Motorino Pizza
Motorino has been turning out Neapolitan pies on East 12th Street since 2009. Will Hartman scored it 7.2 for The Infatuation in August 2025 and wished the dough were rolled thinner, so the acidic tomato sauce underneath got more of your attention.
Why go
The margherita is what the kitchen is for. Hartman finds bright acidic tomatoes on it, fior di latte he calls creamy and just a bit squeaky, and a puffy crust.1 The second pie to know is the brussels sprouts, where sprouts and salty pancetta cook down in the wood oven on top of a pizza bianco, with a hit of garlic through it.1 There is never a wait, and the wine list runs around $40 a bottle.1
Order this / avoid
- Order: the margherita. Hartman:
A nice, classic margherita. The tomatoes are bright and acidic, and the fior di latte is creamy and just a bit squeaky. This is what you should be getting.
1 - Order: the brussels sprouts pie second, for the garlic and the pancetta.1
- Avoid: expecting a thin base. Hartman wants the dough rolled thinner.1
What locals & experts say
- Will Hartman, The Infatuation, 14 August 2025, 7.2:
It's not the best Neapolitan pizza you'll find in New York, but it more than scratches the itch if you need a pie with a puffy crust and springy tomatoes. We just wish their dough was rolled out a bit thinner so we could spend more time enjoying their acidic tomato sauce.
1 - The same review, on what it is for:
keep this spot in the back of your mind whenever you need a lowkey dinner with a friend or two.
1
Good to know
- The door: this page is 349 East 12th Street. Motorino also trades in Williamsburg and on Columbus Avenue.
- Takeout: phone in two pizzas and the third comes free, and Hartman says the thicker crust travels well.1
- Booking: walk in.
Verdict
could-visit — Motorino is a wood-oven Neapolitan room with better Neapolitan rooms around it, and The Infatuation rates Paulie Gee's higher at 8.0. What Motorino gives you is a table without booking. Order the margherita, and go elsewhere when the pizza is the occasion.