Best Places in Italy to Have Pizza

What Neapolitan Pizza Has To Offer

The city of Napoli is famous for many things: History, The Almalfi Coast, and being the birthplace of the world’s best pizza. Neapolitan pizza is all about celebrating the simplicity of the core ingredients. Tradition might seem boring – why have a classic Margherita when you could have more exciting ingredients?

Should you ever visit Napoli, tradition remains at the core of its pizza-making for a reason.

The combination of fresh basil, mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, simple dough, and tomato sauce, with its airy, soft crust, is enough to melt the heart of any food lover and have you eating every last slice.

Di Matteo, Naples (for buffalo mozzarella options)

So-called after the family surname, Pizzeria Di Matteo in Naples offers some of the best pizzas in Italy.

Family is at the heart of these pizza makers, and they’ve hosted students from around the world wanting to learn the best pizza-making craft in Italy; these pizza makers are integral to the evolution of the best pizzas in Italy.

Now in their fourth generation, it’s safe to say that the Di Matteo family knows how to combine simple, high-quality ingredients, such as fior di latte, pomodoro, and buffalo mozzarella. Their love for the Margherita is commendable, with a whole section of their menu dedicated to mozzarella pizzas and their exciting variations.

The classic section also includes marinara pizzas if you need something other than mozzarella. If this place is good enough for a former president, you can assume it’s some of the best pizza in Italy, if not the world!

Pizzaria La Notizia, Naples (for the best pizza with tradition at heart)

If you’re looking to eat at a pizzeria that embraces tradition, look no further than Pizzeria La Notizia.

Here, the staff are more like family than co-workers and often gather after closing hours to share food and stories. While offering real Neapolitan pizza, this pizzeria then feels less like a restaurant and more like a second home – and don’t be surprised if you end up visiting time and again!

Whether you visit Pizzeria 53 or Pizzeria 94, you’re sure to have some of the best pizza in Italy, helping you prepare to explore the rest of Naples.

L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, Naples (for soul-searchers)

Have you ever heard of ‘Eat, Pray, Love’, the best-selling novel by Elizabeth Gilbert? The book was adapted into a Hollywood blockbuster starring Julia Roberts, who famously orders “pies” as her Italian food of choice. The movie is set in L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, capturing the best pizza in the world in cinema history for good.

This spot is undoubtedly one of the best pizza places in Italy for “pies”, and you can taste the passion with every bite. So go order a double cheese, and you can decide for yourself if it really is the best pizza in Italy.

Salvo, San Giorgio a Cremano (for Gluten-free requirements)

Pizza from Napoli is much-loved for its traditional combinations of ingredients, including anchovies, oregano, onion, mushrooms, tomato sauce, and dough, but Salvo is all about crafting the best tomato pizza in the game.

Based in San Giorgio a Cremano, Salvo also offers gluten-free options for dinner during the week, or lunch and dinner hours on Saturdays. So, if you’re staying in San Giorgio a Cremano (or commuting in from Naples), this pizzeria owned by Francesco and Salvatore Salvo is a must-see!

What Italian Pizza Has To Offer

While the birthplace of pizza may have been Napoli, you can still try delightful dishes across the rest of Italy. Whether it aims to mimic the Napoli-style thin crust, makes things more exciting with spicy salami, or serves pizza al taglio, Italian pizza outside Naples has plenty to offer.

23rd. Arte e Tradizione, Palermo (for Sicily-lovers)

When you think of Sicily, you might think of the citrus fruits that don the trees, but Palermo is also one of the best places in Italy to eat pizza. There’s so much to see and do in Palermo that you’ll soon find you want a break from the hustle and bustle of the city streets.

So head to Arte e Tradizione, or ‘Art and Tradition’, whose artisans combine traditional methods of white pizza (pizza without tomato sauce) with expressive and fresh ingredients.

If you want to embrace Palermo in all its glory, try ‘The Nordic’, giving you a citrusy kick to enhance your dining experience.

I Tigli, Verona (for hopeless romantics)

Who needs Romeo when you can have pizza? And not just any pizza, but truly magnificent dishes from one of Italy’s best pizzerias, I Tigli.

We lay our scene in Verona, the romantic home of Romeo and Juliet. Here, you can visit Casa di Giulietta and gaze up at “Juliet’s balcony”. In the courtyard, a statue of Juliet stands, and you can join hundreds of people in the time-honored tradition of touching her chest for good luck.

From ancient settings, fresh food concepts are born; I Tigli’s philosophy is about pushing what good pizza bases should be, but it all comes down to keeping things simple. Moreover, when you go to I Tigli, you’ll only get the freshest ingredients.

While prices may be slightly higher, I Tigli will undoubtedly be a delicious experience you remember for good.

Nicola’s Pizzeria, Bologna (for Neapolitan pizza outside Naples)

If history and beautiful architecture entice you, chances are you’ve found yourself in Bologna.

Nicola’s creates some of the best Neapolitan pizza outside of Napoli. With its laid-back atmosphere, this is the top spot to wine and dine on a break from exploring the local area.

Every dish is made with great skill and cooked with various delicious ingredients. With over 20 years of pizza-making experience, Nicola’s is undoubtedly one of the best restaurants in Bologna

Pizzarium, Rome (for those on the move)

Want a couple of slices or some good bread with delightful toppings to take away? Pizzarium Bonci is the place for you!

Owner Gabriele wanted to make pizza since he was a child, and founded in 2003, this pizzeria is worth the wait. Pizzarium in Rome is the perfect spot to bite into some quality pan pizza.

Yes, that’s right – pizza made in a pan.

Pizzarium serves truly magnificent pizza by the slice, and it has such a range of different options that you’ll inevitably buy more than one.

With a fun and delicious take on Roman-style pizza, Pizzarium delivers some of the best pizza in Italy.

Santarpia, Florence (for vegetarian-friendly options)

Thousands of tourists head to Rome or Naples, but Tuscany is one of the most beautiful parts of Italy, whether you want to explore the district’s vineyards and stunning cities or escape the busier cities.

While Florence isn’t famous for the best pizza in Italy, Santarpia is one of the best pizzerias for Napoli-style pizzas.

Pizzerias are only sometimes vegan or vegetarian friendly, but whether you’re vegetarian or vegan, don’t want sausage toppings, or fancy something other than a Margherita pizza, Giovanni Santarpia’s pizzeria is the place to be. You can eat your way through a range of baked goods, and in case you want to avoid disappointment, their menu is on their website, so you can decide what you want immediately.

Pizzeria Spontini, Milan (for affordable pizza)

Not everyone is a fan of chain restaurants, but Pizzeria Spontini has pizzerias all over Milan and internationally for good reason.

From humble beginnings, the Mungai family transformed their trattoria (little restaurant), called “Cibi Cotti”, into a pizza place in the 1950s. They created their secret pizza-by-the-slice recipe during this time, and it’s this secret recipe that you can still taste today.

With so many pizza places throughout Milan, you’ll never have to walk too far to feast on a Spontini Margherita or classic Marinara; some of the best pizza in Italy is made with simple ingredients such as mozzarella, basil, and the classic anchovies. And with an affordable glass of wine, you can eat and drink to your heart’s content.

Pepe in Grani, Caiazzo (for lovers of classic pizza makers)

For Franco Pepe, eating pizzas isn’t just about the taste of the food; it’s an experience.

Whether fried or baked, Pepe in Grani offers something for every pizza-lover. Franco Pepe prides himself on saying “no” to the major cities, so if you want to get out of town, Caiazzo could be the quaint Italian city for you.

Hailed as some of the best pizza in Italy, Pepe in Grani is the realization of Franco Pepe’s dream and attributes the “project” as stemming from his ancestors, with his grandfather making dough with his father in the 1950s, who went on to found his pizza place in Italy.

Their traditional pizzas will suit you well if you like classic toppings like mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, tomato, or marinara sauces.

However, if you’d like to try some of the best pizza in Italy that moves with the seasons, their seasonal pizzas are some of the best in the world, incorporating parmesan cheese, sausage, and pumpkin puree.

I Masanielli Pizzeria da Francesco Martucci, Caserta (for pizza off the beaten track)

Located about a 25-minute drive out of Naples lies Caserta, a hidden gem of Italy that offers one of the best Neapolitan pizzas outside Naples and Rome and indeed the world over. Francesco Martucci is the brain behind it.

This pizzeria offers a pizza for every taste; if buffalo mozzarella cheese is your favorite, the Mani Di Velluto could be for you. Alternatively, the affordable Margherita would be the best pizza for a simple dish with classic Napoli dough and mozzarella cheese.

The best pizza in Italy should be so-called because the combination of toppings, dough, and sauce makes you want to dance in your seat, and I, Masanielli, am sure to give you plenty of joy.