Grimaldi's Pizzeria

Grimaldi's Pizzeria, located under the Brooklyn Bridge at 1 Front Street in DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), has been producing coal-fired Neapolitan-style pizza in the shadow of one of the world's most famous landmarks since 1990. The restaurant occupies a historic brick building steps from the East River waterfront, and the setting alone — with the Brooklyn Bridge looming overhead and the Manhattan skyline framing the view — makes the pilgrimage worthwhile before the first slice is eaten. The coal-fired brick oven, which has never been turned off since the restaurant's founding, burns at temperatures that gas ovens cannot match, producing a pizza with a blistered, char-flecked crust that achieves a crispness at the edge and a chewiness in the middle that define the Neapolitan-New York hybrid style. The pizzas are made with fresh mozzarella rather than shredded, house-made tomato sauce from imported San Marzano tomatoes, and a crust of high-gluten flour that handles the heat of the coal oven. Whole pies only — no slices — and no dessert beyond cannoli. The menu is deliberately short: margherita, fresh mozzarella with tomato, and a selection of toppings including pepperoni, sausage, basil, and anchovies. Lines form before opening on weekends and often wrap around the block by midday; weekday visits are far more manageable. The DUMBO neighborhood has developed significantly around the restaurant, making it a natural anchor for a walk along the East River waterfront.