Trattoria e Pizzeria L'Arte

The oven is the first thing you notice on walking into L'Arte – that, and the certificate from the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. This restaurant is a sister shop to the long-running Il Lupone in Nakameguro, a superior pizzeria that nonetheless suffers the ignominy of being only the third best place in the neighbourhood. There's a little less competition in Sangenjaya, which might be why L'Arte – all whitewashed walls and Neapolitan ephemera – is still packed when Time Out arrives right at the end of a weekday lunch shift. Well, that and the fact that the lunch sets are terrific value. While L'Arte can be pricey at night, on weekday lunches you can have a small salad, pizza and drink for a mere ¥1,300. Our margherita is heavy on the cheese and surprisingly tart, with a firm, crisp crust and pillowy, slightly charred cornicione – very good. Expect to pay a fair bit more at dinner, especially if you start delving into the good-but-expensive wine list.