Nonno Matteo, a warmly welcoming Italian restaurant offering ultra-crispy Roman pizzas.

Located just a stone's throw from the Grands Boulevards, the Italian restaurant Nonno Matteo is the brainchild of David Bottreau, already at the helm of the Bistrot des Fables and of the Comptoir des Fables. The restaurateur is now taking on Italian cuisine, aiming for simplicity and accessibility for as many people as possible. Here, Roman pizzas thin and crispy just as they should be, arancini of quality and other great classic Italian staples have their say, without any fuss.

The address immediately exudes a relaxed energy: an 80's playlist in the background, the kitchen team humming along (always a good sign), genuine laughter behind the counter... The restaurant redefines the notion of conviviality, with warm, attentive service, both with the children—who even have their own 12€ menu—and with the adults.

With its big communal table for groups, its glass-walled lounge for quiet conversations, a private dining roomupstairs and a terraceperfect for sunny days, even amid the bustle of the Faubourg, Nonno Matteo can host a business lunch or a family birthday without losing its warmth—and without you having to eat off your neighbor's lap.

By the way, the place seems to satisfy the neighborhood workers, judging by how quickly it fills up at lunchtime. One tip: remember to book or to arrive early! And the lunch deal is accessible even on modest budgets: 16,50€ for the starter/main or main/dessert, 19,50€ for starter/main/dessert, to be chosen from the weekly board — on Monday, for example, it isn’t ravioli but lobster bisque risotto with grilled gambas.

The restaurant’s signature remains the Roman pizza, with the kitchen team trained in an Italian school to master the basics of authentic Roman pizza dough. The result: a thin, crispy crust, perfectly cooked (even though it's baked in an electric oven rather than wood-fired) and sturdy enough to hold the toppings without sagging.

And what a pleasure to see the Roman pizza make a grand comeback in Paris, after years of hegemony by the Neapolitan “puffed-up” pizza—sometimes too inflated, too elastic, or too watery. The cheese pizza (€13) is generously loaded with cheese and slightly oily, just right.

The arancini cacio e pepe (9€) prove the restaurant’s reliability: far from dry, reused leftovers some places pass off as balls, their crust is crisp, the center stuffed with mozzarella, and the cacio e pepe seasoning adds a peppery kick that livens the entire bite. As for the dessert, the house-made tiramisu (7€), presented in a tiny Le Parfait jar, arrives fresh, light, and not overly sweet.

Nonno Matteo isn’t about reinventing Italian cooking, preferring to deliver with precision a simple, well-made cuisine, brought to the table by one of the warmest teams around.

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.