Review: 41705 Heartlake City Pizzeria

A new Pizzeria is just around the corner in Heartlake City! Enjoy a slice alfresco or take a box to go.
Heartlake City is the home of the original tan crust ... 

Inside this kiosk size Pizzeria you can see: Tomato sauce, Cheese wedge, cheese Grater, cash register and a fresh pizza waiting to be cleaved into slices. The back of the fire-cooked brick oven shows it's nicely rounded; somewhat a Chiminea in design using a rare Teal 1/2 wall circle.
The small dining section on a grassy spot has matching cool yellow column arches adorned with hanging flowery branches. Swivel seats with a small table complete this succinct addition to the Pizzeria.


The arbor-like dining spot is built first. The Cool Yellow 1x6x7 with arch part is still a bit rare. A printed Pizza box tile is a welcome sight for me -- as there are no stickers in this set.


Ethan is wearing a purple/teal hoodie, sand blue britches and brown laced boots for only the 2nd time.


Newly re-colored Teal 1/2 wall circle (2x4x2) rounds-out the brick oven, and is in only 3 other sets. The tan crust printed pizza originated in HLC. Two transparent orange cones heat the oven.


Teal curved bricks stack with slopes on top the finish the brick oven. A brown paddle is used to place and pull the pizza off the hot baking slab.


Everything built from bag 1: Skateboard and helmet (for safe delivery) and there's even an extra paddle.


Olivia is the pizza-maker today -- so she's wearing the Chef hat with brown hair pulled in a back bun. Her star-chart top has been worn in at least 2 other sets.


Building the Pizzeria is straight-forward and enjoyable. For a small shop, it uses interesting parts in a concise design.
The tan 2x2 with ridged sides and an anti-stud that receives cross-axle pin end came out recently and a good part for signage. It makes the Pizza slice sign more secure for the 1/4 circle tan plate.


Newly re-colored Teal 2x3 with arch and 2x2x1 with bow in Red create a sturdy awning. The Pizza sign makes no mistake of what is served here. Small spares allow for adding extra on toppings to your sign -- if you choose.


Another newly re-colored part is the Cleaver in Lime green. Olivia gets ready to cleave a pizza from the oven into 8 slices.


Box front shows the Pizzeria downtown near the corner of a couple of shops and apartments. This small, wide box has no bevels; it contains 2 parts bags, a tan 6x12 plate, and two instructions booklets. Two fans can build the set simultaneously; a nice concept for siblings, or parents.


The thumb-punch box back shows various scenes -- including pulling the brick oven away of the Pizzeria. It's a fun design that would be nice in the backyard of a LEGO house.
For all the parts included, see book #2.


For the transition to paper parts bags, the covers for the books are minimized printing, with faint brick outlines. That is how the upcoming paper bags will be printed; this set still uses clear poly.


Summary:

Pizzeria type of spots have been popular in the Friends realm for years and this is a nice updated set. It could easily be built-out into a larger restaurant using more cool yellow columns and medium nougat bricky-bricks. The Teal color for a "brick oven" is an interesting choice. Teal with red and white for the awning colors works as a nice alternate to typical green (like the pizza box tile). Most ovens are probably some kind of stone or terra cotta -- or steel -- so I do wonder if it's meant to be painted? Interior kitchen appliances in Teal may be the inspiration.

Lots of nice re-usable parts: bricky-bricks in medium nougat; cool yellow arches; Teal bricks; and white fan light window-top arch piece -- to name a few ...

I'll be honest, a skateboard is not the best way to deliver or pick-up a pizza. I realize there has to be some "instant play" feature, yet I'd rather have those 4 "piece-count" parts be some for the building. Or, larger baseplate for the pizza oven -- so it can attach to the pizzeria as if it's part of it. For me, the outdoor dining section is interactive enough with Ethan and the swivel chairs.

Having no stickers is rare for this price-point (USA $14.99). Instead, we get 5 printed parts (yay!). AFOLs should be happy about that and see potential in the parts. Modifications to maximize the design into a larger restaurant would be easy and fun. This set build could also sit "as is" in any LEGO downtown or neighborhood themed display. This 144-piece set's two pizza pies and a Pizza box enhance display and play use.


Disclaimer:
This set was provided by The LEGO Group for the purpose of sharing set details with fans.
Opinions provided here solely reflect those of our reviewer.
Photographs are property of FriendsBricks and are not directed by TLG in any fashion.

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