Bufalina

Best Pizza in the WORLD. Perfect combination of traditional Neapolitan style with a little bit of New Haven char. The dough is perfection. The menu is always fun and inspired, the cocktails as well! With a strong, handsome man cooking the pies to perfection; and a pizza chef who moves like a ninja and is as beautiful as the morning sunrise. Bufalina is not to be missed! Friendly owners, cozy atmosphere, delicious food. Pro tip: call Thursday-Saturday at 11:30am to make sure you are able to get your takeout order in, or to reserve your table for the evening.

Delicious Pizza. Best around, and yes, we’re in New Haven pizza territory. The owners are always there and know everyone. Indoor seat allows everyone to watch the entirety of the kitchen action and the outdoor seating is in a garden where they grow a lot of their herbs and the VW bug converted into a bar is super fun.

Better ingredients, better pizza - BUFALINA!! The owners care about what they do, and it comes though in every pizza and all the seasonal salads, as well as the perfectly curated beverage selection. Local gem. You can park on Fair St and walk if lot full. (Very small eat-in counter, but patio has lots of extra seating when weather allows.)

Margarita pizza was excellent. We had them make it slightly underdone and uncut so that we cold bring it home and finish in our oven. Came out crispy and delicious.

I love a great Neapolitan style pizza. Staff is super friendly. The owners are great and food ranks supreme there. Awesome outdoor area and small indoor pizza bar definitely a must try!!

New to the city. Was highly recommended this place for pizza as my partner and I are pizza fanatics. BUFALINA did not disappoint. We ordered two pies- tre carni and the patate. Both were very tasty and different. The service is great and the food delicious. The restaurant is fairly small and seats maybe up to 12 people. Very popular for take out as we noticed while we were eating. I like how you sit at the bar and can see everything the workers are doing. It feels very personal and interactive. Already looking forward to our next visit here to try more of their pizza. Would highly recommend and take my friends and family here!

Solid pizza spot! Only ever have gotten take out but haven't gone wrong with any of the pies. Nice vibe, chill staff, and delicious ice cream sandwiches from Hen & Heifer.

Amazing pizza, great drinks, relaxed atmosphere and an incredible staff !!!

Pizza and staff here are great. The dining area is very small and quaint; great ambiance.

Called a month ago to make reservations for tonight because we know how busy they always are, only to show up and be sat outside. No one is calling to make a dinner reservation a month out for November to sit outside. I had to drive home to get jackets for my wife and me, which is absolutely ridiculous. Was point blank told you have to specify inside when making a reservation, which did not come up when making the reservation, and apparently means I'd also be outside in January if I called now to make one for then. The pizza is solid, and the wine is great for the price, but needing to know the super secret handshake to eat inside during the 16 hours a week they're open, beyond calling a month in advance, is just not worth it. Absolutely will not be back.

Multiple attempts to visit .. always greeted rudely .. unfriendly!!!!! Trying to support a local restaurant and each time we try always rude and Kurt no one smiles Will not be returning

Guilford is so lucky to have this intimate, excellent wood-fired pizza restaurant. Matt and Melissa could not be more personable and seem to know everyone in the town and beyond. The menu is so imaginative, always seasonal with ingredients sourced from top notch vendors and local farms. They bring in interesting wines by the glass or bottle to pair with the menu. The salads are superb, also seasonal and healthy. Nothing served in the restaurant is ever less than fresh and skillfully made. The crust! Oh what delicious crust! Similarly, the excellent desserts from Hen and Heifer change with the month and provide a wonderful finish to a perfect meal. Notable, too, are the great playlists, the cozy atmosphere, and the friendly spirit among all the guests. Every visit is like a quiet party with an upbeat, yet relaxing vibe. Bufalina is magical--all due to the wonderful owners.

Doesn't pick up when you call. Out of food when you arrive. (Filler content so this review posts).

The pizza was excellent. Unfortunately the owners were inappropriate; defending a customer of theirs who hit my car and left the scene of the accident.

Great little place with delicious wood fired pizza. We started with the roasted olives as an appetizer and then had the special which was a broccoli rabe, sausage and ricotta pizza. Everything was delicious. While we didn't have cocktails, there was a nice selection and they looked great! Foxon Park soda, Spindrift seltzer and water are the soft drink choices. It's a tiny place with counter space inside and a cute little outdoor patio. Not sure what happens in the cold weather, but takeout is always an option.

Tiny pizza kitchen that for seating only has a 10-seat L-shaped marble counter that wraps around a cramped kitchen for seating. Although this is their only seating it ensures that you get to watch them make the pizza right in front of you in their wood-fired brick-oven pizza oven The pizza are personal sized and they have a handful of different varieties + a rotating one Apparently they grow their own herbs for their pizza, and they make their own chili paste In addition to pizza they also have salad and a few different desserts (including one from Hen & Heifer) I got a pepperoni pizza and it was delicious. It was similar to new haven style pizza 9

Good drinks, good food, fair prices, and a nice atmosphere on the porch outside. Would go back.

The best pizza ever! The owners are so friendly, and make the most authentic Italian pizza in New Haven County, which is a big claim in the area I know. But Matt and Melissa picked up their culinary skills in Naples and brought them back to the Shoreline, and we. are. so. lucky. Just make sure you order early, because they get absolutely flooded with orders (a good sign!)

Excellent gourmet twist on the New Haven Pizza tradition. Fun backyard environment -- wonderful staff!

Terrible pizza and rude staff. The pizza took forever to come, and the toppings looked like lunchables. Half the pizza had toppings and the other half looked forgotten. The Nutella pizza was... fried bread with Nutella on it. Everything tasted of stale oil. When we stopped by on a different day to ask if we could purchase ice cream sandwiches to go, the waiter laughed in my face and told me "nice try". There are about five million better pizza places in New Haven, do yourself a favor and skip Bufalina.

Years later and still one of our go- to places! Our young children absolutely love this pizza. Tre carni and Margherita are two of our favorites but we try new things from the ever changing menu here and there. Such amazing pizza made with high quality, authentic ingredients. The owners are lovely.

Always the best pizza on the shoreline! The pear and bacon was wonderful but the peppery Broccoli Raab had it beat. The special appetizer was a nest of chard with a tasty filling - yum! Tip is to get it uncut and under baked so you can finish it at home. Also, call way ahead of time to place order they sell out their pickup times early.

Absolutely amazing, true Neapolitan style pizza. E'ting is so well paired together between grilled peaches on the summer pizza Pesca, and other pizza offerings with all locally sourced fruits/vegetables. The Tre Carni pizza stays on the menu, as clearly transcending tastebuds from fall to winter to spring and summer. Truly excellent bubbly crust. Call early for a reservation to sit or takeout. Your tastebuds will be salivating!

I have been getting takeout from Bufalina for almost a year and have never been disappointed!!! I love how the menu changes frequently and there is a special pizza each week. I would recommend for anyone who likes delicious thin pizza!! I can eat almost two of their pizzas in one setting so if you are hungry get atleast one per person. I will be back many more times!

I need to go here more often! Prior to this winter I was only here years ago...that ain't gonna cut it! Went with my friends and with a quick secured reservation (albeit on a balls-cold night when nobody was dumb enough to go out) there was good space available for us which can be a challenge because it's so small and so good. Service was very friendly, drink selection was happening and the house salad that night was fresh, innovative & outstanding, and of course the 3 pizzas we ordered were slammed down ASAP! It's not New Haven style, it's genuine Neopolitan like they serve up in Napoli, and having had the pleasure of eating a pizza there, I can say Buffalina is dead on target. If you haven't been and you want a different take that's honestly just as excellent as New Haven, Buffalina is for you.

We had a pizza to go and it was delicious. We got the fig one! Will definitely go back and plan ahead so we can sit in the courtyard. (Make reservations well ahead of time!)

This is (for a pizza takeout) a very disagreeable place. It is made very clear when you call that you need to make a "reservation" for your pizza - really? I went once when they first opened - nothing to write home about but it was good - a "designer" pizza so to speak! Several times they don't even answer the phone but leave a voice mail message that all reservations for pizza are taken for the night and that is it. Clearly have become very popular and arrogant. On three occasions I called to order a pizza expecting to wait about an hour. Definitely not two and a half hours! Unbelievable. There are other pizza places to go to in Guilford and Madison and that is where I now go. What an attitude in Guilford, CT - worse than New York!!!

Pricey for what you receive & no comparison to New Haven pizza. Better than most pizza in Guilford. Novelty atmosphere & owners are super nice. One of employees that answers phone is lacking in interpersonal skills & touches your pizza after handling money.

So great to return to our favorite restaurant of all time tonight. Best pizza as always and so good to see Matt and Melissa. They are always so kind and friendly while also keeping the pizzas moving for everyone. Service is wonderful and the ambience is perfect, intimate and positively pleasant. Buffalinas is a Connecticut treasure and you will not only enjoy the best Neapolitan pizza anywhere, and the salads and beverages and desserts are beyond wonderful, but you will also make long lasting friendships here.

The service was excellent and the pizza was delicious best I ever had. Saved in my favorites! Will definitely go back

This place is a special place to get pizza. When you want to splurge or it's a special occasion. I love the different options for pizza, ones you don't see every where. The pizza is not greasy/oily. It's quality ingredients. Very tasty! Worth trying, I would def get their pizza again.

The food is excellent, but there isn't much variety. That doesn't bother me at all (my husband would have preferred a few more topping options) and the fact that there was a salad made me happy. They don't have gluten free crust but you can bring your own, which was a nice touch! Made a reservation a week and a half in advance, sat on the patio (luckily it wasn't cold out) for dinner and it was great. Paper plates and plastic cups during the time of Covid. I brought my own water (you can buy sparking water) and my husband had red wine (there is only one option by the glass). Service was great (they even charged me less for bringing my own crust). Kind of an unusual place but a gem nonetheless. Looking forward to coming back and trying a different type of pizza.

Not bad definitely Guilford pretentious, not close to Sally's, Pepe's or modern. Overpriced not as nice!

Best pizza ever and great back patio with converted VW bus into an adorable bar!

The margarita with pepperoni was very good. We had to order at 11:00am to get it. I thought that was a little over kill but very good nonetheless. Order it undercooked and put it in the oven at home too. Lots of tricks here.

To Bufalina and all of their community- I have been in MadisoCT at my parents house for 9 weeks now. I traveled from NY to quarantine in a safe haven until further notice. I was delighted to find Bufalina on the internet- and see all of the tasty looking artisan pizza they have to offer offer- there is no other place like it that I know of between madison and guilford! However, I have called on three separate occasions, twice during the week, once on a weekend, all before 5:00pm. On each occasion, I receive either a voice recording (or after multiple tries), a human, all with the same message- we are sold out of pizza and not taking orders. I remain excited and optimistic about eventually trying this amazing looking pizza- but what does a girl have to do to get an order in here?!?! Any help is appreciated. Yours truly, Abby C UPDATE- 6/4/20- finally called early enough for takeout and WORTH EVERY PENNY. Amazing flavor combinations and great curated wine list! Specials are always excellent!

We carried out 2 12 inch pizzas cooked in the authentic looking brick-oven which were beautiful (although a bit burned on the bottom). The staff were super-nice and the place was hopping with nice backyard seating. Very charming overall and probably would try out some more of their offerings.

What a charming spot! Highly highly recommend! Brilliant idea! It must to be the tiniest pizza kitchen in CT, but it work so well! Delicious dough. They got it right! And the cutest outdoor garden!

The food was amazing I would give it a 1000 out of 5 I would definitely recommend The food was so good the pizza came out so quick and it tasted amazing and their salad was so fresh and delicious please come here and support this local business

Talk about finding a diamond in the rough. This place is small but, elegant. It brings an open concept where you see the owners dishing out pizzas by the minute. I've eaten pizza from all over the east coast and this place ranks among the top. In the wise words of El Presidente this is no football pizza. One Bite Everybody knows the rules. Don't miss this place if you're in the Madison area. P.S the Calabrian chilis are dope

When my wife and I moved to the shoreline from Manhattan we thought our pizza luck had run out. It's okay, we had a lot of good years. Sure we went through some tough times, and I resented our kid every time we had to force down another, "You've tried all the rest, now try the best" pizza. I started to question all the life decisions that led me to this pizza desert. Then we found Bufalina. Not only is it the best pizza a family of pizza snobs have ever tasted, Melissa and Matt are warm, welcoming people. They have always been kind to us and made sure we got pizzas during the (always) busy times. I honestly don't know how Matt has friendly chats with everyone who comes through the door while keeping the pizzas moving along. The pizza itself is a thin Neapolitan style with a chewy crust and a nice char. So good. One of the things I miss the most during COVID winter is sitting at the counter with my family, having a glass of wine, a margharita pizza and keeping warm by the fire of the stone oven. You should go.

COVID should not be an excuse for a mediocre dining experience. We had to be seated outside but you could quickly see that there was absolutely no thought or effort put in to creating the outdoor area. We ordered a salad from the specials list. It was a premade salad of what looked like 3 day old soggy lettuce with barely any toppings served in a cardboard box. We sent it back as it was inedible. We ordered two pizzas which we never got to eat as a short while later a man came our table, completely furious about the terrible salad we had sent back. He was verbally abusive and we tried to politely reason with him but had to leave, I was afraid he actually might get violent. I have NEVER been treated this way at a place of dining. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Pizza is absolutely delicious and in the summer time, perfect cute spot for outdoor dining. The outdoor bar is a nice touch. Recommend making a reservation if you plan on eating there - it's a popular spot

Ok so an absolute crazy experience here... read on if you want entertainment. We booked a table outside due to COVID and made oway outside and let the hostess know we were out the back. She came out promptly and gave us a couple do plastic glasses for our wine and told us it $10 corkage. Bear in mind their alcohol list is extremely limited hence the reason why we brought our own wine. We knew what pizzas we wanted so we told her what they were and she offered us a salad. 2 minutes later the salad came out in a box. Which was fine but we started to eat it and could not take another fork to it as it was like wilted and soggy. We told the waitress to take it away when she passed by the next minute. 3 minutes later a guy comes out yelling and screaming at us about not liking his salad... and that he is going to tell his lettuce farmer to get his act together. This continues for about 1 minute when then we just decided to leave. The table around us (1) was also half in hysteria and half scared! Never going back here again.

One of my favorite Guilford restaurants. Great ambiance and amazing pizza. Love that they were picking fresh squash blossoms for their special pizza. We love the Tre-Carni pie! Their outdoor space is amazing.

It's just amazing... the best Pizza on the shoreline!! Staff is friendly The pizza is fresh and it just melts in your mouth... it's a must try for everyone

This is my favorite pizza place near me! We don't get pizza from here too often because of their hours and when they are open. But when they do.. their pizza is so good! You definently have to order at the beginning of the day if you want pizza because they are so limited with the pizzas they make. Otherwise, I love this place!

Best. Pizza. Ever. You cannot go wrong. Go hungry and stay for the Nutella pizza for dessert as well. This is a must go to for everyone!!!!!!

Fantastic pizza and extremely fresh ingredients. Wish they had a bigger space and were open for lunch!

Came in on the good reviews, left with a couple of burnt pizzas. By the time we realized it we were 10 miles away and hungry as a pack of wolves. We found ourselves eating around most of the burnt bits. The flavor was there and the dough had an interesting consistency but it wasn't worth it in my mind. Additionally, if you're looking to feed a family, this is not the place. They make personal sized pizzas that will, no doubt, fill a single person up. They are quite expensive in comparison with joints down the street. The redeeming aspect of Bufalina is their friendly staff. Nothing wrong there. Just don't leave the pizza in the oven for so long. ;)

Absolutely awful experience. The owners are disrespectful to both the customers and their employees. Multiple times throughout our dine in experience we witnessed the owners argue and berate one another. It was uncomfortable. We also witnessed them yell at their employees. Will never be returning. Not to mention the pizza was burnt and there was not much variety to chose from when ordering. There are so many other places to go in this area. Would much rather drive to New Haven to go to Zeneli for the same type of pizza. Much better ownership and vibe too.

If Frank Pepe made upscale artisan pizza this is probably what it would taste like. I'm not sure I would even consider Bufalina's pizza to be artisan pizza because they don't use out-of-the-ordinary ingredients. They just use high quality traditional ingredients and cook everything in a wood-fired oven. It's the style of pizza that's prevalent in Italy. For an oven that's not coal fired, it produces a crust that is amazingly similar to Pepe's crust. It's fantastico. The crust is thoroughly cooked with chewiness on the inside and crispy smokiness on the outside. In fact, it was one of the most gosh darn smokey and charred tasting crusts I have ever tasted. I loved it. I hope they don't change it when some idiot starts complaining that its "burnt". Because it's not. It's done 100% perfect. The tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese were both excellent. Although I kind of wish they used a little more of both and wish they added a couple drops of olive oil. The sausage was very good too. Bufalina's only downside are its prices. I got a margarita pizza which costs $10 (only twelve-inch size is available). Pepe's charges $8 for the same twelve-inch small pie. So perhaps at Bufalina you're paying a couple extra bucks for slightly better ingredients. They also offer a Bufalina pizza on the menu which uses actual buffalo mozzarella. That one's quite pricey at $14. However this isn't the type of place where a little league coach will order multiple pies for his team. It's not that type of establishment. By the way, the inside is molto tiny, yet cozy. There's a few seats at the counter so you can get really intimate with the owners as you watch them make their pizzas. Claustrophobic people might not like it because there's really no elbow room.

If you enjoy & appreciate authentic Italian pizza, then this is the place for you. Yes it is a very small place, so you need to make reservations to sit at the counter (they don't have tables), however, it is the best pizza in Connecticut. We've eaten their once and done take-out several times. The pizzas are a small size (1-2 people per pizza). The crust is firm yet chewy. The Bufalino (just San Marzano sauce & buffalo mozz)... simple but delicious. The Margarita pizza is a standard "cheese" pizza but also wonderful. They also have a nice simple salad with just lettuce, parm cheese and homemade croutons - lemon/oil dressing. I'm hooked on this place and highly recommend it if you appreciate quality pizza

Amazing hidden little gem on the shoreline offering amazing pizza with the freshest ingredients. If you are in the new Haven area for great pizza places, Bufalina is a must try. The owners could not be nicer and the cocktails are fantastic. Such a special place.

There are so many things to say about this little treasure. First, it's little. Extremely little. Think smaller than a small lunch counter place small. But, the good news is that there is plenty of outdoor seating, which is perfect for the summer, and there is takeaway. They have adorable little strings of lights and wooden picnic benches. I'm always a fan of eating pizza at the restaurant, especially for this authentic Italian wood-fired style pizza, which can be more delicate than most and doesn't deal well with steaming in the box, so eat outside and make it a night. This pizza is not like other pizza in New Haven. This is authentic, Italian pizza. Think personal pizzas with perfectly chewy, crispy crust, cooked in an 800-degree wood fired oven. Think simple sauce made from San Marzano tomatoes. Buffalo mozzarella. Classic Margherita pizza. They also have some specialty pizzas. Don't be afraid to try some of the more unusual flavor combinations. I had the "Fichi," and it was amazing. Fire roasted figs, salty, smoked Speck, gorgonzola and asiago. It was such a wonderful combination of flavor and texture. Long story short, this is pizza the way it was meant to be, and I hope that this place can grow to become a fixture in the area for many years to come.

Was so happy I finally got to try Bufalina! I've wanted to. Go for quite awhile, but never had the chance. If small, thin crust, brick oven pizza with fresh (local) ingredients and interesting combinations is your thing, then definitely give them a try. The Margherita and Cipolle were my favorites. The sauce on the margherita was perfect, just a little but sweet, with lots of cheese and fresh basil. The cipolle uses one of my favorite soft cheese from mystic cheese company called "Melinda Mae". It's a soft (almost Brie like) cheese that's not over powering. I never would have thought to put it on a pizza. But there it was, topped with caramelized onions, scallions and bacon....and it was delicious. It was the favorite of everyone at the table. The crust is great, just the right amount of charring. The place is small but still takes reservations and it's byob! It gets pretty crowded but you can also get take out. During the warmer weather they do have a back patio open for additional seating. Can't wait to go back.

As you can see, Moe is stingy with 5 stars. He has to be wow'ed, not just satisfied or impressed. This delightful little spot in Guilford wow'ed Moe. Top notch wood fired pizza with top notch ingredients on top. Scrumptious salad. Wonderful proprietors. Small menu. Maybe 6-8 different specialty pizzas. One salad of the day. So simple. So good. Go.