning pizzaiolo. In future visits I would automatically order this pizza and have it served so everyone at the table could have a small slice as an amuse bouche. We were not in a drinking mood, and so we didn't avail ourselves of the wine list, but the options there clearly pair well with the food on offer. Next time for sure. So, Pizzeria Bianco is well worth a special trip to DTLA, and there's no question you'll have a terrific meal. After all these years, Chris Bianco certainly knows how to build a pizza, and his creativity with other menu items is a breath of fresh air in this market that's saturated with ho-hum Italian restaurants. I'm hoping that the menu will expand as Bianco gets comfortable in the community, but I appreciate that he's taking his time and offering only what can be done well at the moment. In the meantime, I'll be patient and happily enjoy some of the best pizza and burrata in town.

I came here for a friend's birthday dinner, and while I think the ambiance of the place was very nice and felt slightly more upscale and trendy, the pizzas were just ok. I ordered the wise guy, and the overall product didn't quite match the price. There wasn't really any thing special about it, but it was not bad either.I brought a birthday cake for my friend, and the waiter brought it out for us with the candles I'd provided. Then he sliced it for us, which they charged us a $12 cutting fee for, which was unexpected. He also forgot to place a to-go order that one of our friends asked for.I'm glad I've now tried this place, but not sure if for me it's worth choosing again over other places.

Pizzeria Bianco did not disappoint! I can totally see why the sonny boy is a fan fav. The dough is thin, light, and crispy, perfectly complemented by the fresh tomato sauce and salty soppressata and olives.The little gem salad, topped with freshly grated cheese, is simple yet delicious.I was really looking forward to trying the passion fruit panna cotta (or any panna cotta, really), but unfortunately, it wasn't available during our visit. We decided to try the olive oil cake with whipped cream, kumquat, and pistachio instead. While the balance of flavors was nice, the olive oil cake itself was dry and disappointing.That said, it was still a wonderful experience overall. The servers were friendly, and there's plenty of parking (first 2 hours are free).

Pizzeria Bianco had been on my list for a while after learning about watching Chris Bianco on Netflix's Chef's Table. I read that Pizzeria Bianco, at least their original Phoenix location, was nominated for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant, so my expectations going in were pretty high. Sadly, I was left feeling very underwhelmed. In the end, I thought it was just okay pizza for the price. We got one pizza with tomato sauce, the Sonny Boy, and we thought the tomatoes were really lacking in flavor. We even tried the Riccota Gnocchi, and the tomato sauce in this had more flavor than the pizza. Going back to the Sonny Boy, I did like the sliced ham (the soppressata) and whatever they used to season it because it added flavor and texture. We also got one white pizza, the Wiseguy, and thought this was even more underwhelming than the Sonny Boy. First, the crust texture was very different from the Sonny Boy's (if you look at the photos I posted, you'll see what I mean). I'm not sure if this was intentional because I saw photos other people posted of the Wiseguy and the crust looked more in line with what we got for the Sonny Boy, which leads me to believe that the cooking is inconsistent. The crust was so crunchy and hard that it literally tasted like deep fried dough than actual wood fired pizza. Aside from the crust, I felt like the toppings were very minimal, compared to what I saw in photos that other people posted. There was hardly any onion that it made the overall taste really bland.Going back to the ricotta gnocchi, again, I really liked the strong flavor of the tomato sauce, but I would have liked this more if the gnocchi wasn't so soft, probably from being overcooked.I'm a bit hesitant to come back because I found the pizzas to be pretty bland for the premium prices we paid. I think there are too many better places that make their pizzas more affordable and pack it with more flavor, like Prince St Pizza or Slice House.

*** James Beard Award Winner (2003): Best Chef: Southwest ****** James Beard Award Winner (2022): Outstanding Restauranteur ***** Michelin Bib Gourmand *** Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants (2024): #69 *Featured on the first episode in the 2022 season of Netflix's Chef's Table, Chris Bianco has an impressive resume. I hadn't realized this chef and restaurant had so many accolades until I recently took a closer look. After some brief research, I decided to make a Saturday lunch reservation to see what this place was all about.To eat, I ordered the Margherita pizza, priced at $24. To drink, a Skyduster IPA, priced at $9. All things considered, I found the price point reasonable. The pizza was delicious and satisfying, and the quality was evident. I particularly liked the sauce. Aside from the food, the ambiance was elevated, and service was great. If you're in the area, I'd recommend giving this place a try.

My friends and I stopped by for dinner, and it was a great experience. The vibe was relaxed and not too crowded, and the food was fantastic. We started with the market salad and broccolini--both were delicious, but the broccolini small plate stood out with perfectly charred veggies. For the main course, we shared two pastas: Sonny Boy and Wise Guy. The portions were just right for 4 people. We wrapped up with the olive oil cake and passionfruit panna cotta, both of which were the perfect sweet finish to the meal.

This restaurant is located at the Row which has a convenient parking structure that is two hour free. Reservation is recommended here as it is quite popular. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating and overall great vibes. I've tried a few pizzas but my favorite is the Sonny Boy! The tomato sauce is fresh and the soppresata gives it a nice kick. Don't skip on the little gem salad either!

Loved loved loved Pizzeria Bianco! From the ambiance, to the food, and service. It was *chef's kiss* I love that parking is never an issue here, and there's other shops and restaurants in the area.My girlfriends and I celebrated a late Friendsgiving, and loved the vibe of the restaurant. Super moody, chill, a nice little date spot :) We ordered the Little Gem Salad which was so simple but so good! Also ordered this Cauliflower/Broccolini Dish and wow wow wow .... We were blown away by the flavor and garlicky and cheesy goodness. I can't remember the name of this plate, but order it if it's on the menu!The Wiseguy Pizza was shared among the 3 of us. Comes in a total of 6 slices and we really enjoyed the thin crust paired with the onion, smoked mozzarella, and fennel sausage. It was the perfect pairing with our veggie dishes prior. This place is such a gem, and I'll be back again very soon! Enjoy!

My husband and I visited on a Tuesday night after work and were seated immediately. The ambiance was cozy and relaxing--perfect after a long day. We ordered the Sonny Boy pizza and a slice of olive oil cake to share. The pizza was a great size for sharing, though it could also be perfect for one person with a bigger appetite. The olive oil cake was unique in the best way--absolutely delicious!