In the heart of Madrid, many establishments offer instant pizza portions 24 hours a day, but a few meters from Gran Vía, the bastion of artisanal pizza lovers has been built for four decades. «The oldest traditional pizzeria in Madrid», informs its label.

Oli Zingale, brother of the founder and current owner, believes that the competition does not affect them since their customers do not enjoy eating "reheated pizza." «It is not the same a piece that warms you to the one that they knead at once to your liking. This is our style, ”says Oli.

Vesuvio is far from being an Italian luxury restaurant. In its small space (approximately 40 square meters) where, instead of chairs and tables, it has high stools and a bar. He doesn't sell pizza at the cut, he only offers whole pizzas. «Our slogan is: 'Always fresh, always good'. I cannot give a pizza and say it is fresh if I have reheated it to serve it, ” says Oli. Their philosophy prohibits them from filling the pizza bar that will not be consumed on the spot.

Pizzería Vesuvio (c / Hortaleza, 4) was founded in 1979 by Nino and Esther. After the death of Nino Zingale, Esther continued with the business until 2014, the year in which Oli took office. "This business has always been familiar," says Oli, who has clients who "came from boyfriends and now come with children."

As with the ten people on the staff. The ones in charge of the kitchen take more than 12 years. Manolo, the most veteran pizza maker - there are five - began to knead in 1980. "I started with 18 years, this was my first job," confesses Manolo, who can knead about 350 pizzas a day on the weekend.

The fogged pizza maker ensures that the elaboration is "the same from the beginning of the business" and that the ingredients are "fresh and of the highest quality". The dough is a mixture of flour that includes salt, olive oil and "the secret of the house," which they do not want to reveal, but suggests that it is a type of vegetable dressing. "We use very little yeast and fermentation lasts about 24 hours," confesses Oli.

The dough is always open by hand, has about 25 centimeters in diameter, little edge and, like a good Neapolitan, it is thin. "The oven is about 380 degrees on average and the pizza is inside for a maximum of four or five minutes," shares Manolo. The ingredients that season the pizza are mainly supplied by an Italian supplier, who fills the mozzarella store up to three times a week. «Our pizza is not fast food or junk food. Or are cheese, flour and olive oil rubbish? ”Asks Oli.

The Vesuvius menu consists of 35 different pizzas [between five and ten euros], but it also offers salads and homemade pastas although, by far, pizza is the most popular dish in this very popular establishment in the 80s.

Vesuvio looks for a personal contact in which the client can speak directly to the pizzaiolo -pizzero in Italian- and see how he prepares the pizza. In December he will be 40 years old and they plan to do something special for those loyal customers who have helped them to live without suffering - in excess - the scourges of the big fast food chains. Loyal customers as once they were characters of the Movida. «Alaska and Almodóvar passed through here. Mario Vaquerizo came not so long ago, "says Oli:" So, this was a novelty. "

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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  • Pedro Almodovar
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