Where to eat Roman pizza: the best pizzerias in Rome

Thin, crispy, topped to the edge: for many in the capital, Roman round pizza is a madeleine, the pizza of childhood, the one enjoyed in pizzerias during family outings, perhaps preceded by a supplì or a toasted ciriola. At some point, it becomes a rarity, guarded by some historic venues like Il Buchetto on Via Flaminia, Remo in Testaccio, Ai Marmi (also called "The Morgue" by Pier Paolo Pasolini) in Trastevere: large numbers and lines of tourists fascinated by the centuries-old settings and the popular atmosphere. After years of neglect, overshadowed by the advance of Neapolitan pizza both globally and in the capital, Roman pizza is instead experiencing a renaissance, thanks to a handful of professionals, emerging talents, and high-class artists who, through experimentation with dough and toppings, are eager to explore this style, bringing it to previously unknown heights of quality.

The masters and the emerging ones

If the names led by Sami El Sabawy, Luca Pezzetta, Jacopo Mercuro, and Mirko Rizzo are already familiar to Gambero Rosso readers, in recent times, other skilled pizza makers, like Luca Mastracci and Alessio Muscas, have embarked on projects that make Roman pizza their core. In addition to them, who are already established names for the public and critics, various young talents are emerging, bringing continuous innovation to a sector that seems to be booming. Proof of this is found in establishments like Crunch, Torsangiovanni, and Svario, all in the eastern part of the city, and others outside Rome, where a certain type of research on dough and toppings is even more groundbreaking. Here are the most interesting addresses of the moment.

Local spots in Rome

A’ Rota Pizzeria Romanesca

Sami El Sabawy was among the first to believe in the contemporary potential of Roman pizza. After significant experience with Gabriele Bonci, before opening this beloved (book in advance!) place in Torpignattara, he had already made a name for himself with his work on Roman pizza at Pianetta di Palidoro. The rolled-out round pizza is the heart of his ever-evolving proposal, with masterful work on the dough, long maturation, and precise wood-fired baking. Many classics on his menu, with seasonal offerings changing from week to week (don't miss the stuffed ones, two very crispy discs embracing always different fillings, even in the sweet version). The beverage proposal is also in motion, offering very interesting gems for wine enthusiasts.

A’Rota Pizzeria Romanesca – via di Torpignattara, 190 – Roma - www.facebook.com/arotapizzeria

180g Pizzeria Romana

Jacopo Mercuro's establishment is now a reference in the city: located in Centocelle, in a larger and more comfortable venue, the sign is very popular, with reservations extending well beyond the days. Many experiments with doughs, with trays and pans, but it is the Roman pizza on the plate that is at the center of the proposal, thin, crispy, and fragrant, with a variety of toppings that satisfy both lovers of the classic and those who want to be conquered by "cooked" and creative condiments. Don't miss the fried and desserts, all delicious. Second location at Via Tor de' Schiavi 53a, active only for takeaway and delivery.

180g Pizzeria Romana – via Genazzano, 32/34 – Roma - www.180gpizzeriaromana.com

Crunch

In the Talenti area, Crunch is a young project (owned by the same proprietor as the Neapolitan pizzeria Dazio) focused on Roman pizza: long maturation, classic or more elaborate toppings, such as the Carbotwist, a tribute to the Roman tradition, with Sauris bacon, Agerola fiordilatte, carbonara cream, Pecorino Romano, Sichuan pepper. The pairing proposal is based on house cocktails. The menu also includes a good selection of appetizers from the kitchen and delicious fried foods.

Crunch - Roma – via Francesco d’Ovidio, 27 – www.facebook.com/crunchroma

L’Elementare

Roman pizza, fragrant and light, is the protagonist of Mirko Rizzo's establishment, in the heart of Trastevere. The round pizzas are divided into classic white, classic red, and specials, with toppings paired very appetizingly and with attention to seasonality. The offering also includes takeaway pizzas, a kind of pocket pizzas, excellent for strolling. Inside, the environment is simple and well-kept, characterized by a long counter at the entrance, where more than 25 craft beers are tapped. In spring and summer, the sign doubles in the greenery of Parco Appio.

L’Elementare – Roma – via Benedetta, 23 – pizzerialelementare.it
L’Elementare Parco Appio – via dell’Almone

Emma

An address that has been a pioneer and has revolutionized the typical low and crunchy pizza for several years, starting with the dough signed by Pierluigi Roscioli with a blend of organic flours and special attention to toppings. The round pizza that arrives at the table is thin, fragrant, and well-filled; many traditional pizzas, white ones with buffalo Mozzarella Dop from Paestum in various combinations, stuffed focaccias, and specials. Craft beers and a well-stocked cellar.

Emma - Roma – via Monte della Farina, 28 - www.emmapizzeria.com

San Martino Pizza e Bolle

Of the three venues owned by the same proprietor (Sant’Isidoro and San Biagio are the other two), the one on the Lungotevere is dedicated to Roman pizza on the plate, in the capable hands of Alessio Muscas, a pizza maker who grew up with contemporary Neapolitan at Sbanco under Stefano Callegari's guidance. His pizza is crispy and light, precisely baked and embellished with a carefully selected range of classic and creative toppings (such as the Tar-Tar, spinach, beef tartare, egg cooked at 65°, and truffle).

San Martino Pizza e Bolle - Roma – Lungotevere di Pietra Papa, 201 – www.pizzaebolle.it

Svario Pizza Bar

A recent opening in the Conca D’oro area, the establishment has a varied offering, with a menu of classics and more extravagant pizzas - called "svariate" on the menu - paired with a series of house cocktails: among the successful pairs is the Baccalà alla Puttanesca (tomato, cod ragout alla puttanesca, black olive earth, capers, oregano) proposed in combination with a twist on the Bloody Mary, with vodka, tomato juice, salt, pepper, oregano, lemon, garlic sprouts.

Svario Pizza Bar – Roma – via Val Senio, 18 – facebook.com/svariopizzabar

Pizzeria Circolo Ippico Tor San Giovanni

A discovery on the outskirts. From chicken with peppers to In Baita, with artisanal Trentino wurstel, sautéed savoy cabbage, homemade honey mustard: you certainly won't be bored with the choices at this venue, hidden in the Marcigliana park, inside a horse riding club. At the helm of the oven is Cristian Marcellini, a talented pizza maker who works carefully on both dough and leavening and the selection of products for toppings, also managing a high-level gluten-free proposal.

Pizzeria Circolo Ippico Tor San Giovanni – Roma – via di Tor San Giovanni, 245 – facebook.com/pizzeriacircoloippico

Local spots outside Rome

Pizzeria Clementina - Fiumicino (RM)

Luca Pezzetta is among the champions of the genre. In his pizzeria in Fiumicino, opened in partnership with Jacopo Rocchi (from the historic Rustichelli pastry shop), among the many doughs managed for menu options, he focuses the proposal on a masterful version of Roman pizza, further embellished by "maritime" toppings: fish salami prepared and matured in-house, fresh fish declined in raw and cooked dishes, seasonal raw materials carefully paired. Adequate service, a wine list for connoisseurs, here pizza is a total experience.

Pizzeria Clementina - Fiumicino (RM) - via della Torre Clementina, 158 – www.pizzeriaclementina.it

Velo Pizzaioli Popolari - Latina

A new adventure for Luca Mastracci (already Tre Spicchi in the Gambero Rosso Pizzerie Guide for Pupillo Pura Pizza in Frosinone and Priverno), who in this recent opening in Latina measures himself with the dual role of partner and consultant and above all proposes a pizza profoundly different from that of his two venues. At Velo, you can enjoy a round that interprets the Roman tradition, therefore thin, with a crispy edge and a large diameter. The careful technique, from the dough to the baking, offers a truly enjoyable pizza in both classic and more particular versions, which here draw heavily from the Agro Pontino agri-food basket.

Velo Pizzaioli Popolari – Latina – via Cesare Battisti, 42 – www.instagram.com/velo_pizzaiolipopolari/

Mercurio Pizza – Pomezia (RM)

Outside the better-known gourmet circuits, Marco Massaccesi and Alessia Di Battista have been running this venue in Pomezia for years, focusing on research and enhancement of Roman pizza. Thin and crispy, made with a blend of slightly refined Italian flours and a long maturation dough, the pizza offered here is tasty, digestible, and pleasantly rustic. On the topping side, raw materials are selected with great care among excellences that are not easy to find usually in pizzerias, with commendable attention ranging from fried foods, to pizzas, to desserts.

Mercurio Pizza - Pomezia (RM) – via dei Castelli Romani, 31/33 - mercuriopizzapomezia.eatbu.com

La Capannina – Riano (RM)

Christian Riccio's Roman pizza attracts attention to this venue in the province of Rome. Riccio has distinguished himself in several industry competitions, thanks to skilled hands that give life to interesting, light, and carefully baked round pizzas, and to a beautiful creativity of toppings, intelligently interpreting local culinary traditions. From AmatRiccia, San Marzano Dop bundle, Cannara onions caramelized in sweet and sour sauce, pecorino foam, crispy Amatrice bacon, and threads of dried chili, to Mammola, with Roman artichoke, burrata stracciatella, and Amatrice loin.

La Capannina - Riano (RM) – via Giacomo Leopardi, 1