If a super model and her Italian baby daddy opened up a pizza joint – wait, that did happen. Crazy Pizza NYC is a second joint venture, if you count daughter Leni as the first, between Heidi Klum and her daughter’s father, Flavio Briatore. Located in the Soho neighborhood in the old Osteria Morini space, Crazy Pizza may not be what you think it is. So is Heidi Klum’s pizza place in NYC any good? This is a first look.

Atmosphere

When I asked my friend to meet me on a Friday night at a place called Crazy Pizza, she thought I was the one who was crazy. Luckily she gave me the benefit of the doubt, knowing that I wouldn’t give up a coveted weekend night for a dive. In fact, that’s the exact opposite actually of what Crazy Pizza is. Located in the old Morini space in Soho, Crazy Pizza is the vibe you would expect from Heidi Klum’s pizza place. The relatively intimate room is gorgeous and feels expensive, in a European old money kind of way.

It’s no surprise that its first location was in Porto Cervo, one of the most exclusive towns in Sardinia, and its founder is Flavio Briatore. If his name sounds familiar other than his association with Heidi Klum, he’s been involved in various and notorious business ventures, including Formula 1. We’ll leave the Google search to you, but he’s also along-time restauranteur, which is reflected in the whole setup at Crazy Pizza NYC.

With its Italian heritage established, Crazy Pizza reflects that in the photos of famous guests eating pizza, that line the paneled walls. It’s not kitschy though, like its name may imply. Instead, elegance is the foundation of the room.

But then there’s the vibe, which is fun, don’t take yourself seriously, entertainment. Crazy Pizza is a scene. Between the cranked up music and the show that the pizza makers put on twirling the dough high around the dining room, it’s so European it hurts. Groups of friends are here to have a good time, wave their napkins in the air and live a piece of la dolce vita.

Food + Drink

In a nutshell, I loved the pizza, which is pizza even a super model can eat. Heidi Klum’s pizza place gives you all the joy of pizza without the indulgence on the diet. The dough is paper thin and just slightly more substantive than a cracker. You can easily take down one pizza per person. The pizza isn’t purist in its approach but it is pizza that you can eat everyday.

We ordered the black truffle pizza and in addition to a pie full of truffle, they shaved additional truffle fresh table side. Their basic margarita has a perfectly tangy red sauce and is everything a cheese pizza should be. Our server told us that each pizza is 5-6 ounces, to give you an idea of how light as air the pizza is. We didn’t even have leftovers to take home.

The appetizers are light and can easily serve two, but really not more than that. Like you might expect from Heidi Klum’s pizza place, the portions are just right. We had the quinoa salad which you could tell was made with precision with just the right amount of avocado, carrots and greens.  If we were hungrier we would have ordered up a pasta though this isn’t a place that specializes in anything beyond the basics. The other aspect of the experience that I really liked was the four olive oils you could add to your food. There was a spicy, extra virgin, and rosemary that I drizzled on everything. We didn’t have it but they make your tiramisu table side.

The pricing of the food is reasonable. Yes the truffle pizza was $65 but for what you get, it was good value. I would have expected pizzas to start at $40 but instead entry level is low $20s. I have no idea how they are charging so little in today’s restaurant scene, but I like it. In fact, I like it a lot. It reminds me of the time when I could get out of a restaurant for around $100 a person, which is unheard of today.

A Wine List with Value

The wine list has some of the best value I’ve seen in the city. I ordered a 2013 Casanuova Delle Cerbaie for $100, which has virtually no markup. The wine was so good I looked it up next day to stock at home, and the price went from $55-$75. It’s pricing like this which makes the case to put Crazy Pizza on the rotation. There hasn’t been a good spot lately that I have wanted to actually eat pizza versus order in. Heidi Klum’s pizza restaurant may just be my go-to place.

Service

Hyper-attentive, almost too much so. They make sure your glass is always full to keep your drink order going, and you don’t really have to ask for anything because it just automatically arrives after your order. The team keeps your experience moving from start to finish.

Also to note is that Crazy Pizza may be a scene-y place but they don’t have the corresponding attitude. It’s no surprise that Crazy Pizza has locations in the most glamorous places in the world which include St. Tropez and Monte Carlo. The Europeans who do hospitality well have a way of cultivating regulars. The team here knows they are a trendy, cool restaurant. However they also know that those types of spots go in and out of style.

Overall: 8/10

If you don’t take yourself or your Italian food seriously, Crazy Pizza NYC is a fun night out.

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FAQs

Q: Where is Crazy Pizza NYC located?

A: Crazy Pizza NYC is located in the old Morini space in Soho at 218 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012.

Q: What are the hours of operation of Crazy Pizza NYC?

A: The hours of operation of Crazy Pizza NYC are as follows:

Q: Do you need reservations at Crazy Pizza NYC?

A: Reservations at Crazy Pizza NYC are highlighy recommended. They are available on Seven Rooms. You can generally get a table on the earlier side but you would miss the scene which is part of what makes Crazy Pizza NYC special.