New York is a pizza lover’s paradise. There is nowhere else in the world where you can find so many pizza places so close to one another. Pizza is hot favourite among Karachiites too and the good news is that New York’s Manhattan Pizzeria’s chain has recently opened at Cineplex, Sea views, Karachi. You! takes a look at the interior of this new and exciting place and what this eatery has to offer:

A brief history of pizza:

Considered a peasant’s meal in Italy for centuries, the common belief is that Italians invented the pizza, however the origins go back to the ancient times. Several cultures including the Babylonians and Phoenicians ate a flatbread made from flour and water. Further it is known that ancient Mediterranean people such as the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians were eating the bread, topped seasoned with olive oil and native spices.

The introduction of tomatoes to Italian cuisine in the 18th and early 19th centuries finally gave us the true modern Italian pizza. Modern pizza is attributed to Raffaele Esposito of Napoli (Naples). In 1889, Esposito baked pizza especially for the visit of Italian King Umberto I and Queen Margherita. In 1830 the world’s first true pizzeria, Antica Pizzeria Port’ Alba, opened and is still in business today in Naples.

The story of pizza in America starts in New York City, on Spring Street in lower Manhattan, in 1905 when Gennaro Lombardi, a baker and pizzaiolo from Naples is granted the first license in the United States to sell pizza. New York City is still a great place for a pizza hunt.

Manhattan Pizzeria in town:

The opening of New York’s Manhattan Pizzeria is a welcome addition to an array of international food chains in Karachi. The franchise of this food chain is with Afreen International Pvt Ltd. The place offers authentic New York style pizzas in deep pan and thin crust, as well as sandwiches, pastas, appetizers and a variety of desserts including cheese cake etc. Housed in Cineplex, the place also provides an excellent opportunity to cinemagoers to chill and relish pizzas in a cool ambiance.

The decor:

Even though people go to restaurants to indulge in food, it’s true that interior design is a tremendously important aspect of any restaurant. A restaurant should be a nice place where people can enjoy their meals and feel comfortable. And most of all it has to look inviting and pleasant. With colourful wall hangings, easy chairs and interesting music the decor of Manhattan Pizzeria is a pleasing one and it matches the setting of the restaurants in Florida, New York.

The interior of this place has been designed on modern lines by Tom Dibucci, an American architect. The sleek and stylish furniture has been imported from China from a firm which manufactures furniture for international food chains like TGI Friday, Ruby Tuesday and Applebees. It is interesting to note that the restaurant has four floors including the basement where the kitchen is. The first floor is relatively small but has been done creatively. The walls are adorned with interesting pictures which give a distinctive character to the room. The second floor is spacious and can be a great venue for birthday parties. The sitting capacity of both the floors is around 100. Restaurant’s top floor which is a courtyard setting and accommodates up to 80 people, is perfect for enjoying cool breeze in summer evenings while indulging in sumptuous food.