Ribalta being ranked eleventh in the @50toppizza World Top 50, it would've been a shame to walk past Union Square without pushing through their door. The décor plays it simple and unpretentious.

Lots of white, a touch of red. You could be in a young, slightly trendy pizzeria in Rome or some other città.

It's loud and lively. The staff, and there's plenty of them, are on it.

In short, it works really well and it's nice for an hour, but atmosphere-wise, you're closer to a nightclub than a cozy lounge. They've also got a "patio"… definitely the way to go if you're after a chill evening after pounding the streets of Manhattan.

But let's talk pizza. The menu is long and divided into rossa and bianca as well.

The toppings, made with carefully selected ingredients, offer a choice between tradition and creativity. The cornicione is nicely airy just as it should be, and the base is remarkably delicate and perfectly controlled in firmness.

To cut to the chase, I'm not qualified to validate a world ranking, far from it, but you've got to admit they were damn delicious and we'd go back without hesitation! (Also available gluten-free on request, always good to know)