Infinito Pizzeria Napoletana Alternativa

Double fermentation, double bake

The base is a blend of three slow-milled Italian flours. It matures in two stages — first as a mass, then in individually weighed balls — with temperatures and maturing times held throughout. That is exactly what decides whether a pizza stays light or sits heavy, and the house accordingly puts the digestibility of its dough front and centre.

Baking happens in a gas oven, and here too Infinito goes its own way: the pizza goes in twice. The first, longer pass at restrained heat builds the internal structure and seals in the aromas. The second, short pass at full oven heat draws the crust together and sets the leopard spotting on the cornicione. Double cooking is what the kitchen calls the method — and it is the reason for the word "alternativa": a crisp rim, a thin centre, more texture than a classic single-baked Napoletana.

The menu at Infinito Pizzeria Napoletana Alternativa

The list of ingredients the house puts first is short and checkable: certified San Marzano tomatoes, Fior di Latte, cold-pressed first-press olive oil — and basil grown on Mallorca.

The pizza card splits into classic and gourmet. The classics run to Margherita, Marinara, Prosciutto e funghi, Capricciosa, Diavola and Siciliana, plus a Nerano with courgette cream, smoked provola and pecorino, and a version that stacks seven cheeses. The gourmet side is where the name is redeemed: the Infinito carries prawn tartare, stracciatella and lemon zest, the Mortadella Suprema combines mortadella with pistachio pesto and burrata, the Nonna is topped with meatballs and ricotta, and Tartufo & Carpaccio brings beef carpaccio together with black truffle. That the pineapple pizza is called "Sorry mamma!" says a good deal about the register of the house.

Before that come Neapolitan fritti: pasta croquettes with béchamel, the crocché of potato and Fior di Latte, fried provola with caramelised red onion, doughnuts with pulled pork, and fried pizza-dough balls in San Marzano sauce. Anyone not after pizza will find a parmigiana di melanzane, a lasagne, a caprese with buffalo mozzarella or burrata, and a smoked salmon salad. A section of its own belongs to the panuozzo, the sandwich made from pizza dough: light with raw, fresh ingredients, heartier with smoked cheese and pancetta, or in its fullest build with pulled pork and chips. To finish, tiramisu, pistachio cheesecake, a babà napoletano and the dough balls once more, this time sweet.

Between Naples and Mallorca

The house places itself between two places, and that does not stop at the decor. The basil comes from the island, and two of the gourmet pizzas carry butifarra — the Mallorcan-Catalan sausage where a Neapolitan menu would otherwise call for salsiccia. Among the base products, by contrast, everything stays Italian.

The humour is part of it. The pizzas are named after characters, sayings and exclamations rather than their toppings, and the pizza of the month is a standing fixture: a rotating creation outside the printed card.

Good to know

Vegetarian dishes are marked on the menu and run through every section, from the fritti to the Ortolana with peppers, courgette and aubergine. A gluten-free base is available for a supplement, as is vegan mozzarella — both are stated openly on the card, so you do not have to ask for them.

Bookings run through an online system linked from the venue's own website. And for anyone who would rather eat at home: takeaway is possible, and delivery goes to the centre and to Santa Catalina.