You’ve only just digested the news about the impending closure of Ergün’s Fischbude, the legendary fish restaurant in Moabit, and then this: There’s also bad news about the Ali Baba pizzeria in Charlottenburg. The popular restaurant is already closed – and has been for about four weeks.
However, not everyone in Berlin may have noticed this; the abrupt end of the restaurant went almost entirely unnoticed. So it is possible that in recent weeks, astonished guests have often found themselves standing in front of the locked doors at Bleibtreustrasse 45.
Ali Baba closed its doors there on July 1st after an impressive 52 years. The exact reasons are not known. While other operators have recently justified the closure of their restaurants with rising costs or a lack of staff, the Charlottenburg cult restaurant has remained silent.
What many Berliners will find particularly hard to miss: Ali Baba was known and loved for its mini pizzas. Small classics at just €1.80 a piece, which not only made hungry night owls happy – even top restaurateurs like The Duc Ngo were fans of the shop.
But at least if you absolutely cannot do without the Italian snack, you can still find it in Berlin. For example, here:
1. Pizza Espresso in Kreuzberg: Available around the clock
The mini pizzas at Schlesische Straße 1 are at least as well-known as those at Ali Baba: at Pizza Espresso they are even baked and sold around the clock – perfect for starving party people. The pizzas are fluffy, well-topped and at 2 euros a piece, only slightly more expensive than the Charlottenburg version, which is no longer available.
Pizza Espresso. Schlesische Str. 1, 10997 Berlin. Open 24 hours a day.
2. Alano Pizza in Charlottenburg: Unusually lavish toppings
If you are not in Kreuzberg but in Charlottenburg, you will find what you are looking for at Alano Pizza: Like the now closed Ali Baba in the same district, 23 mini pizzas are also offered at Stuttgarter Platz. The versions sold there have unusually generous toppings for their small size and cost 2 euros each.
Great Dane Pizza. Stuttgarter Platz 23, 10627 Berlin. Mon–Fri 12.30pm–10pm, Sat–Sun 1.30pm–10pm.
3. Piccola Taormina in Charlottenburg: Square and delicious
Piccola Taormina is also located in Charlottenburg – and has been for more than 50 years. Although, like Ali Baba, they don’t sell classic, round mini pizzas here, they do sell wonderful pieces of sheet pizza, always topped with salami and mushrooms, until the shop closes at midnight. A square but quite potent substitute at 1.50 euros a piece!
Little Taormina. Uhlandstrasse 29, 10719 Berlin. Mon–Sun 11am–midnight.
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