I want to like Pizzeria Giacomelli more than I do. It is in a nice little neighborhood, seldom seen by tourists, with a classic Roman ambience (meaning low-key, fairly plain, a little disorganized). The prices are great, the waiters just attentive enough, and the food comes out so fast you barely have time to down your sfizi.

Sfizi were some kind of chopped up vegie mush, lukewarm.

HOWEVER, the sfizi were marginal and pizzas unremarkable. The dough was not aged, I think, as it was tasteless, and the ingredients ordinary. Meh!

I won’t say don’t go there as I could see many Roman families thought it was fine (clearly there were many repeat customers) but we will not waste our precious Friday pizza nights on a return visit. I’ll give this a “6” without specifics and move on.

Click on any photo below for a caption.

Ric at Pizzeria Giacomelli, in Prati. We’ll stick with La Pratolina.

Giacomelli inside.

Pizza Napoli at Giacomelli. Could have used a few more anchovies.

Ric’s sausage & mushroom pizza. OK, but no great flavors.

Giacomelli, pizzaioli and forno a legna. Probably better than most pizza in the U.S., but not comparable to our faves.