Joe’s Pizza (Carmine Street)

Joe's Pizza was founded in 1975 by Joe Pozzuoli, who came to New York from Naples, and it opened on the corner of Bleecker and Carmine Streets in Greenwich Village. The shop later moved three doors down to 7 Carmine Street, where it still trades, and it has become a reference point for the classic New York slice: a thin, wide triangle that you fold lengthways and eat on the go.

There is nothing elaborate about the set-up. A counter, a few pies on display, ovens behind and a constant stream of customers, from students and office workers to musicians and visitors following a recommendation. The menu is short and focused on whole pies and slices, and the plain cheese slice is the one to judge it by: a crisp yet pliable base, a bright tomato sauce and a layer of mozzarella with a little oil pooling on top. The fresh mozzarella and pepperoni slices are popular next steps, and a Sicilian square is there for anyone who likes a thicker crust.

Seating is minimal, so most people eat standing at the counter along the wall or take their slice out onto the pavement. Service is fast even when the queue stretches out of the door, which it often does late at night after the bars and clubs of the Village. Bring an appetite rather than expectations of comfort; this is about the slice, not the setting.

Joe's has grown into a small group with other branches in Manhattan, including near Times Square at 1435 Broadway, on East 14th Street and on Fulton Street, plus one on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg and several in other cities. The Carmine Street shop is the original and the one with the most character. Slices are good value by Manhattan standards, which makes it a dependable stop for budget travellers, families and anyone needing a quick meal between sights.

The shop is a short walk from the West 4th Street–Washington Square station on the A, C, E, B, D, F and M lines and from Houston Street on the 1 line. Washington Square Park, Caffè Reggio on MacDougal Street and the jazz clubs of the West Village are all within a few minutes on foot, so it fits easily into an evening in the neighbourhood.