We’ve tasted a few good pizzas in our time, and a few really excellent ones, but never really a chic pizza, you know? So when we heard about a restaurant called Pizza Chic, we naturally wanted to test the concept and see whether everyone’s favourite microwave dinner really could be the height of refinement.

Here’s our verdict.

On a corner, with large windows, sleek white tiles, shabby chic lightbulbs, subtly encrusted mirrors and, er, a wall of rusty metal, Pizza Chic is making a statement without trying to hard (the only things we’d take issues with is the oversized letters on one wall – a very Parisian problem it would seem, as they seem to have invaded restaurants all over the capital).

Here’s a place where you don’t have to worry about dropping your serviette or keeping your cutlery precisely parallel, where uptight dressers can let their hair down, where ever 12 year-old child has an iPhone – obviously – but doesn’t have to show off with it.We decided to launch into the chic experience with some sparkling wine, which was so sweet and fruity we could have downed a couple of chilled bottles no problem… if it hadn’t been 30 euros a pop. Being chic, after all, comes with a price.

Our introductory salad of tuna, beans and red onion, heavily dosed with delicious olive oil, was both melt-in-the-mouth and crunchy, topped with some rather nice rocket. To this already heavenly concoction we added a little balsamic vinegar, and together with the crusty bread it was pretty damn lovely.

Of course the main attraction – announced in neon no less – is the (chic) pizza that you will no doubt be having as a main course. A dozen varieties are on offer, from the basic margherita at an almost reasonable 14 euros, to the full-on prosciutto with aged Parma ham (22 euros).

We went for the aurora with a fresh tomato sauce (excellent), fresh mozzarella and basil (one leaf. Thanks). Despite the meagre serving of basil, it was unlike any pizza we have ever tasted before.

Our second choice was the artichoke pizza with both creamed and raw artichoke, plus parmesan cheese aged over 24 months. It came laden under so much rocket (which we adore) that you couldn’t even tell what it was at first! This turned out to be no less delicious than the first pizza, and was devoured with a great deal of pleasure.

For dessert, it’s a tradition that we taste the tiramisu, as every restaurant seems to have one and the definition is very loose – sometimes it’s creamy and tasteless, sometimes it’s a slab of foam… and tasteless. This time, it has to be said, the texture was both firm but light in the mouth (although towards the end we did get the feeling that it was incredibly rich).

My companion decided to try the limoncello baba which, as if to underline its difference with a giant rum baba, came as a number of mini slices, topped with some ‘crème minute’ which was amaaaazing!

Coffee was definitely called for to top the experience off.

It’s easy to find Italian food in Paris, perhaps less easy to find good Italian food in Paris. Pizza Chic is something out of the ordinary, with a real wood-stoked pizza oven and a tomato sauce that will have you licking your plate. We’re definitely going back to work our way down the pizza menu…

Pizza Chic is at 13 rue Mézières (here), 75006 Paris

Open every day for lunch and dinner

Official site: www.pizzachic.fr

Telephone: +33 (0)1 45 48 30 38

Book directly on line (and in English!): here

To check out all our photos of Pizza Chic, click the play button on the slideshow below, then click the four little arrows bottom right to go fullscreen.