This long-standing pizzeria is loved by locals and tourists alike. After a recent renovation, it’s basically doubled in size, and you’d be hard pressed to find tastier or better-priced pizza anywhere in New Zealand, reckons Henry Oliver.
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What is it?
A Napier institution doing pizza by the slice (or the whole pie if you’re inclined), out of a heritage building in the middle of art deco Napier. From an outsider’s perspective, Vinci’s seems to perfectly straddle the demands of locals who go there regularly and tourists (me), who go straight there as soon as they arrive in town. It’s been bustling every time I’ve visited, with a lot of people standing around either waiting for their pizza or to swoop in and claim one of the recently added booths (more on that later).
Where is it?
29A Hastings Street, Napier – inside the art deco Ringlands Building, built in 1932 by Walter Philip Finch and John Westerholm in the aftermath of the 1931 earthquake. It’s a short walk from Napier’s foreshore, among a cluster of cafes and restaurants, and a couple of doors down from the also highly recommended Chantal Organics store and cafe.
What’s new about it?
The restaurant itself has been around for years, but it recently doubled in size. Owners Vincent and Nina Michaelsen had wanted more kitchen and seating capacity for a while, and earthquake-strengthening work next door freed up the neighbouring tenancy – the other half of the building’s ground floor – and Vinci’s took it over. Pulling down the wall between the two spaces gave the pizzeria the building’s full street frontage and, even with an expanded kitchen, more than doubled the space for customers to sit and eat. Otherwise, except for the odd menu expansion, it’s the same great pizzeria it’s been since 2018.
What are the vibes?
Loud, bustling, fun. The people who work there all look cool and punky, without being too cool in a jaded or intimidating way. The relocated kitchen now sits near the centre of the restaurant under a custom scallop-edged red canopy, with bar-stool seating to either side where you can sit and watch the pizzas being cooked if that’s your thing. But the booth seating is my favourite, if you can get it. I love places like this where the visitors all have holy-shit-this-is-good written across their faces and the locals all look like yep-so-good-we-love-it-too.
It also has a great, local off-the-beaten-track wine list, with exciting offerings by the glass, and a fridge of craft beers and indie sodas, all at very reasonable prices. While I haven’t been there at night, next time I’m staying near the city, I will make sure I do. And hopefully it’ll coincide with a collaboration with a local winemaker like Halcyon Days or Amoise. I imagine those are fun nights.
What should I order?
A slice, or three. Yes, you can get a whole pie, but unless you know what you want and know that you only want that, just get the slices so you can try as many different ones as possible. The sourdough crust (68% hydration and cold-fermented for 72 hours for you dough trainspotters) is charred to near perfection and provides a sturdy, bitter-in-the-best-way platform for whatever’s piled on top.
I’ve loved the four cheeses (ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, blue cheese), the garden pie (pomodoro sauce, ratatouille, olives, red onion), and the mushroom with, well, mushrooms but also a delicious mushroom cream and capers. But also check out the specials – you never know what they’ll have on offer. I now regret not having tried their desserts, but I have left with loaves of bread – a focaccia and sourdough loaf – and they’re basically like having the crusts of your pizza the next day or two. Delicious!
What’ll it set me back?
Not that much! Most single slices run around $6 to $7, and a whole 18-inch pizza (six slices) is about $35 – easily enough to feed two or three people. I’m aware that it can be problematic in the way we talk most about price when it comes to some foods and not others, but pizza is just one of those things where price seems to matter. And while, of course, I have only tried a vast minority of the pizza available in Aotearoa, I don’t think I’ve eaten better pizza in this country, and I 100%, unequivocally, no bones about it, have never eaten pizza this good for this price anywhere in New Zealand.
Wine is well-priced by the bottle and usually $10 by the glass, with tap beers at $10-$14 and non-alcoholic drinks around $5. Almost as good a deal as the pizza.
Vinci’s
29A Hastings Street, Napier South, Napier 4110
Thurs-Sat 11am-9pm, Sun-Wed 11am-8.30pm
