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September 28th, 2014

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There’s a revolution going on in Vesterbro! Okay, we’re not talking about demonstrations in the street or falling political leaders, but the bar and restaurant Neighbourhood is here to revolutionize your taste buds and fundamentally change what you expect from a good pizza. 

No longer thin on top
Restaurant manager and owner Martin Duedahl has always been fond of the Italian flatbread with topping, but he wanted to experiment with the classic pizza recipe. 

“A few years ago we saw how the burger went through a change,” he explained to InOut. 

“Then I thought to myself: why can’t we do the same with the pizza? I have always loved pizzas, but I don’t understand why there has to be so much bread. Who wants to get full on bread? Here I want the topping to be in focus.”

Neighbourhood wants to do things differently, so Duedahl started experimenting together with head chef Claus Engelbrecht, a former chef at Umami and Søren K. The result is a new pizza concept for which all the products are organic, most toppings are fresh and raw and the dough is about a third of the amount used in a regular pizza.

A degree in pizza
We ordered the pumpkin chorizo and spinach ham, which to our surprise and delight yielded a tapas vibe. The very crispy and light bread broke off in pieces when you cut, so we gradually got through the tasty toppings bite by bite just like a big tapas plate with various fillings. People who praise organic food are on to something – all the ingredients were so fresh and tasteful.

It’s obvious that Neighbourhood isn’t your regular Italian pizzeria, but it does maintain some Italian characteristics in looks and charm, and just like the Italian capital – Neighbourhood wasn’t build in a day. The concept for the restaurant and bar has been in the works for around two years – since Duedahl wrote his bachelor’s thesis about it.  

You immediately feel the love and hard work that has been put into the place, from the record player in the window to the handwritten blackboards to the long tables with stools where we sat side-by-side with our neighbours, as the name suggests. 

Healthy cocktails … honestly!
Together with the pizzas we had cocktails – a combination that worked well even for a Sunday night. The drinks were extremely flavourful. The organic fruit, vegetables and herbs brought a freshness to the drink that almost convinced me the alcoholic beverage was a healthy choice. But health aside, my Thyme Well Spent was fresh and lovely, and the Currant Velvet was a good, sweet and creamy drink.

We finished the night off with a tossed cheesecake and a rich chocolate mousse that, like everything else, were organic and very delicious. We also had a coffee that – as the concept demands – was served quite differently. You basically get a double espresso, and then you make your own latté, cortado or whatever you please.

You might even serve one for your neighbour.

Neighbourhood

Istedgade 27, Cph V; open: Mon-Thu & Sun 17:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-02:00; 3212 2212, info@neighbourhood.dk; price range: pizzas 135kr, the rest 35-115kr, cocktails 85kr; neighbourhood.dk