Grimaldi Pizza is one of New York’s most famous pizzerias, but the founder of Grimaldi’s, Patsy Grimaldi, sold Grimaldi’s Pizzeria and is no longer affiliated with the chain that can now be found around the country. After a hiatus from the pizza scene, the Grimaldi family opened up Juliana’s Pizza in the place where they originally founded Grimaldi’s–in Brooklyn Heights underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. As a neighborhood establishment, and one of the best places to get pizza in New York City, we were happy to pay Juliana’s a visit. Lines can be long, but we were able to visit a bit early for lunch, so we happily got a seat rather quickly. The pizzeria is located in a lovely and quaint, white-painted brick structure with an aesthetically-pleasing white sign with black cursive script. The interior is simple, but clean, with the same white-painted brick inside and a few splashes of color, especially red. In the back of the pizzeria, visitors are able to see the cooks at work making the pizzas and placing them into the coal-fired ovens.

Although the restaurant has a few appetizers and pasta dishes, the star of the menu is, of course, pizza. Juliana’s features thin crust pizza with fresh ingredients, and there are plenty of options from which to choose. We settled on a pepperoni pizza. We were delighted with our choice, as each bite was delicious. We also decided to have a Manhattan cherry soda with our pizza, which we thought really added to our experience. Juliana’s pizza did not disappoint, and we found it to be one of the best pizzas we have had in New York City.

Juliana’s Pizza, from start to finish, was a wonderful experience, from its picturesque setting, to its cute exterior/interior, to its tasty pizza. We were very happy when we left, and we highly recommend visiting Juliana’s. If you decide to make a day of it, it’s easy to pair the restaurant with a walk along the East River in Brooklyn Bridge Park or across the Brooklyn Bridge.