Pizza Paolo in Essen

Very tasty and lots of freebies thanks to Fabio

I've known the place for a few years, always a highlight. Paolo and Fabio are the best.

Wonderful selection and perfect preparation.

Yesterday, four of us went to Paolo's for my birthday. Unfortunately, we weren't very happy. I had made a reservation a week in advance. When we arrived, we were rather unceremoniously seated in the furthest corner. The next table was so close that I felt my privacy was somewhat invaded. Our order was taken quickly and politely, and the drinks and appetizers arrived promptly. We borrowed the balsamic vinegar from the next table, but it was empty. When we asked for it—we had to get up because no one was looking in our direction—we were given a bottle, but nothing came out. On our second attempt, after getting up again and going over, we finally got some. The appetizers and main courses we ordered were very tasty. Unfortunately, we weren't asked if we wanted anything else to drink. We noticed that larger groups and probably regular customers were very well looked after, but we weren't. The icing on the cake, however, was dessert. The waiter told us about homemade ice cream. We ordered one scoop each of pistachio, white chocolate, and lemon. What we received were three Tartufo desserts, carelessly placed on the table. The water we ordered only arrived after we asked for it. We were confused by the dessert and didn't feel like complaining, as that would have meant chasing after a waiter again. We just wanted to go home. In short: The food was delicious, but this isn't what I expect from Italian hospitality. No one even asked if it was anyone's birthday, even though my guests arrived with large, wrapped gifts. This isn't how I envisioned my birthday. 😣

The kitchen is creative and high-quality.

Not even worth one star for the unfriendly behavior... we were simply thrown out...

We are regulars at Polo and always enjoy coming back. Great atmosphere, superb food, and consistently friendly service – highly recommended!

Super delicious! Super friendly! Top!

Since Italian food is one of my absolute favorites, I've been to many Italian restaurants and like to compare them. Pizza Paolo is one of my favorite places here in Essen. They serve delicious dishes at great prices. The portions are generous, even for big eaters. The ingredients are fresh, and the service is very friendly and personal, creating a family atmosphere. Sometimes Paolo himself sings (at celebrations or when he's having fun) – fantastic voice, amazing atmosphere! If you come regularly, the staff will remember your preferences and even your favorite seats. The ambiance is industrially cozy, fitting for the nearby Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex. Highly recommended!! If you haven't been here, you're missing out. P.S.: We're regulars now. Thanks, Paolo and team! 🙋🏻‍♂️

A fantastic Italian restaurant, just like they always portray in the movies. And if Paolo were cooking himself... a dream. But he often doesn't. The other cooks aren't even mediocre. It's unbelievable how different it is. When I'm there, I always ask if the owner can cook for me; I'd rather wait a bit longer. It's a real shame. Because the pizzeria is actually a gem, I wonder why the owner doesn't change things. He knows exactly what his cooks are like. It's probably family; there's no other explanation. A nice restaurant with a good menu and a blackboard offering additional dishes, and sometimes the owner even sings. The pizza is good, the prices are okay, but what goes on in the kitchen is completely beyond me. Please change this.

It was our first time there, and we had a lovely evening at affordable prices. The Italian salad was delicious. The spinach tortellini were beautifully presented and very tasty. Delicious white wine and good beer rounded everything off perfectly. Rolls with herb butter were served as a side dish. Despite the large number of guests, the service and kitchen staff were not overwhelmed and were always friendly. Our table near the entrance was quite lively. Otherwise, a great atmosphere, superb! Superb!

First of all, the food is always delicious, but this time, for the second time, the pickup wasn't ready at the agreed time. This time, too, we ordered for a specific time, arrived on time, only to find that the pizzas weren't even in the oven. Unfortunately, we had to wait another 15 minutes.

We just spontaneously got the last table for four people. The bruschetta was delicious, and the pizza was excellent. The service took a little longer for drinks, but every seat was taken.

Super delicious and a great atmosphere! 100% recommendation! 😍

The food was very good, but unfortunately the waiting times were too long.

Delicious food, friendly service, very nice atmosphere.

The food is great! The prices are also more than fair.

A special compliment for the excellent fish soup that Paolo cooked that day. It was a poem, as was the rest of the meal we ate there. Thank you so much, dear Paolo, for these delicious dishes ;o).

Very nice Italian restaurant, was recommended to us, delicious pizza and spaghetti, fast service

Super delicious food, great restaurant. Everything is freshly prepared, but unfortunately, there are often very long waits for the dishes.

I've been there several times before, and it's always been good. Ordered for the first time today, and long story short, I've never tasted such bad food. One pizza was watery, another was floury. The scampi pasta was burnt. And I can't describe the spaghetti Bolognese. Too bad.

Reserved a table online. It was our first time at this trattoria. It's a very nice little restaurant with a friendly atmosphere. The staff is very friendly and attentive. The pizza was delicious. The value for money is excellent, which is why the restaurant is very popular.

Highly recommended! We were completely satisfied.

Delicious pizza and pasta, nice staff.

A nice place to eat in a group without having to worry too much about your wallet and to eat in a pleasant atmosphere.

We ate there with a larger group, and it was truly a wonderful evening! First, the friendly service, who clearly enjoyed what she was doing, convinced us to also have starters and desserts. The mixed starters we had were all good. The main courses, pizza and lasagna, looked unimpressive at first, but tasted amazing. The portions were also generous. But the best part of all, the dessert! It would probably be worth going there just for that. Based on a recommendation, we had the Tartufo di Pizzo, which we learned comes from the owner's hometown. This was truly one of the best ice cream desserts we've ever had. The prices were very good; three courses cost around €30 per person. If we weren't passing through, we would be coming here more often!

Delicious Italian cuisine, many dishes that are truly well-crafted.

A very nearby and familiar pizzeria! I like to go here with my family on special occasions. Keep it up!!

I would like to express my disappointment with my previous experience with the restaurant. I ordered your pasta carbonara four times at longer intervals. The first time, the dish was exactly as it should be: delicious and satisfying. The second time, however, I was served a completely different dish: pasta with scrambled eggs. I immediately returned the dish, whereupon the chef apologized and explained that he had made a mistake. I was then brought a new dish, which was again the expected carbonara. Unfortunately, I discovered that since then, I have not received a real carbonara, but rather pasta with scrambled eggs. (See picture) It seems as if the chef only makes mistakes, which is simply ridiculous given the high prices you charge.

Friendly workers, beautiful place and atmosphere and really delicious food, wow the maccheroni vito was soooo tasty. I will come back when I’m in this area for sure. Truly truly delicious. Also portions were good and big and prices were reasonable. All around a great place.

Ate there for the first time, it was super delicious, very nice service and the chef personally came to the table and asked if everything was okay.

Repeat customers for many years and always impressed. Whether in "gardener's outfit" or "civilian": we were always treated very courteously. So far we haven't been able to get a seat because all the seats were already taken and we hadn't reserved beforehand! Still trying to accommodate us somehow. The food itself is a poem and contrary to other reviews, a "dark" pizza, for example, was immediately re-prepared! Nothing more is possible and we would love to come back!

The food is delicious, but unfortunately, the 30cm pizza is only 26cm tall. That means about 25% of the pizza was missing. What a pity.

This was our first time there, and definitely not our last. Everything is just right here...a lovely, friendly atmosphere, excellent service, and truly fantastic, authentic Italian cuisine. Absolutely top-notch

Everything here is top-notch. I think it's one of the best restaurants in this category.

Price performance not so good pasta is quite good meat dishes in my opinion rather weaker were at Christmas then unfortunately was not good

The food was very good, the service involved a lot of waiting times, the price/performance ratio is great

I regularly order my favorites, grilled calamari (Calamari alla griglia) and penne with scampi in cognac sauce (only on the daily menu, but can always be ordered), and occasionally a Parma pizza. If you pick it up yourself, the dishes are usually ready for pick up in 10-15 minutes. The quality is always excellent.

We were there for the first time yesterday. It was perfect. Super friendly staff and the food was simply great. We'll be back 💐💐💐💐💐 Kind regards

Everything was great, this place is worth another visit, great food, great team, great atmosphere!!!

Nach einer Wanderung mit 13 Personen hatten wir dort reserviert. Total gemütlich, eine sehr freundliche Bedienung, schnelle Getränke und leckeres Essen. Wirklich empfehlenswert.

We were there for Valentine's Day We knew it would be full. It was - but it speaks for the store The shop itself is quite nice I think it's good that the special menu can also be found in the restaurant Unfortunately we had to wait a long time for drinks and food Really, we knew it would take longer but we waited for about three quarters of an hour. Well, no problem, we would come again And therefore: thank you very much for the good management

Unfortunately our visit to this restaurant was a disappointment. The pizza wasn't cooked properly, the pasta dish was way too salty, and the beef fillet tips had the consistency of rubber soles - absolutely inedible. On top of that, our order was taken incorrectly, which made the entire process even more frustrating. But instead of apologizing for the mistakes or offering a solution, the responsibility was simply pushed onto the temporary staff. It is the restaurant management's job to properly train and train their staff. All in all, the food was disappointing, the service disorganized, and the way criticism was handled left a lot to be desired. We definitely won't be coming back.

The pizza dough was really successful...the pizza itself was very tasty...

Zig mal da gewesen und nie was zu beanstanden gehabt. Super lecker und kompetentes Personal.

Essen ok aber mehr auch nicht , Wartezeit 1,5 Stunden . 4 personen 1 Gericht - 2+3 Gericht 20 min später 4 Gericht 30 min nach 1. Gericht . Rechnung bei 3 Gerichten jeweils 1€ Zuviel berechnet . Keine Entschuldigung, nix ! Erst nach Hinweis ein gratis Schnäpschen. Kann man machen , man kann aber auch woanders besseren Service geniessen!

Nice atmosphere for a reasonable price. Fast and friendly service.

Great restaurant, with very friendly service, good prices and selection. Your own wishes are implemented very well

Een TOP Italiaans restaurant!! Leuke kaart met pizza en pasta maar uiteraard ook vlees en vis. Alles vers en zeer smaakvol. Zeer vriendelijk personeel en heel redelijke prijzen. Een toppertje!!

People were close, warm and very kind. The food was amazing.

Nice little restaurant and very tasty

Everything was great, food was delicious, staff was friendly...

Very tasty and inexpensive, unfortunately not fair, you only get normal pizza. Today was so loud. We have to wait at least 30 minutes for our food to arrive. We were regular customers. We won't be back that quickly

Very tasty pizza! Always worth a recommendation!

Good pizza, delivered quickly. Top!

Best pizza restaurant I know in the north of Essen Ambience, food top. Every now and then Paolo (the boss) sings Italian songs himself.

Very good food. A little slow service until the boss himself came. Unfortunately a little too loud for my taste. They can definitely do steaks.

Very good and nice service and the food is always great :-), whether salad, pizza or pasta.

I rarely, but always enjoy being here. Italian atmosphere and delicious food, what more could you want! Recommended!

Nice atmosphere, the store was full but everything went pretty quickly. The food was delicious. Good portions. Prices reasonable.

It was very good, would go again.

We stumbled into this trattoria purely by chance and ended up with an Italian who is largely dedicated to original Italian cuisine. Great atmosphere and the best pizza I've had in a long time. Reminds me wistfully of the 80s, when there were still many such original Italians.

It's been a long time since I've had a pizza with such tasty dough and good toppings. Before that, most recently in Italy. Service is quick and very friendly, the atmosphere is appealing.

Sometimes a reservation is required, it's better to call and ask. But that doesn't mean there isn't room. If you order, you will always receive good and reliable information about when your food will arrive, whether you are in a traffic jam or "is the driver not there yet"? Doesn't exist here. The atmosphere is really very pleasant, the service is always very friendly. Is something not on the menu or do you have a special request? So you can dare and ask :-). The sea bream with noodles in sage butter are maximum madness! The boss and his team will make sure that you enjoy coming back. Have a nice evening/day and enjoy your meal!

The food was excellent, the service was quick and friendly. The live music was great, of course Italian performers from Paolo!

I had pasta with fillet tips and truffle sauce and tarttufo for dessert. Both were great. The service was friendly and quick. We'd love to come back!

A real Italian! Un Italiano vero! Still!

Delicious pizza, quick and friendly service.

Good and inexpensive, very nice service.

**** 🇮🇪 🍕 A nice Italian restaurant where you can eat delicious food. Very nice service where you immediately feel like you are with friends 🍝🍷 ****

Great food, competent service, highly recommended

We had a very nice evening here today with very tasty food and very nice service :-) Thank you very much for that. greeting

Food and drink very good. Fair prices. Only the outside area is directly on the street, so it's relatively loud.

The staff there and the waitress are totally unkempt and rude. I received an incorrect order. She is more interested in her private life than her guests.

Pizza very good had a pizza with rocket and Parma ham And a.salad Service needs to be a little more attentive. His had nothing to drink anymore. And.nobody.asked.if.you.may.have.anything

Great atmosphere, great classy food

For me it's by far the best Italian restaurant in the city! I have been an enthusiastic regular guest for more than 10 years. Despite this, the friendly and extremely attentive service always manages to inspire me again and again. In terms of quality, the meal is more like a poem than a dinner. All rounded off by a fair and really good price-performance ratio, I think Trattoria Paolo is perfect!

En route we drove past this Italian-looking trattoria, so we had to stop because it looked inviting. We had not made a reservation but were welcomed in with enthusiasm, and no problem, there was a table for us. The owner is very friendly and does everything he can to make your dinner a success. Delicious starter salad, with rolls and herb butter aioli. Pizza took a while, because a lot of it is taken away, but it was also very tasty. Finally, a really good Italian coffee, as it should be, and then you know you've come to the right place. Until next time. Alla prossima, team Da Paolo trattoria e pizzeria. E stata una bella serata. Tip: reserve your table here and find a parking spot in time😉

En route we drove past this Italian-looking trattoria, so we had to stop because it looked inviting. We had not made a reservation but were welcomed in with enthusiasm, and no problem, there was a table for us. The owner is very friendly and does everything he can to make your dinner a success, including asking what dressing you want or what cheese on pizza. Delicious starter salad, with rolls and herb butter aioli. Pizza took a while, because a lot of it is taken away, but it was also very tasty. Finally, a really good Italian coffee, as it is served in Italy! We were even able to watch football on a big screen. Alla prossima, team Da Paolo trattoria e pizzeria. E stata una bella serata. Tip: reserve your table here and find a parking spot in time.

Sensational. Discovered by chance and eaten very, very tasty.

We had a lovely evening, with great Italian food and really nice service. Thank you!

Good Italian with nice and attentive service. There are great dishes on the daily menu that are different from the standard menu. Quality of the food was very good. The grilled goat cheese with thyme honey sauce was rather simple to prepare but was a real taste explosion - and that's what's important. We would love to come back.👍👍

Delicious food, nice staff, nice ambience and reasonable prices. Only parking spaces are a bit scarce.

Solid trattoria in the north of Essen with authentic Italian cuisine, without a lot of chi-chi. Very good pasta and pizza, changing daily menu and also a decent selection of wines. Price/performance ratio is basically good too.

Nice staff and very tasty food 👍. I'd love to come back🙂

Very nice, rustic restaurant. Nice and always attentive service. Food - very very tasty... Gladly again and again!

A fine little Italian restaurant with a touch of mining history. Very nice owners and service. Even small special requests are implemented. It would be good to reserve in advance as it is usually very full.

Before a sporting event we were looking for a restaurant nearby and came across Trattoria Paolo. The house doesn't look so inviting from the outside, but it looks even more cozy inside. We really enjoyed the food. The pizzas were typically Italian, thin dough with delicious toppings. Despite being understaffed, the service was very good. We can only recommend the trattoria!

An upscale Italian. Food is good, but not outstanding. Well located. Great service and great ambience.

Unfortunately, disabled is not fair

Very nice restaurant, delicious food and very friendly staff

Very tasty food, have never been disappointed. Very good service staff. We always reserve a table and mention our dog 😉 so we always have a table at the edge, which is not a given. My absolute favorite is the pizza calzone, you can only get a good one like this at Paolo. The 70km journey is also worth it. All in all, absolutely recommended, as the prices are also very fair ✌️

A spontaneous decision that we didn't regret, great food, first-class service and service. Afterwards there was a concert by the boss. Great, we'll be back

Im Vorfeld hatte ich für 15 Leutchen einen Tisch für 16 Uhr bestellt (außerhalb der regulären Öffnungszeiten). Der Anlass war eine sonntägliche Ausstellungseröffnung im Ruhrmuseum, die sich nun doch länger als gedacht hinzog, dass wir erst gegen 16.30 Uhr eintrudeln konnten. Ich hatte kurz vorher deswegen schon Bescheid gegeben. Trotz der Verspätung war das gesamte Personal total nett, zuvorkommend und geduldig, auch bei Sonderwünschen gab es keine schräge Schnuten. Das Essen war sowieso SPITZE und es war eine schöne Atmosphäre. Immer wieder gerne.

The dishes were very tasty and very filling. The staff is very friendly and the atmosphere is very pleasant here. I would recommend this place. LG Braun family.

Delicious food in a family atmosphere

Good food but service needs improvement.

The food was all very tasty (3 people), the staff was FRIENDLY, unfortunately the prices on the homepage are far from correct! How long will this last?

Beautiful accommodation and nice staff. Not expensive but the food isn't great either. There is tuna on almost everything. The cannelloni is prepared by chef Microwave. You can taste and see that. The outside is scorching hot. The inside of the cannelloni is cold. My advice: make a short menu with good dishes. That's better than having a lot of choice and serving bad dishes. The salads are excellent.

There were 7 of us, 6 were able to start eating at the same time. At least the forgotten dish came relatively quickly. In any case, the price-performance ratio is very good and, apart from the noise, the atmosphere is also very good. I'd love to come back