Hands down one of the best pizzas I've had in California. Long gone is my "never ending" search as an NY/CT East Coaster for the perfect pie. Problem is, I live 700 miles away so when I say this was a MUST while in Berkeley, I'm not lying. EAT. THE. PIZZA! We got the classic cheese, well done. We also got a white pizza. Both were EPIC, FRESH, DELICIOUS. Made with love in their small line of fired brick ovens. They passed the East Coaster Pizza Test ... you already know what it is. Foldable slices that also withstand the pressure of holding it ... doesn't flop over. Nice sturdy, thin, beautiful crust. I can see why NY Times rated this one of the top 100 pizza places in America. If New York says it's so, then it's so!

After Rose Pizzeria made the New York Times' top 50 pizzerias in the US, we had to try it. It took us a couple of tries, but we finally did via takeout. We had the Old Faithful which was a delicious combination of savory (sausage) and sweet and spicy (peppers). The pizza was tasty, and we'll certainly return. The other time we tried to order pizza, it wasn't available - I'm not sure if it was a glitch or if they had already "sold out" but I made it a point to order far in advance so we could make sure to get a pizza. Parking in that area is tough so picking up a pizza was a two-person job for us. The restaurant has limited seating so I would imagine that it's tough to score a reservation.

Not sure how to say this without stating first the pizza was fire. Firstly we had a reservation for the outdoor patio area which was lovely. Plenty of seating but I can see it being too cramped if fully booked. We got the champione pizza a white sauce topped with mushrooms, their classic pep, spicey caeser salads, and finally the alpine gold pizza topped with yellow potatoes. The champione was my favorite out the 3 pizzas so delicious and the sauce was amazing. If you're not a mushroom lover I would still recommend trying it as it was so subtle but be careful because they come out hot. The pep was pretty good as well paired with the hot honey so sweet and savory. I personally haven't eaten pork in 4 years but decided to indulge due to the hype this place has received. The alpine gold pizza was just okay the potato was a bit off putting but it was nice to try. Everything was great service was amazing but parking can be a struggle. Very large shareable pizzas that will feed 2-3 people per pizza easily. Thank you for the experience we'll be back to try more soon !

I came with a group of 3 and we were debating getting one or two pizzas, but ended up choosing two since we wanted to try more flavors! If you're in a group of 3, be prepared for leftovers if you're getting two pies (the slices were heftier than we thought!) Champione - get this if you're a mushroom lover! I love mushroom pizza and the Champione is near the top of the list. They give a lot of mushrooms and they gave it the right amount of white cream sauce (not too heavy or overpowering like other mushrooms pizzas) Old Faithful - also really yummy! I thought it actually paired well with the Champione because this one was more salty and spicy. I was surprised about the little kick it had! It's a great option if you like a little spice. The restaurant itself is pretty small and the pizza can take quite a bit of time. I'd recommend coming with a small group during off hours!

I learned about Rose Pizzeria from a "best pizza in the country" list and thought it was a must visit while I was in Berkeley. It's a cute spot: the front is an unassuming short brick building lodged next to boutiques and other college town businesses. Despite being a solo diner, I snagged a reservation, which I recommend as the restaurant is small and doesn't have much dining space. It was a gorgeous day out and I sat on the patio. The patio is covered and offers heating lamps for when the temperature drops and overlooks the back of the nearby buildings, including another cafe's outside patio. It's a chill vibe, but then again I was there on a Friday afternoon. I was seated immediately and my server came to my table quickly with water. I already knew I wanted a margherita pizza and was tempted by the starters, but knew I couldn't eat that much on my own. The server helped me choose a wine to go with my pizza which complemented it well. My pizza came out fairly quickly and was delicious. It had all the hallmarks of a good wood-fired pizza: some char on some spots with natural bubbles in the dough. The crust was the right amount of chewy and crispy, the sauce was flavorful, and the cheese and basil were fresh. I really enjoyed the pizza but it didn't blow me away; I love this style of pizza and think it was on par with other upscale wood-fired pizzas I've had elsewhere. Definitely worth a visit when you're in Berkeley! It's easy to get to from campus and there is a lot of street parking available.

We were in the Berkeley area and decided to try Rose. It was about 1pm on a Sunday and we had to wait about 5 minutes for a table, since the place is tiny! We ordered the old faithful and champione and man it was delicious! I'm a big crust person, so I loved how crunchy the bottom was and then crust was the perfect balance of crunchy and fluffy. 2 pizzas for us 3 girls was a little too much, so we had leftovers. However, I don't think 1 pizza would have been enough. Too bad I don't live nearby, otherwise I'd go here often! Next time I'm in Berkeley, I'll be back!

This compact pizzeria completely flew under my radar since it's been thriving in Downtown Berkeley for the past two years. Jamie W and I just happened to be strolling by, read the enthusiastic Yelp reviews, and thought we could just drop by. Alas, without a reservation, there would a 90-minute wait. We shrugged and left in an inaudible huff. A couple of Saturdays later, we had the wherewithal to make a reservation in advance and returned. This time, we went for a mid-afternoon meal and found ourselves in a quandary over which delectable pizza to select. We decided to share one since they all come in one size - 14 inches divided into six slices, no half & halfs. We settled on the $23 Champione, basically their signature mushroom pizza with roasted mushrooms, cream, mozzarella, sherry vinegar, pecorino, and green onion (photo: https://yelp.to/rEsSMCuAXx). It was a genuinely delicious white pizza as good as the one we got at Cheeseboard recently. We supplemented our pizza with two excellent starters. The first was the simply named $14 Tomato Salad populated with fresh heirloom and early girl tomatoes, mozzarella, Sicilian oregano, basil, red wine vinegar, and a new one on us, blood orange olive oil (photo: https://yelp.to/sTkViUQmfp). We could easily had a second serving, so fresh. The other was the $15 Gigante Beans mixed with dollops of sheep's milk feta, pickled artichokes, fresh sumac, parsley, and red onion (photo: https://yelp.to/sVPR_IaSJK). There was a strong Mediterranean flavor in this sour-savory dish. With no Coke Zero in sight, the $5 can of Sicilian Blood Orange Soda hit the spot with carbonated fruitiness (photo: https://yelp.to/V7-CdG1SOj). A delightful Italianate meal can be had here with friendly staff and very little resistance from us. FOOD - 5 stars...a grand mushroom pizza with even better starters AMBIANCE - 4.5 stars...compact spot but room enough to enjoy SERVICE - 4.5 stars...quite attentive TOTAL - 5 stars...when an artisan pizza works RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's my collection of places l've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u

I think it's understood that Rose has great pizza but we need to take a moment to appreciate their non-pizza offerings. Their Caesar salad will continue to be one of my favorite salads ever. I love a heavily dressed salad with lots of texture and flavor, and if that's not your thing don't get it! But if you're like me, please don't skip out on this. It's also a miso based dressing so it's vegan friendly and packed with umami. Also, their tiramisu might be one of the best ones I've ever had in my life?? I don't know what it takes to make a delicious tiramisu, but they definitely do. The sea salt flakes on top give it the extra oomph and brings out the sweetness of the dessert. Yes, go there and get pizza. But also save room for salad and dessert!!!

Got the fungi pizza and anchovy and chip starter with a friend for lunch. Pizza was solid and delicious! Love the patio seating, so cute! Would definitely come back to try another pizza