Pink Flamingo Pizza Place

Marais - 3eme / 4eme, Paris –

If Dolly Parton and John Waters got together to open a pizza place, combining the essence of a Floridian retiree’s living room with cheap eats and a decidedly post-punk vibe, it would probably look a lot like Pink Flamingo.

One of six (and counting) locations, the Marais branch features pink and checkered tables scattered about the mint-hued floor, with brightly colored lanterns and walls awash in hastily scrawled graffiti that the owners encourage every guest to add to.

So long as they loved the pizza, of course.

Rotating photos and other artsy creations account for the rest of the décor, mixed in with a poster or two of Waters’ 70s-era exploitation film of the same name.

All types of budget-minded pizza lovers flood in throughout the day for creative pies named after famous folks like La Bjork (salmon and crème fraîche) and L’Obama (bacon with pineapple chutney), and though this branch is primarily a takeaway joint, first-timers can rarely resist grabbing a sit-down in the VW bus – with its very own cozy table – parked out front.

The biggest scene is invariably on weekends, when college kids pile in en masse to sling a few house beers with their slices before heading off into the night.

But grabbed to go or enjoyed inside, Pink Flamingo’s creative fare draws flocks of friends who clearly get a (one-legged) kick out of the place.