Pizza lover wants best Rome pizza.
 

I love pizza. I really love it. All kinds. And I want to try it while in Rome.

Where is, in your opinion, the best pizza in Rome? Tell me WHERE it is if you can, so I can find it on a map. Tell me PRICES if you remember. And tell me WHAT KIND of pizza...magherita, exotic with pineapple and chicken, etc..

Thanks so much, I am so pumped to try it.

Eric

Pizza Re at 14 via di Ripetta between the Spanish Steps and Piazza di Popolo. No exotic pineapple, etc., just good Italian pizza! (Naples-style, so yes, the "tri-colore" is available.) Almost always open.

Buon Viaggio & Buon Appetito,
BC

I'm sure many people will have their favorite places. Every pizza that I had in Roma was the same .... Perfect.

A Fodor tip that I used was to ensure that the pizza is baked in a wood fired stone oven. These ovens are usually visible within the restaurant.

I always ordered Pizza Margherita, thin crust, fresh tomatoes, herbs, olive oil, and a small amount of cheese. It may sound plain, but you would be amazed how the tastes come out when the pizza isn't loaded with cheese and other toppings.

Just some observations during my stay:

1) There are usually about 5-6 pizza types, listed on the menu. Margherita is always one of them. Others have prociutto and/or egg. You donot add toppings, and I didn't see saw pizzas with the standard american toppings pepperoni/onions/peppers.

2) The pizza was good sized, albeit not large ehough to share with others, and not sliced. Have at it with a fork and knife, or fold it over and eat like a calzone.

Man this is making me hungry.

Thanks so much for the posts. It is good to know what to expect. I guess I will just be sure there are wood fire ovens wherever I go.

What can I expect to pay? Do you order by the slice?

Keep the suggestions coming!!

Oh also--

Are there any daytrips that are worth taking for "better" pizza. I am not sure if there are places around Rome that beat Rome's pizza.

Thanks again!

>I love pizza.<

Go to Naples.

Out of 3 1/2 days in Rome, you want to spend one going on a day trip for better pizza!?! It might be out there, but the chances of anyone telling you where it is are minimal.

Just go and join the young crowd (Romans and tourists) at Da Baffetto, Via del Governo Vecchio 114 (in the Piazza Navona area). They take no reservations, so either get there early or prepare to wait. It's only open in the evening (6:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., according to one Web site). In Rome, many restaurants that serve pizza only serve it in the evening.

I've personally never had bad pizza, especially in Italy. I really like the thin crust. Don't kill yourself looking for the best joint ... it will all be good.

For authentic Roman pizza, Remo in the Testaccio section (Piazza Santa Maria Liberatrice 44, open evenings, closed Sundays) is extremely popular and highly recommended.

yes, Baffetto. long lines, but good pizza. try the Margherita and bruscetta. they have a marinara pizza(no cheese) and it is beyond incredible. such flavor. Monte Carlo near Piazza Navona is pretty good.

there's some good pizza in trastevere. i loved Dar Poeta. try the mozzarella di bufala pizza. dare i say even better than Baffetto.

overall, less is better for roman style pizza. thin crusts less toppings is better. prices are pretty similar everywhere. i ate pizza everyday while in roma, couldn't get enough. try the pizza by the weight places as they sometimes have unique stuff. and gelato in between of course. and bad pizza is tough to find...it is italy after all.

i second the pizza by wieght idea for trying different pizzas.

i came across this streetshop when i was wandering near termini late at night. 30 different types of piping hot pizzas,in large trays, you tell him how much you want and he will cut you a piece.

it was in v gioberti or gatteano near termini.

Where should I NOT go. Meaning, are there a lot of Pizza toursit trap places because people think of pizza and Rome together?

What I mean is, are there any tell tale signs of a bad pizza place?

Pizza IMHO is wonderful throughout Italy.

One comment I would like to make, as travelers may get confused.

Pepperoni in Italy means peppers, not the meat slices that are called pepperoni in the US.

Exotic with pineapple and chicken? Not to my knowledge.

But a "strange" pizza that I have seen ordered, in at least northern Italy is "Pizza Americano". Pizza with french fries layered on top. I found that strange.

But think it is the idea in reverse. Italian places here in the US advertise "authentic Italian dishes" and they are not.

And in Italy some restaurants try to come across as "authentic Americano", and it is not.

One pizza you might like to try is Pizza Bianco. Pizza with all kinds of white cheeses. I know that in Rome that is available.

Have fun eating your way around Rome! What a fun experience. Have a great trip.

Years ago we were on a tour and left the tour to do our own thing for the day. Some other couples joined us as we walked around Rome. One of them said he wanted pizza so we sat down at a nice outdoor restaurant and he tried to order a pizza with “everything”. The waiter didn’t speak English, he didn’t speak Italian, so we looked through our guidebook for some phrases – like sausage, cheese, pepper, onion, etc. and kept motioning to the waiter to add that to the top of the pizza. The waiter finally understood and when it arrived, the pizza had everything on it – including a hard boiled egg smack in the middle.

If you really DO "love all kinds" of pizza then be prepared to have a different sort of pizza than what you may be used to...such as the "pineapple and chicken" you think is "exotic."

Sometimes the toppings on Italian pizza are not cooked as they tend to be in the US.

Oh, I'm certain you'll enjoy it but just don't go expecting "more of the same" because that is not what you'll get.

I second the recommendation for Pizza Re.The same pizza is now available at Recafe-here's the menu:
http://www.recafe.it/dati/imen.htm

There is a small square called Piazza San Callisto in Trastavere (an area of Rome), just a bit away from the major square in which the famous church 'Santa Maria in Trastavere' is located. In this small square, there is a pizzaria called Pizzaria San Callisto. Opens at 7pm for dinner. FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!! Full of locals.

Another vote for Da Baffetto, we went there twice on our recent trip to Rome and it is great. Contrary to one of the earlier posts, they DO take reservations. We had our hotel call for us, and when we got there, we went right to the front of the very long line and they sat us down (at a table they set up on the spot for us). In addition to the great pizza, try their tartufo for dessert.

Pizza is different in different cities:
in Roma it's thin and crunchy, in Napoli it's a little thicker and soft...in the Sorrento area it's thick and soft(gummier!?)...
...this means: be ready to eat lots of them!!!

I wouldn't think of visiting Rome without pizza at Pizzaria Remo in Testaccio. Take the Metro to Piramide, walk west on Via Marmorata past Volpetti, a great specialty food store {that will not be open}, turn left into the heart of Testaccio and ask anyone on the street directions. Its a local institution.

I've misplaced the receipt, so I can't give you the name of it, but this pizzeria is in Trastavere on Via Natale del Grande. From Viale di Trastavere, the main street, head north in the direction of the Vatican on Via Natale and you'll come to it on your right hand side, nearby all the vegetable and fruit stands. Very nice place!

Here's another vote for da Baffetto.

Another place I had really good pizza is Alle Fratte di Trastevere, on Via delle Fratte di Trastevere. Great service there, too.

We found a great pizza place in Rome during our last trip there in December. After spending all morning in St. Peters, we were hungry so we decided to just stop when we found somewhere that looked/smelled good (not hard to do it Rome). We walked towards Castel Sant'Angelo and then headed across the Ponte Sant Angelo bridge and walked about a block straight and came across a small pizza place on our left. The pizza was delicious. We ordered a half margharita/half mushroom. I have the name of the place on a business card but unfortunately its at home and I'm at work. If I remember to look for it, I will post the name.

Good pizza places can be found all over Rome. As a poster mentioned above, just make sure the pizzas are baked in wood-burning ovens.

There are two kinds of Roman pizza experiences: pizza from bakeries and pizza from pizzerias. At bakeries you can pick up slices throughout the day (that's where you pay according to the weight); they're simple, usually topped with olive oil (bianca) or tomato sauce (rossa). There's a kosher bakery (that doesn't have a name) near Piazza Navona on Via del Governo Vecchia that's excellent for this.

The classic experience, though, is at the pizzerias, which are usually open only for dinner. The last time I was in Rome I ate at La Montecarlo (near Piazza Navona, just of Corso Emmanuelle II, one of the city's main drags). Maybe it's the sauce, maybe it's the cheese, maybe it's the oven -- for whatever reason, the pizza we had there was in a different class than anything I've ever encountered in the U.S. And the atmosphere of the place felt just right: quick, no-nonsense service, and a room full of Romans enjoying themselves. (Monte Carlo is run by the neice of the owner of Baffetto; the lines aren't as long, and I can't imagine the pizza could get much better.)

One interesting thing I noticed a few of the locals doing: they ordered a arugula salads and heaped the greens on top of their pizzas.

As for places to avoid -- if you find chicken and/or pineapple among the toppings offered, you've probably wandered into a tourist trap. Italians can be very traditional. They figure out how to do something well, and then they don't mess with it.

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My fave is the "Pizza Funghi", (w/ mushrooms). I believe fresh high-quality ingredients is a major reason why pizza in Italy is so tasty. Also, I find their cheese to be lighter; and with the thin crust you can easily eat a whole pizza by yourself and not feel bloated as you would w/ an American style pizza.

My favorite pizza in the world is Pizza con fiori di zucca...or zucchini flower pizza. It often comes with Anchovies and must ask not to put them on if you don't like them. This is worth going out of your way to find. You can find this at any pizzeria in the Ghetto area or on Via Veneto near the Embassy there is an amazing bakery that sells it by the slice. Dar Poeta in Testaccio is great, especially their Nutella (chocolate/hazelnut) pizza. Another of my favorite pizzas is the Breasola pizza...like prosciutto but made with beef instead, often paired with arugula. On average, a sit down pizza place has better pizza than the by the slice places.

Just to put some context to the pizza-by-weight places:

You order a slice/chunk of pizza by the "etto", 100g. A one-etto slice is a rectangle about 3"-4" wide and about 6" long. Due etti (200g) or due e mezzo (250g) generally is a good filling meal for one person, especially when washed down with a beer, Coke, or bottle of water. 200g is just less than a half pound.

Although the Fodor's Editor may not be aware of it, the bakery on Via Governo Vecchio does have a name--Frtelli Paladini and it's at Via Governo Vecchio 29 which you'll need to know because there isn't a sign.

Pizza-Re!!!

Have not been to their Rome location, I saw that the first responder also recommended them. Went to their Naples location less than 2 weeks ago-- we ended up eating there 3 times -- and we tried other pizza in naples too and this was by far the BEST! They have 2 Rome locations, but the one near the Spanish steps is probably most convienent. I think the margarhita is the best, but we tried a few others that were good too.
Prices are very low (at least in Naples) They have lunch special for 6 euros for a pizza and a drink (soda, water, wine, etc...)

One thing about pizza in Italy different than pizza in the U.S. is that the pizzas often have names rather than being described by their toppings. Some that we liked:

funghi (mushrooms)

quattro stagione (literally "4 seasons" with the 4 ingredients separate in each quarter of the pizza, usually, mushrooms, ham, artichoke hearts and something else)

quattro formaggi (4 cheese, including the italian blue cheese)

napoli (anchovies, but don't knock it until you have tried it in Italy, it became our favorite)

Oh my mouth is watering!

I third the reco for Pizza Re! fabulous!

This feedback has been amazing. Thank you all so much. Wherever we are in Rome I think we will have a suggestion from someone as to where to eat good Pizza.

Thanks again!

Eric

I would have to vote for Pizza Re as well...we were pleasantly surprised to find them open on Christmas Day & the food was wonderful.

But, I would also say that part of the fun of our trip was wandering the streets & find good things to eat along the way. We had some great pizza from bakeries & also at enotecas. Your favorite may end up being a place that you find on your own. Explore & enjoy :)

This forum has been most helpful! I love all food but, pizza is definetely in the plan! Question: Are there any popular wood-oven pizzas for lunch - per the editor (the by weight is bakery style) - any open for lunch such Pizza Re or Baffetto or one just as good near the sights us tourists will be at?

just thought you'd all find this amusing:

my friends just got to Rome moments ago. they are at the hotel I reco'd (which was from Kismetchimera's reco to me) and he and I are IM-texting each other. I just IMd him to tell them they must go to Pizza Re for dinner after they get their bearings.

ain't technology great??