At Ghisallo, indulge in hearty wood-fired slices and full pies in a cozy backyard patio that's perfect for a laid-back pizza night under string lights.
"Ghisallo can feel like a salad counter within a slice shop within a sit-down pizzeria. Let’s break that down: this Italian restaurant on Ocean Ave has a counter where you can order anything from a chopped salad to a New York pepperoni slice to an entire rack of ribs. Or you can sit on the lovely stringlit patio with a midday glass of wine and eat a 12-inch Neapolitan pizza with spicy nduja and fermented honey. Again, Ghisallo gives you options, and that’s before you consider ordering a Tre Mani sandwich." - sylvio martins, jess basser sanders
"This pizzeria is ideal for a quick lunch or even an intimate dinner with that friend you’ve been meaning to see for months now. Here you’ll find a rotating menu of seasonal salads, as well as both Neapolitan and New York-style pizza by the slice, plus some thick sandwiches on their crispy house ciabatta. At dinner, pies are served whole rather than by the slice, with chewy, nicely charred crusts. But the big selling point here is the perfect topping combinations, like spicy nduja sausage and squash blossom pizza boosted with funky-sweet fermented honey and salty green olives." - arden shore, brant cox, nikko duren, sylvio martins
"There’s something idyllic about eating pizza while grains of sand are still stuck to the bottom of your feet. If you share that sentiment, head to Ghisallo. This counter-order pizzeria on Ocean Park is open all day and serves both New York-style slices and 12-inch, bubbly Neapolitan pies, plus small stuff like arancini, salads, and decadent desserts (get the cinnamon-dusted zeppole). It also has a string-lit patio in the back where you can eat pizza, beer in hand, while the sun sets. If you’re looking for a big,, beautiful focaccia sandwich, Ghishallo houses a lunchtime concept called Tre Mani that we love just as much. " - brant cox, sylvio martins, nikko duren, garrett snyder
"Ghisallo is a casual wood-fired pizza spot along Ocean Park Boulevard that has an outstanding backyard. Find pizza by the slice and both New York and Neapolitan full pies with toppings like meatballs or farmers’ market vegetables, plus a full selection of salads, shared plates, desserts, wine, and more." - Eater Staff, Matthew Kang
"The earthy smell of wood-fired dough was the first thing I noticed as I sat on a blanket in the candlelit backyard at Ghisallo’s, a pizza-first restaurant in Santa Monica that sells whole pies and individual slices as well as pastas, salads, and more. I lifted my face-size slice of market veggie pizza by its pillowy crust, and it slumped in on itself like a hammock. Salty tomato sauce mingled with confit garlic, and the spinach, red onion, roasted bell pepper, and eggplant fused together in a jammy layer. Even after sitting in the deli case for a bit, the dough was chewy and the crust firm and blistered. Every couple of bites, the buttery green olives strewn across the pie delivered a welcomed punch of salt. Sitting outside in the winter, I wondered whether I should just move to California already." - ByElazar Sontag