My experience at Ghissalo was really nice! My partner and I decided to try somewhere new for my birthday, and the night started off on a great note. Right away, they wished me a happy birthday and even let me choose between two seating options, which was such a nice touch. Unfortunately, I chose a spot where there were quite a few mosquitoes, but no fret! The staff was super accommodating and made it easy for us to move without making it a big deal. The service throughout the night was attentive and friendly. For drinks, we ordered the Sparkling Chardonnay and Sangria. The Sangria was AMAZING! So fresh and delicious. Honestly, I would come back just for the Sangria! For food, we ordered the Truffle Fries, Cacio e Pepe Pizza, and Pink Vodka Rigatoni. The truffle fries were yummy and we both loved them. The pizza wasn't our favorite, but I would definitely come back and try a different one. It just wasn't quite the traditional Cacio e Pepe flavor we were expecting. The Pink Vodka Rigatoni, however, was amazing! We gave it a 9/10. The only thing that would make it even better for us would be adding some protein next time. Towards the end of dinner, they surprised me with a birthday cheesecake, and WOW. The cheesecake itself was delicious, but the mixed berry jam made in house really took it to another level. This was honestly my favorite thing of the night. I'm not even a huge cheesecake person, but that cheesecake might have me coming back for a fix. I'd recommend giving Ghissalo a try, I'm already looking forward to coming back and trying more things from the menu! read more

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Always passed by this place but thought they only served pizzas. I was wrong! They have a full menu of delicious items The sourdough pita bread, amazing. Cooked to perfection and ate it all with the eggplant dip. I loved how it came together some places sell it separately Then the pizza, WOW did someone say garlic??? I love garlic and this pizza had throughly cooked garlic cloves with every bite. It was so incredibly tasty! The steak kebab was very tasty & cooked very nicely medium rare The service was very attentive, very kind, and he was very knowledgeable about the menu The ambiance was social with seating outside. Small to medium party friendly Overall a must go to spot if you are walking by! read more

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I was really excited to try this place since they have a super cute outdoor patio in the back, but unfortunately the food and service are not so great. Out of all the items that we ordered, the corn fritters were probably my favorite: they bring you three corn fritters filled with mozzarella, caramelized onions, tomato jam and corn. They were quite yummy! We also got the rigatoni pasta with pink vodka. It's okay, and certainty not the best pasta I've had. I think it lacks a bit of flavor. Then we got two pizzas-- a salame and a cacio pepe. When we got our pizzas we noticed that the crust was not fully baked, we could see the dough inside it. I wanted to let our server know, but he was nowhere to be found, so I asked another server who walked near us. He was kind and told us that he would send it back to make sure it was fully cooked. Nevertheless, when he came back with our pizza, the crust just looked burnt. We tried it again, but nope, we could still taste the dough inside. Service needs better communication. When our server finally returned, he had no idea what had happened with our pizzas. Overall, I was disappointed with our meal and service. I was looking forward to this place becoming one of my favorites since they have such a cute outdoor space. Not sure if I will be going back. read more

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Still the best Pizza on the Westside and for sure worth the wait. I read some reviews about long wait times but with pizza this good and so rare in town sometimes you need to wait for the best. The dough is incredible and the meats, whether sausage or pepperoni are amazing. So are the mushrooms and the sauce equally outstanding. We enjoyed the back dining patio and our server was terrific. No need to fly to NYC now to have a memorable Pizza! read more

Jyan Isaac Bread's Ghisallo is a pizza spot with entirely outdoor seating, and we made a reservation for four on a Friday night. We landed on the back patio, which is the move -- string lights, trees, really cute. Your other options are a few tables out restaurant-side or a boxed-in area on the street side. Just know it's all outside, and even with heaters around it gets chilly at night. We came for the pizza and that's exactly where the focus should stay: * Cacio e pepe pizza: Surprisingly delicious. Not a 1-1 with the pasta you're familiar with, but still really good and worth ordering. * Diavola: Spicy and always my favorite. * Margherita: Classic and solid, always worth having. * Rigatoni with pink vodka sauce: Server's rec for most popular sauce, and it delivered. * Little gem salad: Super herbaceous and delicious. * Arancini: Skip it. Middling for the price point... put that money toward another pizza. Pizzas and pastas run $25-29. FYI there's a 3% Healthy LA fee on your bill. Payment is handled tableside on a touchpad (card, Apple Pay, etc.). Vibe is cute, service was helpful, and I'd definitely return to lean even harder into the pizza menu. Parking: Meters up and down both sides of the street - plenty of options (and more on the other side of the street). read more

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I work right across the street somehow missed this little spot tucked along Ocean Park, but Ghisallo was such a pleasant surprise. Came here for a casual lunch with colleagues and left already planning my next visit. The pizza is shockingly affordable for Santa Monica--and actually filling, which feels rare these days. I ordered the Market Vegetable and loved the fresh arugula piled on top (always a win for me). Everything tasted bright, fresh, and thoughtfully put together. But the real hidden gem? The back patio. I had no idea it even existed since the front seating gets all the attention, but the patio feels like a little oasis--quiet, charming, and perfect for a relaxed lunch break. Great food, great value, and an unexpectedly lovely atmosphere. Definitely adding this to my regular rotation. read more

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First visit back here in at least a year or more. Very disappointing on several levels, so proly my last. The chicken parm I used to love is definitely not the same. This time the cutlet tasted old and pre made, not fresh and crispy at all. Chicken was hard and not flavorful, and the marinara was not very fresh or nearly as tasty as before. Plus the corner table we had in the back had chairs that were uncomfortable and way too low for the table, which made it like chest level and awkward. Dunno who approved those chairs but they never should've been used there, they don't work at all. Next, there must've been a dead rat or rat trap outside the wooden fence where we were seated because the wafting smell of dead rat (unfortunately I'm all too familiar with that particular odor) was not pleasant or conducive to dining. Not to mention the place now gets a "B" from the county inspector, which honestly is one of the main reasons we hadn't returned recently. The highlight of our meal was the welcoming and friendly staff and especially our wonderful waiter Jude. Even though we didn't have it this time, the pizza still looked good and like the best thing to order. A great neighborhood spot that has sadly gone downhill unfortunately. read more

Ghisallo - Chicken Parmigiana. Awesomeness - Pizza Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Great place for a quick bite! I've only tried their pizzas but I can confidently say it's some of the best I've had in LA. The Cacio e Pepe pizza is amazing and the crust for all their pizzas are good quality. From my experience, the servers are really nice. I miss their half off pizza slices deal near closing, but the prices here are still relatively affordable. The ambiance in the back patio is also very cozy. I haven't been here in a while, but I'll definitely be coming back soon. Overall a great spot! read more

This place is all about pizza, specifically, the dough. On this visit, we ate in the front section, which offers New York style slices. I tried one cheese slice and one with market vegetables, which was piled high with zucchini, mushroom, and some kind of leaf. The toppings and cheese tasted great, but the star is definitely the bread. It's crisp, bordering on burnt in spots, and super airy. They leave a fairly large crust too, which I enjoyed. We also tried a seasonal panettone, which I was impressed by. I find most panettone to be dry, but this was far from it. I highly recommend a trip to Ghisallo's read more

Ghisallo - Market Veggie and Classic Cheese - Pizza Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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I went here for dineLA The first thing I noticed is that the dineLA menu they gave was so different than what posted online. First, the chicken wings weren't there. Waiter said wings weren't available. Second, the online menu gave an impression that there was 4-course meal: app, pizza, pasta, and dessert. in-restaurant menu had an OR between pizza and pasta. I brought it up to the waiter of which he said the menu listed 3-course meal, pointed to the menu. Did I look illiterate? Because I don't see where it mentioned 3-course meal. If I have known, I might have not booked this place. CLAMS Blistered Sungolds Tomato, While Wine 4/5 was very good. They were kinda bland but I enjoyed the little crusty bread crumbs. DIAVOLA Calabrian Sausage, Pink Vodka Sauce, Pecorino 4/5. I liked it but my friend thought it was salty. FUNGHI Mushrooms, Fontina, Cream, Parmesan, Aged Baisamic 4/5. This was sweet. It balances out the saltiness though. Tiramisu 5/5 was big enough. I was full after the three dishes. Overall the experience was good. We were seated right away. The atmosphere was cute with the little garden background. read more

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Took my mother for her bday and she's a challenging one and she loves it. Pizza was stellar. Great salad and appetizers. Everything was great. She even told me she went back a couple weeks later read more

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I don't understand the 3.8-star rating. The food is always fresh and delicious, the service is good, and the staff are friendly during all my visits. The prices are reasonable, considering the costs of running a business in Santa Monica. The reviews seem a bit unfair. read more

Came here on a whim last night. Well, that's not entirely true. Ghisallo has been on the radar ever since the announcement was made that Casey Lane (Tasting Kitchen, Viale dei Romani) has taken the helm. Located in the Ocean Park neighborhood behind a rather unassuming storefront lies some of the best NY style slices & one of the most charming back patio in recent memory. For last night's dinner, we opted for: Burrata & Sugar Snap Pea - A very well-thought out & wonderfully executed dish. The citrus-forward dressing was light & bright, which complimented the creamy richness of the Burrata perfectly. The Sugar Snap Pea provided a nice crunch along with a touch of bitterness to round out the dish. Diavola Napoletana - Neapolitan style pizza with paper-thin, airy crust. The crust was crispy, with just the right amount of chew (check out the leoparding on the crust). The Calabrian sausage provided a touch of heat which complimented the rich & zestiness of the pink sauce quite nicely. Zeppole - The Italian equivalent to a doughnut. Crispy on the outside with a cake-like texture on the inside, served with powdered sugar & a drizzle of honey. Highly addictive. The service is friendly & efficient. Both front & back of the house team worked diligently to ensure quality & service. Suffice to say, Ghisallo has met the expectation and then some. To quote one Arnold Schwarzenegger: " I'll be back". read more

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Went for our anniversary dinner and got their Dine LA menu which was a good deal actually--3 courses for $35 per person. Considering most of the pizzas are usually over $20 at least, it felt worth it. Both the pizzas, Diavola and cacio e pepe, were delicious with very good crust. Got the meatballs for one of the starters and they were okay, the flavor was good but they were a little cold and I've had better. We also got the wings, and I'm not usually a wings person but I had one of them and liked it. For dessert, the tiramisu was good but the fried dough balls (other dessert option) seemed undercooked and I couldn't finish them. The restaurant did seem super busy so that could be part of it. Service was fine and the back patio ambiance was nice despite being very crowded. I would go back and try their other pizzas, and it was a nice and pretty anniversary spot! read more

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Cute little restaurant with amazing pizza and dough. I liked everything we got here, the salad to the pizzas. We had lots of good pizza to share! I thought I would like the mushroom more, but I liked it least out of everything we got. The veggie was good and so was the Italian sausage one. The pasta was delicious too, can't go wrong with this place. Service is so quick, which is nice. The backyard has a nice atmosphere, we sat under a pepper tree and our server had us pick off one of the leaves to smell it. I never realized pepper trees leaves smell. I would def come here again to try out the other pizzas. read more

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Tasty pizza but the pasta was like flavorless. I've been here twice and neither time has knocked me out of the park but the service is good and it's one of the only places open for dinner in the area lol. It's probably better in summer because they pretty much only have outdoor seating and even though the patio is cute my girls and I were fighting for spots closer to their heater. I'll give them one more shot! read more

Ghisallo - Truffle Fries - Pizza Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Great takeout option for pizza on the west side! Street parking is fairly easy and it's located in a super walkable part of Santa Monica. Staff is super helpful and service is usually very quick! The cacio e pepe pizza is very flavorful with perfectly soft and crispy dough and their kale salad is delicious as well. Ordering by the slice is also available and portions are generous. read more

Ghisallo - Pizza Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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I'll be honest, I didn't expect much when I first arrived, but I ended up having a really great meal. Since it was Dine LA season, the deal was fantastic. The pizza was good, but I actually enjoyed my pasta the most--it was prepared perfectly and very flavorful. Also, the tiramisu was a pleasant surprise and a great way to finish. Definitely a spot worth visiting for a satisfying dinner! read more

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First time. Very good pizza. Had the Margherita and the Cacio pies. Okay Caesar. Chicken Parmesan was crispy and generous. Amazing Brussels sprouts! Jade our server was terrific. read more

My boyfriend and I were really excited to try Ghisallo, but unfortunately we left disappointed. Overall, the food felt very mediocre and didn't live up to the hype or the price point. The pasta portions were extremely small, and the pasta itself was very simple. Honestly, I've made better pasta at home. Our salad arrived wilted, which was also disappointing. The pizza looked beautiful when it came out and had good flavor, but it was incredibly soggy. The cheese and toppings slid right off, and every slice fell apart when we picked it up. It looked great in photos, but it wasn't enjoyable to eat. We really wanted to love this place, but for the prices being charged, we expected much better quality, portions, and execution. Unfortunately, it was a disappointing experience and not somewhere we'd go back. read more

Ghisallo - Pizza Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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I was very excited to go back to Ghisallo since I hadn't been in a while, but I won't be returning. The food was good..but it took way too long. I don't recommend. The server made the experience horrible. He was wearing a hat. Baggy clothes/grey sweater. We had a party of 4 and split the bill 2 ways. One party tipped on the card and my boyfriend was going to leave a cash tip. When he grabbed the device after we paid he said "sorry the service was so horrible that you couldn't tip" it caught us all off guard. I asked him to repeat himself and he said the same thing again. We told him we did tip. Like I said I was going to leave cash. He then started saying why was our service so horrible, and continued pressing us because we didn't tip. He had a horrible attitude, and shouldn't be questioning guest whether they're going to tip or not. Which we already had! We didn't leave the cash tip because of his horrible attitude. read more

Sausage pizza was excellent, the pepperoni was a little strong - I love pepperoni (and normally enjoy 2x or 3x as much as they put on!) but something about this one wasn't quite in harmony for me, amount of pepperoni or not. Patio seating in the rear is nice enough, at least in late summer, with tall trees and mostly shaded (keyword: mostly). Access through Jyan Isaac Bakery tho was a bit unclear to me - turns out you just need to go inside and tell them you're not only here for pizza, you're dining in. Sevcie was mostly good, although a tad erratic despite me being there when they were mostly empty. read more

Ghisallo - Sausage on left, pepperoni on right. - Pizza Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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The food was decent, but the wait for the food was excruciatingly long. I wouldn't recommend this place. The server, wearing a hat and baggy clothes with a grey sweater, made the entire experience miserable. We were a party of four and split the bill evenly. One party tipped on the card, and my boyfriend was about to leave a cash tip. However, when he reached for the device after we paid, he exclaimed, "Sorry, the service was so horrible that you couldn't tip." This caught us all off guard. I asked him to repeat himself, and he did. We informed him that we had indeed tipped, and I had even planned to leave cash. Instead of apologizing, he began questioning our service, insisting that it was horrible and that we didn't tip. His attitude was appalling, and it was unacceptable for him to question whether we were going to tip or not. We had already tipped, and his behavior was the reason we didn't leave the cash tip. read more

Came here around 7pm on a Saturday without a reservation. Restaurant was accommodating and sat us at counter seating in the small bakery next door (same owners). We tried the Squash Blossom and Diavola pizza and both were delicious. The crust is thin, chewy/soft with some crispy and charred edges. It's on the pricier side - our pizzas, one beer, and one glass of wine came out to $100.00 with tax and tip. read more

Ghisallo - Calabrian Sausage (Diavola) and Squash Blossom pizza - Pizza Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Ghisallo's is one of those neighborhood restaurants thats tucked away very nicely. Although ranked a B, I wish I could have given this a higher rated review. Food was good, came here for DineLa and the whole table was a required participation. Cute date night or hangout with friends. The Diavola was great, very much my favorite, as well as the margherita pizza. With Dine La came an appetizer, entree, and dessert. I was able to try the aracini which is my new fave! We also tried the pasta, it was ok, underwhelming but still manageable. For dessert I had to try the tiramisu since its an italian restaurant, and was also left unimpressed. Wine selection is pretty solid but somewhat pricey given the quality of the place. Very small area and only outdoor seating which is the patio or the front sidewalk. Comes with no parking, at least for me bc I street parked. I definitely wouldn't make a drive for this place again since my expectations were high and were not met, however, I wouldn't steer away... If you're in the area its definitely worth checking out! The friendliness of the servers is worth coming back! read more

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Came here last night to show a few friends how tasty the dough here is with their pizzas! And blown away at the customer service and just overall vibe and coziness this place has to offer. A true gem. We left with a loaf of bread and would recommend this place to any pizza lover. And if you need sourdough, be sure to check next door ! read more

Ghisallo - PIZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAA - Pizza Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Had an excellent experience here! Great service, and even better food. Tried the vodka sauce pizza, Caesar salad, and a dessert. Loved the outdoor patio as well. This is a great neighborhood spot! read more

Ghisallo - Donuts - Pizza Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Went here with my two of my girls for a reunion looking for a nice dinner. We had a reservation at 6:30pm and did not receive our salad until 8:00pm. It wasn't after that we received our first pasta dish. There was about 20 pieces of pasta on the whole plate. Definitely not shareable and I don't think it would have even filled me up if I ate it only myself. So we ordered an additional pasta, same tiny portion definitely nothing near worth $26.00. Our pizza finally came after 2 hours and 15 minutes at 8:45. It was just okay and it wasn't hot it was barely warm nearing cold. The table behind us had arrived after us and received three pasta dishes, three pizzas, and left all before we got our food. Our waters were also never refilled the entire time and repeatedly asking kindly. The waiter acknowledged the mess ups we experience and offered us a free tiramisu. However that same waiter, when the table on our other side complained about similar bad experience, the waiter apologized saying that "things happen and it could be worse. You could have cancer or be diagnosed with cancer". That was horribly upsetting. One of my friends at my table had told us some exciting news at the start of dinner that she was completely cancer free after a 5 year battle and her mother who had cancer for a year had just beat it. The look on her face broke my heart when she hear the waiter say that to the other table. I rarely get offended by a joke but that was just so shocking to me and upsetting. That on top of the rest of the whatever dining experience just ruined it for all of us. We got our check, had to send it back and wait another 20 minutes before it came back fixed. We tried to speak with the manager who just dismissed our concerns, never once apologizing. I'm really sad this is how our experience went, we were all really excited to have a nice cute dinner together there but I will unfortunately not be dining there again. read more

Ghisallo - Exterior - Pizza Near Me - Santa Monica, California

4+ Delicious pizza spot that has a cool back patio area. The folks taking the orders were friendly and helpful. You can order whole pizzas and slices here. I ended up getting two slices - the pepperoni and the Calabrian sausage. Both were very good with plenty of toppings. Plus, the size of the slices are pretty darn large. I'm not a small person and two slices were more than enough. They have a pretty good selection so it makes me want to come back and try some of the other slices for sure. Depending on time of day or day itself, parking can get a little tricky. But if you have some patience and don't mind walking, I think you can find some parking in the area. read more

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My friend and I did a quick stop and pick up food run. And we were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed the food and service. We ordered - funghi pizza - lasagna - two slices of bbq chicken pizza The pizza came out super fast ! I would ordered the full pizza again. The lasagna took some time for the order to come out and surprisingly the two slices of bbq chicken pizza to be heated up took a while. Out of all three orders - I would highly recommend ordering the full pizzas. I love how you can see the whole process of them making the pizza from scratch and having them in the fire pit. I would come again! They have secret inside seating that was hard to see from the outside but the atmosphere was great and it made me want to come again read more

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We had dinner at Ghisallo last night with another couple. Ghisallo is owned by restranteurs Bruce Horowitz and Mark Meyuhas who also used to own the now-defunct Tasting Kitchen in Venice. The restaurant is basically a wood-fired pizza kitchen in Santa Monica. The owners were inspired by their love for Santa Monica and wishes for a friendly neighborhood restaurant. We were seated immediately on the pretty backyard heated patio. What can I say LA? It's getting cold, below 70, that is! We required heat and Ghisallo delivered! Our server was very nice and friendly and kept our glasses full throughout the entire dinner. We started off with the Caesar Salad with homemade sourdough croutons, baby gem lettuce, parmesan cheese, and very yummy Caesar dressing and additionally had the panzanella with sourdough, tomatoes, celery, pickled onion, cucumber, and gigante beans. We followed the salads with Neopolitan Pizza-the pepperoni with tomato, mozzarella, parmesan and basil. We all also enjoyed the rigatoni with bolognese, pomodoro, and pink vodka sauce. And because our skinny jeans weren't already too tight, we ordered dessert-zeppole (crispy fried donuts) with a vanilla cream. Our dinner was very enjoyable and we will definitely be back. read more

Cute little pizza joint in Ocean Park! We came around 7:30 on a weekday without reservations and were seated immediately. They have front outdoor seating, indoor seating, and also a back patio, and you can also make reservations. We got a neapolitan margherita pizza and two NY slices to share (calabrian sausage and bbq chicken). The NY pizza crust is better imo but both crusts were good! Neapolitan crust was crispier than what I've had elsewhere -- not soggy at all, cracks a little when you fold it. The cheese on it was also absolutely amazing. I liked the bbq chicken slice better than the sausage; the sausage had a bit too much going on imo. All the pizzas didn't feel too greasy so we were able to finish everything between 2 people! Prices are also very reasonable. Good service, friendly staff, and a wonderful environment -- it's not too loud so you can still hear conversation and the outdoor string lights were very cute. A great spot for a casual dinner! read more

Ghisallo - Slice Calabrian Sausage, Slice BBQ Chicken - Pizza Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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My only complaint about Ghisallo is that there were three little boys dancing and playing with pebbles on the patio while we were trying to enjoy a relaxing Sunday dinner. As two of those boys were mine, however, I can't really hold it against the restaurant. In fact, I'm always grateful for a family-friendly place to share food and wine with other grown-ups while feeding the kids cheese pizza. Our friends are Santa Monica locals who make good use of Ghisallo, bringing their toddler for early dinners on the patio. They made a 5:30 reservation, and we met them with our own brood. The patio was calm and pleasant, and we got a comfortable corner table, equipped with high chairs, and not horribly close to other diners. Service was fast and friendly. We had food for the kids and a bottle of Primitivo on the table more or less right away. Everything was quite tasty. I loved the polpette, the tomato-braised house meatballs served with ricotta and garlic bread. They were also great in the classic spaghetti and meatballs (never too many meatballs when my two-year-old is around). The arancini were nice too--fluffy deep-fried rice balls in bolognese sauce. For something green, we ordered the fennel and peas, with sugar snap and snow peas, fennel, pistachio, feta, arugula, and pea shoots in lemon vinaigrette. I liked this, though I didn't realize it was a deli salad and therefore wetter and a bit less vibrant than expected. Ghisallo is mainly a pizzeria, and the Neapolitan-style pizzas hit the mark. They were fresh-fired with lovely crusts, charred and crispy/chewy. The kids did well with their cheese, while we adults shared the pepperoni, Calabrian sausage, and pizza di zucca. The pepperoni was super satisfying, red sauce with mozzarella, parmesan, and sizzling little meat cups. The sausage pizza was solid, with peperonata, burrata, olives, and Sicilian oregano. The zucca brought a bit of warm sweetness with ricotta, butternut squash, sage, pine nuts, brown butter, and honey. We stayed for an hour and a half, about our limit, and also the restaurant's--they apparently needed the table back by 7:00, though I won't rule out the baby party wearing out our welcome. As we were leaving, all three kids stopped to watch the guy shaping pizza dough through the full-length windows facing the street. We all had a great time at Ghisallo and would be happy to come back for another early, kid-friendly dinner. read more

we came back to ghisallo because our first experience was genuinely great. today was... a completely different story. when we got there, we were told the back tables were reserved, so we sat outside in the front. totally fair, we didn't have a reservation. what was funny was that the shaded tables in the front were also "reserved" and were empty when we arrived and still empty when we left. we sat in the sun the entire time. again, we didn't complain. i ordered wine and was told it was chilled. it wasn't. my boyfriend's water was basically warm while we were sitting in the sun. the pepperoni pizza i ordered came out greasy, soggy, and quite literally buried in cheese. i'm talking cheese falling off the pizza. last time it was crispy and perfect. still didn't complain. then my boyfriend ordered a cheese pizza. the bald/shaved-head guy in the hat and deftones shirt, with keys hanging around his neck, brought out a margherita. we asked if it was cheese or margherita. he said cheese. we asked the woman who took our order. she said margherita. so... which is it? if you're going to interpret "cheese pizza" as something completely different, maybe tell the customer before bringing it out. people have allergies, preferences, dietary restrictions, or simply don't want basil. basic communication. and just to be clear, we really did try to just eat our food anyway and make the best of our time. we weren't planning on saying anything about any of this. we didn't complain about the seating, the warm water, the wine, the pepperoni pizza, or even the mix-up with the pizza. we understand restaurants get busy and things happen. we were literally just going to eat our food and leave it at that. when we didn't tip, the deftones-shirt guy came over and said, "i'm sorry you were so disappointed with your service," in a pretty rude and patronizing tone. that was the moment we actually spoke up. we explained that we'd ordered a cheese pizza and that there had been some confusion. and this is where the entire thing started. we weren't looking for an argument. we weren't complaining all evening. we weren't even planning on saying anything. we only said something because of the way he chose to address us. instead of simply acknowledging the situation, he gave us a full lecture about how "in italy" when you order pizza, you get a margherita. he literally told us that when you order a pizza in italy, they give you a margherita. he then told us that if we wanted an actual cheese pizza, we should've ordered the kids cheese pizza because apparently everyone knows this. btw, we're in santa monica. we've also been here before. we ordered a cheese pizza here before. in fact, deftones-shirt guy, you were the same person who served us that time and gave us the cheese pizza. so apparently you knew what we meant then, but today we're supposed to know the secret rules? he then called me "performative," while telling us he takes pride in his service. if anyone was being performative, it was the guy giving us a lecture on italian and sicilian cuisine and the proper way to order pizza. and thank you for explaining that pizza is from italy. groundbreaking. we genuinely never knew. at one point he even offered us a loaf of bread. appreciate the gesture, but if you know there's a problem, maybe just make the pizza we ordered? or send one home with us? bread isn't exactly a substitute for the wrong pizza. also, there's already a 4% charge on every check for the team members, so the attitude was especially unnecessary. this wasn't about wanting special treatment or being difficult. we tried to eat our food, make the best of our time, and let everything else go. we weren't going to say a word until he made that comment. it's not always what you say, it's how you say it. we came back because we genuinely liked ghisallo. we'll leave it at one good experience. lastly, i'll be including photos because the difference is honestly ridiculous. the first photo is the pepperoni pizza from our first visit. you can literally see how crispy and nicely done it was. the second is what we were served this time. the pictures speak for themselves. so yeah, anyway major let down... and maybe let's reconsider the deftones guy! read more

Ghisallo - Pepperoni Classic - Pizza Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Super cute spot, pizza was sooooo good and picking up a to go order was super easy. Staff was so friendly, would definitely come back

Ghisallo serves the best pizza on the Westside -- the closest you'll find to true East Coast style. Always fresh, flavorful, and perfectly baked. A must-try read more

Ghisallo - Pizza Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Pizza is your typical LA wood oven style. The pricing is hefty but that makes sense for the Santa Monica area. The pizza had uneven distribution of toppings and was pretty barebones. We had the Cacio e Pepe and diavola, most reviewers say the Cacio is the best but we thought the diavola was better! A lot of pizzas were out of stock when we arrived so there must have been better options than what we ordered. Their biggest charm is their backyard seating area, very cozy and it can handle big groups given reservation read more

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Went here for my anniversary & it was lovely! All the employees we spoke to were happy to tell us about the menu & recommendations were great. If you're looking for a good sourdough crust pizza this is the spot! The place felt like i was in someone's home so it switched up the vibe you usually see in a pizza place. Very intimate! The beers they served were also amazing! Only thing that could use a bit more garlic was the meatballs but other than that everything else was a 10/10. read more

It's not often that the word "comfy" comes to mind when dining out. The back dining area, with its trees and blanket lined benches, felt like the back yard of a friend having you over for dinner. After attempting to look distinguished by meticulously enjoying my pie with fork and knife, I sat back with my second glass of Orangotango and observed. Service was exceptional and the open line was a delight to watch the kitchen hard at work. I'll admit, I was interested in a salad but seeing them preprepared ahead of time and sitting hostage in a glass house seemed a little odd. Who doesn't like "fresh" salad? Irregardless, I most certainly will return. read more

Ghisallo - A perfect pairing! - Pizza Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Dirty restrooms, smells like pee when you walk in, no soap. Back patio has uneven surfaces, the tables wobble and are dirty. Their employees stand and talk at the water station. Barely come around to check on us. Bits and pieces of food all over the gravel, poor maintenance, disgusting. We caught the salad person washing some lettuce at the hand washing faucet, the most disgusting thing I have seen. I have been warned about their poor attention to cleanliness but decided to give it a shot. Unfortunately seeing this really scares me for everyone else that come to dine at this establishment. I'm surprised they haven't been shut down honestly, I can only imagine how their walk-in freezers look like. Also, over priced for mediocre Italian dishes. You're better off reserving a night at Local kitchen just down the street from them or a night at Gjelina, they will not disappoint! read more