Da Pizza Papa

2 Photos

by Jaki Faulkner
on Friday, October 23, 2009 12:00 AM

The menu is falling apart. Small sticky labels used to highlight price changes fall off in your hands. The décor is a mish-mash of Italian flag tablecloths, dated and tacky oil paintings and grappa. Only 14 months old, Da Papa Mario looks somehow more aged - but despite the unpolished feel, this restaurant is seriously fun.
Mario, who hails from Modena, has resided in Shanghai for over seven years - yet speaks no Chinese or English. Italian, of course, is the lingua franca, and he also speaks French and Spanish. He serenades clients in an impressively booming voice "Buona sera! Buona sera!" - and somehow natters away with anyone who enters the restaurant, no matter from where they hail
Leafing through the wine menu - covered in splashes of its own produce - there is plenty to choose from. A bottle of Ruffino Criveto Classico and a Primitivo Del Palio are both priced at RMB230; the latter is a particularly pleasant accompaniment to Mario's Italian cuisine.
Da Papa Mario's upcoming new menu in December will offer a range of homemade pastas that, if our selection is anything to measure by, will not disappoint. The spinach-filled pasta, wafer-thin slices of Parma ham and gnocchi in a bacon and onion sauce are particularly good.
The 20 different types of oven-baked pizza travel from stove to plate in less than 30 seconds. The Prosciutto e Funghi (RMB70) has the best dough crust, says Mario, which he delights in ripping off to illustrate just how good he really thinks it is.
Tiramisu is a benchmark dessert for any good Italian restaurant. The one at Da Papa Mario (RMB35) is good, but the fluffily creamy Mousse di Ciocolata (RMB30) is even better. A beautifully bitter espresso and orangecello bought over by Da Papa himself finish a truly entertaining meal.
The Bottom Line: The madcap owner adds genuine personality to this often overlooked homestyle Italian restaurant.