Pizza at Massimottavio in Eifuku

Opened in October 2011 Massimottavio was voted "best restaurant" on Tabelog according to a plaque on the wall in the restroom.

Hours of operation are:

Weekdays: 11:30-14:00/18:00-21:30

Saturdays / Holidays: 11:30-15:00/18:00-21:30

Closed on Wednesdays (if Wed. is a holiday, closed on Thursday).

It's a family friendly place and we saw several families and young couples there on pizza dates during our Saturday evening visit.

The pizza chef hails from Napoli so the pizza is Napoli style. That means you get a thin crust pizza with a puffy thicker crust edge - nice and chewy.

We also tried their "jikkasei" (home made) anchovies (a bit dry and salty, but anchovies are supposed to be salty), a green salad and a mixed platter of appetizers. Overall, those dishes were adequate, but otherwise uninspiring.

The pizzas are decent, but no better than other pizzas we've had around Tokyo and not as good as some. We didn't try the pasta so I can't comment on that - perhaps at a future visit, assuming we return. We won't be in any rush to return, but we won't strike it from the list.

We reserved for 18:30 on a Saturday and all the tables, and the counter spaces, were full so if you want to dine early do reserve. However, by about 20:30 there were several open tables - seems most diners here like an early dinner (not so unusual in Japan) and by the time we left at 22:00 we were one of three tables occupied.

The staff are friendly, but a bit inattentive. We had to signal for them every time we wanted to order something or get more water. Of course, they were pretty busy with all tables full, but to me the sign of good wait staff is their ability to multi-task, which includes watching your customers, not the wall behind the counter.

All in all, if you don't mind the short trek out to Eifuku (less than a 15 minute train ride), and you like Napoli style pizza, do give it a try.