The 12 best pizzerias in Rome

Located in Trastevere, Seu Pizza Illuminati quickly established itself as one of the best contemporary pizzerias in the city after opening in 2018. The slightly chewy consistency of Neapolitan pizza and the crunchiness of the Rome-style crust is achieved by chef and wizard Pier Daniele Seu's double-leavening. Toppings are innovative here and flavour combos are daring, seamlessly  blending tradition and seasonality. Some of the ingredients are gonna freak you out, but go with it – we're talking roasted watermelon, octopus carpaccio, edamame beans and peanut crumble. You heard us! (But don't fear, if you're feeling unadventurous, they do all the classics too). Ranked one of the top 50 in the whole of Italy, Seu Pizza Illuminati is a spot you can't miss.

Though Italians have traditionally enjoyed pizza with a pint, Rome is beginning to catch on to pairing it with wine. And it turns out sparkling wines are the perfect accompaniment for pizza with thick, fluffy-crusts and rich ingredients, because they help to cleanse the palate in between each slice. It's science, baby. Sant’Isidoro, a creative pizzeria with two locations (one north of the Vatican and the second in Trastevere), serves up excellent Neapolitan-style pizzas with bubbles of all kinds. You'll find Champagne, Franciacorta (Italy's answer to champagne, produced with the same method), Prosecco and a series of other sparkling wines from up and down the boot. 

While Naples is known for pizza with thick, spongey crusts, Rome is famous for its thin, charred scrocchiarella pies that come with a nice crunch. One of the best places to try this style is Pizzeria Alle Carette in the hipster Monti neighborhood. Open daily for lunch and dinner, this historic pizzeria dates back to 1984 and has long been a favourite with locals; think quick, steaming crispy pizza pies and very good prices. You can’t go wrong ordering a classic margherita or diavola with spicy salami – and always order the fritti (fried nibbles). The suppli (fried rice balls) and olive ascolane (fried olives stuffed with minced meat) are also some of the best in the city.

Gino Sorbillo, one of the most famous pizzamakers in Naples, has helped elevate his city and put the humble pizza pie on the global culinary stage. His eponymous pizzeria, Sorbillo, has franchises throughout Italy – and its arrival in Rome in 2019 meant that Romans could finally enjoy authentic Neapolitan flavors in the Eternal City. A casual spot with paper menu placemats and quick service, it serves some of the best fried foods and pizzas in Rome. With such stellar ingredients, this is a place to enjoy the simplest of pies which pack the maximum flavor. The simple marinara, with just tomato sauce, garlic, olio and oregano, is a revelation.

A popular deli-pizzeria-restaurant, Emma is conveniently located near Campo de’ Fiori and Piazza Navona, making it the perfect place to stop for a meal as a break from sightseeing. The menu is extensive and the pizza dough is made with top-quality organic flowers by Pierluigi Roscioli, one of the leading pizzamakers in the city. Toppings are made with carefully selected ingredients from the best regional products; 30-month-old Parmigiano Reggiano, buffalo mozzarella from Paestum and anchovies from Sicily. Indoor and outdoor seating.

The best place in town for authentic pizza romana, Remo is a Testaccio institution, with a prime location on the district’s main piazza. You can sit at wonky tables balanced on the pavement, or in the cavernous interior, overseen by Lazio players in various team photos. The bruschette al pomodoro are the finest in Rome. A park with swings right across the road makes this a great place to eat with kids. You can try booking but they probably won’t accept: get here early if you don’t want to queue.

Rome ain't just famous for scrocchiarella – it's also famous for pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice). These slices are rectangles, not triangles, and are a street food fave with locals. You can order as many varieties of pizza al taglio as you’d like, and indicate how big you want each slice – you’ll pay by weight. Nestled within the bustling Testaccio Market, CasaManco bakes Rome's best pizza al taglio, with organic flour leavened for 100 hours and fresh, seasonal ingredients. We recommend ordering a bunch of small slices so you can try a whole variety. CasaManco is only open till 2.30pm, and closed on Sundays.

At Pizzarium, you can't go wrong. Founder and chef Gabriele Bonci has been the undisputed star of Rome's pizza-by-the-slice scene since opening his shop in 2003. The fragrant and crunchy crust is the fastidious work involved in picking stone-milled high-quality flours, a slow and long leavening of the dough, and a perfect level of hydration. The toppings are constantly changing, even several times a day. Along with classics such as tomato and oregano, more creative ingredients like cured meat and vegetables, all artisanal and from organic and biodynamic farms, add a kick to the already-delicious offerings.

Trapizzino combines the handy shape of the beloved bar-style tramezzino sandwich with a slowly-leavened pizza dough filled with succulent Roman classics. Pizza chef Stefano Callegari launched this innovative format in Testaccio in 2013; it became such a success that you can now devour a trapizzino for lunch, dinner or afternoon snack in four different locations across the city. Try a coda alla vaccinara (oxtail simmered in tomato sauce), a veal tongue in green sauce, or a tripe or fava bean purée with sautéed chicory. 

Sbanco is another creation by Stefano Callegari, the founder of Trapizzino and one of the busiest pizza chefs in Rome. Open only for dinner, this pizzeria is popular with locals and located in southern Rome near the Appia Antica (the ancient Appian Way). The high-heat oven ensures a crust crunchy enough to meet the Romans' ever-high expectations, but they draw in the more adventurous amongst us with seriously creative toppings. The cacio e pepe pizza is a stand out (you might have seen it on TikTok), oozing with salty pecorni and baked with an ice-cube in the center to keep the cheese from congealing.

Piccolo Buco, which translates to ‘little hole’, is a petite little spot a stone’s throw from the Trevi Fountain. Famous for its location and its lip-smackingly good gourmet pizza, this one draws a crowd, so try to stop by pre-or-post rush hour. Stretched by hand, the 48-hour slow-leavened dough makes for a crust that becomes simultaneously chewy and slightly crunchy and raises a very Naples-like delicious fat edge (cornicione). Toppings are generally sustainably sourced and very fresh.

Known for its Rome-style pinsa, Pinsa e Buoi is located near Villa Borghese, so it's a great spot for lunch post-Borghese Gallery. Pinsa is an oval-shaped pizza, left to rise for two-to-three days, with a huge selection of toppings. Here you’ll find the usual suspects with inventive add-ons inspired by local traditions; try the boscaiola with sausage, truffles and porcini mushrooms and the contadino with four types of cheese, pear and walnuts.