A good pizza in Rome

[revised February 2024] When in Rome….. eat at least a pizza a week!

And if you want to keep up with the locals, remember to order fritti as a starter – from supplì (the roman rice ball hors d’oeuvre) to fillets of baccalà (salt cod) or fiori di zucca (zucchini flowers stuffed with an anchovy and mozzarella). Here is a non-exhaustive list of my favorite pizza places:

• Alle Carrette: when I’m next to the Colosseum I go there, a little alley, few tables outside and a lot of space inside, but still you’ll have to wait. Cheap and good!
• Emma: near Campo dei Fiori. Great ingredients, polite service (which is not always the case for pizzeria) and not-to-be-missed desserts.
• Fariné: in San Lorenzo, a bit off-the-beaten-path, but you’ll feel like a local in this “no frills” pizzeria, easy and cheap!
• La Montecarlo: informal, noisy, genuine, cheap pizzeria near Piazza Navona.
• Nuovo Mondo: this is how a pizzeria looked like in Rome until 30 years ago, with paper-thin pizza, simple fast services, few good items in the menu that the waiter can tell by heart, cheap and  with that noisy “true Roman” atmosphere just next to your elbow! Located in Testaccio, a district to explore if you wish to feel like a local….
• Peppo al Cosimato: non only for pizza (fish cuisine too), but pizza is very good and this is not always the case in “trendy Trastevere”!
• Dar Poeta: we will never state one as “the best pizzeria in Rome”, but this is a damn good one! There’s usually a bit to wait before being seated, but it’s worth the wait. Try the delicious calzone with ricotta cheese and nutella to end dinner! And afterwards, a walk in Trastevere, of course!
• Li Rioni: traditional warm atmosphere not far from the Colosseum. Only for dinner.
• A Rota: off the beaten path, in Quadraro,  a gourmet pizza is waiting for you. Just upon reservation!
• Sant’Isidoro pizza e bolle: in Prati, near the Vatican area, this pizzeria offers Neapolitan pizza style associated to a list of sparkling wines (“bolle” refers to the perlage of these wines)
• Spizzo: in suburban Rome (Prenestino), really off-the-beaten-path, but your effort will be rewarded. Great pizza with modern mix of flavours and suggestions to combine pizza and wine! This is where we can also teach you how to prepare a good pizza yourself. And it will taste even better!
• Al Tettarello: in Monti, a good trattoria, but also remarkable for pizza.

Any great discovery you wish to add? Let us know by mail to info@afriendinrome.it . And if you wish to learn the difference between Roman pizza and Neapolitan pizza, watch this video!

To go back to the eating options, click here.