"La Penisola as I first knew it was a makeshift room in an under construction outcrop of an office building complete with piles of masonry and electric extension cords on the floor. It turns out, that caterpillar became the butterfly that it is today. A huge floorplan (plenty of tables) and airy, minimalistic modern décor (not to mention good Italian on the go food) make it one of the more popular lunch hangouts in the Binz district. It is a slightly chaotic experience especially during the lunch hours. Despite being up and running under its present form since late 2009, the management of the place most definitely leans towards its Italian roots than towards its Swiss location in terms of organisation. You queue up and choose, pay and then wait or sit down, depending on what you ordered. This all happens in a rather good natured confusion of the boss yelling at the pizzaiolo and the sandwich maker, who in turn yell at each other, in a big hustle of sandwich wrapping, steaming pizzas and cash register ringing. Somehow, you always get what you want, and you never wait too long. Service is very friendly, even though they seem a bit overworked. The pizzas are huge and very tasty. The piadinas are a bit on the oily side, but who cares? Salads are fresh and nicely combined, and their drinks fridge is well stocked up. They have a selection of ready made pasta, lasagna, etc., and a few little Italian specialties (grappa, nougat, amaretto biscuits, wine, panettone, ham) available for sale. Everything here is available as take out or eat in. They even have a smoker 's room, which is an unusual and reasonable decision. This is a place to come into for lunch, grab some hot food and rush back to the office. In that, La Penisola succeeds admirably, and their popularity speaks for itself. Recommended for stressed office workers on lunch break. In any case this area is totally dead during the evening and week ends, so no reason to come here in your spare time..."
