Besides boasting a fine wood-burning oven and Naples-trained chefs, Ciro is notable among Tokyo's pizzerias for the wide scope of their offerings. In addition to more than two dozen red and white regular pizzas they also prepare variations like Pizza Fritta (fried pizza), Saltimbocca Verdure (described as a "Neapolitan pizza dough sandwich") and Montanara ("fried dough topped with margherita").

The Pizza Fritta arrives in an impressively inflated state (there were oohs and aahs from the next table) nearly the size of a football. Once you deflate and dissect it, it's relatively simple - stuffed with ricotta and bits of ham - but the mass of gooey cheese is a real treat, and the pleasantly chewy crust is not a bit oily.

The appetizer plate here is also highly recommended. It's a massive platter piled high with cured meats, marinated fish, various fritters, grilled peppers and other vegetables. It's full of contrasting flavors and textures and very successful at whetting the appetite. Among the other starters are mozzarella fritters, grilled salsiccia sausage, and an octopus and white bean salad.

The Capricciosa Pizza that came after our Pizza Fritta was less exciting, but the quality of the previous dishes more than made up for it. Other pizzas include special combos like the Macellaio with four kinds of meat (Neapolitan salami, sausage, ham and homemade salsiccia) and the Avelina (mixed mushrooms, basil, walnuts and salsiccia). The Ripieno (aka calzone) incorporates mozzarella, ricotta and salami.

The drinks list offers a couple of budget wines and one Italian IPA as well as cocktails and Italian soft drinks. Ciro's dining room is cozy bordering on kitsch, but charming in its dedication to its decorating theme. Most pizzas are priced from Y1,200-2,200.