Best Pizza in Rome: 11 Pizzerias Not to Miss

Discover where to eat great pizza in Rome when you visit Italy’s eternal city.

It took us three trips to Rome before we could call ourselves true Roman pizza fans. As much as we love eating in Italy, we just didn’t love Roman pizza the same way that we love pizza from Naples and New York. But it wasn’t Rome’s fault.

Although we adore eating food in Rome, especially Rome’s big four pastas (Amatriciana, Cacio e Pepe, Carbonara and Gricia), at the city’s best restaurants, we simply didn’t immediately connect with Rome’s traditional pizza and its crunchy crust. We knew we were missing something, which is why we returned to Rome for a third pizza tour.

As it turns out, educating ourselves about the Rome pizza scene and researching the best Roman pizzerias provided the golden ticket. Not only did we finally crack the Rome pizza code, but we also ate a heck of a lot of great slices and pies along the way.

🍕 Our Top Rome Pizza Picks

• Best Overall: Seu Pizza Illuminati (book ahead)
• Best Pizza Romana: 180 Grammi (book well ahead)
• Best Pizza al Taglio: Pizzarium Bonci (near the Vatican)
• Best Breakfast Slice: Antico Forno Roscioli
• Best Street Food: Trapizzino
• Best Near Termini: Panella

Our fun but filling mission to find and eat the best pizza in Rome was a success!

To complete this mission, we traversed the city by foot, bus and metro, stopping for gelato and coffee whenever we needed a sugar high or caffeine boost. But they were diversions. Pizza was both our rallying call and our reward.

After eating our collective weight in pizza, we now have our favorite Rome pizza shops and we’re sharing them here for your Rome pizza crawl. (We verified prices, hours and closing days in October 2026, but they can change at any time. Check each pizzeria’s website or Instagram before you go.)

1. Seu Pizza Illuminati

Neighborhood: Porta Portese (near Trastevere) | Style: Contemporary round pizza | Reservations: Essential | Price: €10–18 per pizza | Hours: Dinner only

Seu Pizza Illuminati has brightened the Rome pizza scene since pizzaiolo Pier Daniele Seu and partner Valeria Zuppardo welcomed their first guests in 2018. Located in Rome’s urban yet residential Porta Portese neighborhood, mere steps from Trastevere, it’s a sleek spot that serves pizzas notable for their soft crusts and outstanding toppings.

Based on that crust, you might think that Seu Pizza Illuminati’s pizza style is Neapolitan and you wouldn’t be far from the mark. But Pier Daniele Seu is a born and bred Roman pizzaiolo who trained with the city’s top pizza masters. Now that his pizzeria has blitzed into the top 10 section of the 50 Top Pizza list, it’s not hyperbole to call Seu Pizza Illuminati the best pizzeria in Rome. It’s also not hype. Seu’s pizzas deserve the accolades.

Fun Fact
Part of Seu Pizza Illuminati brightness emanates from a hot pink neon ‘in pizza we trust’ sign that boldly hangs inside the pizzeria’s dining room.

Seu offers tasting menus with six, seven and even eight courses. Considering the pizzaiolo’s pedigree, they’re all reasonably priced. However, since our dinner reservation was at 11pm, we opted for two a la carte pizzas in lieu of a tasting menu. Both pies were excellent.

While we really liked Seu’s Fiore e Alici pizza with its zucchini flowers and Sicilian anchovies, we liked his La Mia Margherita pizza even more. Not a typical margherita, this pie was elevated with parmesan shavings and a tasty pepper mix. Plus, it was topped with a dozen fresh basil leaves, which is way more leaves than we ever scored at a Naples pizzeria.

Pro Tip
Head to Rome’s Mostacciano neighborhood and try a thin and crispy pizza at TAC-Thin and Crunchy. Not resting on their laurels, Pier Daniele Seu and Valeria Zuppardo opened TAC in 2024.

Seu Pizza Illuminati is located at Via Angelo Bargoni, 10–18, 00153 Roma RM, Italy
This pizzeria is tied for fourth place in the 50 Top Pizza World 2026 list and tied for second place.in the 50 Top Pizza Italia 2026 guide.

We’re not huge fans of flat and crispy pizza Romana and yet 180 Grammi is one of our favorite pizzerias in Rome. And, while it’s not the only pizzeria in this guide that requires a reservation, it’s easily the most difficult reservation to score. Seriously, do not assume that you can just stroll into this award-winning pizzeria and nab a table.

But, if you’re successful in scoring a reservation and don’t mind the schlep, eating pizza at 180 Grammi is worth the effort plus a journey to its residential Rome neighborhood. Beyond being able to say that you ate at one of the world’s top pizzerias, you’ll also eat textbook pizza Romana pies.

Although our reservation efforts weren’t successful, we made the journey anyway. Somehow, we talked our way into two seats at the bar, which is where we ate two pies: Parmigiana Viaggiatrice and Pepperoni. Both had uniform crispness from edge to edge with good flavor and crust (something you don’t always see on Romana pies) plus a light, slight bubble.

That crust served as a high-fashion runway for toppings that ranged from simple to sublime. While some toppings, like pork whey, may not make a lot of sense initially, 180 Grammi’s creativity is one of its strong points. You’ll understand if you order a pizza adorned with toppings like fried eggplant, zaalook cream and baba ghanoush cream. However, we won’t judge you if you order a pizza topped with pepperoni instead. Better yet, order one of each, which is what we did.

Read our review of 180 Grammi for more details and tips.

180 Grammi Pizza Romani is located at Via Genazzano, 32, 00177 Roma RM, Italy.
This pizzeria is ranked No. 58 in the 50 Top Pizza World 2026 list and No. 17 in the 50 Top Pizza Italia 2026 guide.

We shouldn’t have been surprised that the pizzas at Antico Forno Roscioli are so good. After all, this Rome bakery is part of the Roscioli empire that includes Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina, one of the best restaurants in Rome, and a curated wine club. In fact, we didn’t totally get the allure of pizza al taglio until we ate Roscioli’s rectangular slices.

Although new to us, Antico Forno Roscioli near Campo de’ Fiori is far from a new operation. The bakery opened a half century ago in 1972, while the baking history inside its building goes all the way back to 1824.

Buy a book with the full story behind Antico Forno Roscioli.

Antico Forno Roscioli isn’t a sit-down restaurant and its slices are served on paper plates. People could hypothetically order them ‘to go’ but that would be a mistake. These crispy slices deserve to be eaten while they’re hot. Dare we say that they demand it? Yes, we dare and they do.

Following our own advice, we stood outside while we ate a couple hot slices including a pizza rossa topped with flavorful tomato sauce and another slice topped with sausage and mozzarella. But we didn’t stand for long. Moments later we ran back into the bakery to buy more slices. Toppings like pesto, burrata and anchovies on those slices turned our breakfast stop into a breakfast feast.

Pro Tip
Pop over to Barnum for coffee after you eat pizza at Antico Forno Roscioli. The excellent coffee shop is just a six-minute walk away.

Antico Forno Roscioli is located at Via dei Chiavari, 34, 00186 Rome RM, Italy.

While Stefano Callegari may be the most prolific pizzaiolo in Rome, Gabriele Bonci is arguably the most famous. Since opening the wildly popular Pizzarium in 2003, the celebrity chef has appeared on numerous TV shows including season one of the late Anthony Bourdain’s The Layover and Netflix’s more recent Chef’s Table-Pizza. He’s even expanded his reach to Chicago.

Crowds patiently queue at Pizzarium every day of the week. They all have the same goal: eating pizza al taglio with toppings that range from standard cheeses and cured meats to more exotic options like bottarga and foie gras. Some also have a second goal of eating some of the city’s best suppli.

Don’t let Pizzarium’s diverse toppings distract you from the main event. Made with organic stone ground flour and fermented for 72 hours, Pizzarium’s dough is where its pizza begins.

We first visited Pizzarium during a Rome food tour and later returned on our own. As we learned during our second visit, the pizza is sold by weight and isn’t cheap. Our two slices (cut into four slices each) totaled €14.02. Ouch and yum.

Pro Tip
Make a visit to Pizzarium after you tour the Vatican. The pizzeria’s Prati location is just a half-hour walk from Vatican City. If you happen to have a refrigerator in your hotel room or apartment, consider making a post-pizza visit to the extraordinary La Tradizione to purchase some cheese or meat to enjoy later.

Pizzarium Bonci is located at Via della Meloria, 43, 00136 Roma RM, Italy.

Emma’s location a block from Antico Forno Roscioli (see above) near Campo de’ Fiori probably isn’t a coincidence. After all, Emma’s co-founder Pierluigi Roscioli is part of the Roscioli family. He partnered with Francesco and Ilaria Roscino to open the sit-down restaurant in 2014 and hasn’t looked back.

Don’t assume that the Antico Forno Roscioli and Emma serve the same kind of pizza. Emma’s thin, round pies are made with organic flour and are best eaten with a knife and fork. Its toppings are sourced from Roscioli, which provides a family link.

We ordered two pizzas. Our Margherita pie was textbook with its tangy tomato and fresh mozzarella fior di latte on a thin, crisp crust. However, our Prosciutto pie was the winner due to the addition of parma ham sourced from Pio Tosini in Emilia-Romagna.

Pizza plays the starring role, but Emma’s menu has other items worth ordering. While we couldn’t resist the restaurant’s crispy fiori di zucca (zucchini blossoms) to start our meal, our friends ordered a plate of Cacio e Pepe. And the best part? It all paired well with crisp white wine.

Pro Tip
Pop into the attached Emmaemporio-Nonsolobio to purchase local products and wine to enjoy in your hotel room or take home as edible souvenirs.

Emma Pizzeria is located at Via del Monte della Farina, 28, 00186 Roma RM, Italy.

Located in the Monteverde neighborhood just past Trastevere, La Gatta Mangiona has a wood-fired oven as is typical in Italy. However, this Rome pizzeria goes the extra step of sourcing high-quality ingredients from beyond Italy’s borders. We’re talking about ingredients like Scottish smoked salmon, Spanish anchovies and French cheese.

Don’t be confused by this creative sourcing. Thin but not too thin, La Gatta Mangiona’s pies are some of Rome’s best and would make any cat feel greedy. Plus, the important ingredients are local as are the pizzeria’s owners. Cecilia Capitani, Giancarlo Casa and Sergio Natali opened their award-winning La Gatta Mangiona in 1999, a mere 26 years after the trio met in high school.

Fun Fact
La Gatta Mangiona loosely translates to Greedy Cat.

La Gatta Mangiona is known for its primi dishes and extensive beverage menu almost as much as it’s known for its pizza. However, we were there to eat pizza and that’s exactly what we did. Our only challenge was to decide from a menu filled with 20 red pies and 18 white pies.

Topped with mozzarella, mushrooms and sausage, our white Boscaiola pizza (pictured above) did not disappoint with its gently charred crust and generous amount of toppings. The same goes for our red Gallurese pie adorned with tomato, mozzarella, spicy salami, olives and pecorino cheese. Yes, this pie had two different cheeses. And, no, we didn’t complain.

Pro Tip
Head to nearby Gelateria Tony (just across the #8 tram tracks) for a post-dinner scoop of gelato. The unassuming gelateria is popular with locals due to its excellent gelato.

La Gatta Mangiona is located at Via Federico Ozanam, 30-32, 00152 Roma RM, Italy.
This pizzeria is ranked No. 39 in the 50 Top Pizza Italia 2026 guide.

Considering its location on the edge of the Campo de’ Fiori market, it’s no wonder that Forno Campo de’ Fiori is perpetually busy. But the market isn’t the reason that Forno Campo de’ Fiori is so busy. The reason is the pizza.

We’re not talking about pizza loaded with toppings. Forno Campo de’ Fiori specializes in pizza bianca, little flat breads that rely on olive oil for their flavor, and pizza rossa slabs lightly doused with tomato sauce.

We tried one of each during our visit, munching on the duo as we wandered around the market and its crowd. In addition to the throng of locals and tourists, a crew was filming the action that we were happy to join.

Mixing things up, we looped back and shared a pizza bianca (pictured above) stuffed with mortadella, Italy’s tasty cured pork product with roots in Bologna. More similar to a sandwich than to typical pizza, this pizza bianca provided a protein-packed start to our day that we appreciated.

Pro Tip
Mark two pizzerias off your Rome pizza bucket list by pairing a visit to Forno Campo de’ Fiori with a visit to Antico Forno Roscioli (see above). The two iconic Rome pizza places are just four blocks apart.

Forno Campo de’ Fiori is located at Piazza Campo de’ Fiori, 22, 00186 Roma RM, Italy.

Panella is more than a Roman pizzeria. It’s also a Roman cafe, a Roman bakery and a Roman bar. But, since we visited Panella to eat pizza, we consider it to be a Roman pizzeria. And a good one at that.

Not to be confused with a new place trying to be all things to all people, Panella has been part of Rome’s Esquilino neighborhood since 1929. Just a 10-minute walk from our hotel, the classic pizzeria/cafe/bakery/bar was impossible for us to resist.

How could we resist a counter filled with pizzas topped with a rainbow of ingredients? We couldn’t and we didn’t. Somehow, we narrowed our choices to a traditional slice topped with tomato, basil and mozzarella and a seasonal slice topped with zucchini, potato and carrot.

While we appreciated the clean simplicity of the traditional slice, the seasonal slice was the winner with its unique combination of local vegetables. However, in retrospect, we were the real winners since we shared both al taglio slices while soaking in the sun during a glorious Rome afternoon.

Pro Tip
Panella is less than a 15-minute walk from Roma Termini train station if you’re craving pizza during a quick stop in Rome.

Panella is located at Via Merulana, 54, 00185 Rome RM, Italy.

Pizzeria Ostiense defines the pizza Romana style in Rome’s Ostiense neighborhood, not far from the food hub known as Testaccio. Since we stayed in Ostiense in 2020, our visit to this typical Rome pizzeria was practically inevitable.

Only open since 2014, Pizzeria Ostiense feels like it’s been in the neighborhood for much longer. Flanked by a wood-fired oven, its spacious dining room isn’t fancy. Instead, it’s a friendly spot with simple decorations and checkered table cloths. Its pizzas are prepared in classic pizza Romana style: crispy, thin and loaded with toppings.

Despite its name, Pizzeria Ostiense serves more than just pizza. Beyond the 28 red and white pies on its menu, this pizzeria serves a range of pastas, meats and fried treats. We started our meal with a suppli stuffed with cheese and rice. Then we ate a Salsiccia pizza, which happened to be topped with some of the tastiest sausage we’ve ever eaten in Rome.

We don’t typically love thin crust pizza but, as a vehicle for wonderful Roman toppings, Pizzeria Ostiense’s pizza is top notch. It’s the kind of pizzeria we’d eat at a lot if it were in our home city. We might even be regulars.

Pro Tip
Order a carafe of red wine to go with your pizza. It’s so cheap that it would be wrong to just drink water or beer.

Pizzeria Ostiense is located at Via Ostiense, 56, 00154 Roma RM, Italy.

Gaining popularity over the past couple of decades, the hand-pressed pinsa style of pizza is a nod to oblong Roman flatbreads eaten during ancient times. But make no mistake. Today’s pinsa pizzas are modern pies with modern toppings and modern prices that won’t break the bank.

Not surprisingly, based on its name, Pinsere serves this style of pizza.

Our afternoon visit to Pinsere had its bumps. Daryl’s attempt to photograph the pretty pizzas on display seemed to annoy the owner and the staff wanted to start wrapping things up. However, the gruff service didn’t distract from the quality of Pinsere’s pizzas. In fact, our oval-shaped pie topped with multi-colored tomatoes, bufala mozzarella and basil was outstanding.

Pinsere offered limited outdoor seating at the time of our visit and that’s okay. Its pies, which take a quick four minutes to bake, double as portable street food. In other words, don’t feel obligated to sit to eat your pizza if you’d rather take it to the street.

Pro Tip
Choose your toppings wisely. Options include speck, n’djuja and lardo. Vegetarians have solid choices too: zucchini, figs and honey, just to name a few.

Pinsere is located at Via Flavia, 98, 00187 Roma RM, Italy.

Stefano Callegari changed the Rome pizza scene in 2013 when he opened his first Trapizzino shop near the Testaccio market. You may recognize Callegari’s name from Tonda as well as now-closed Sbanco and Sforno. Either way, you can’t miss his Trapizzino shops during a Rome pizza tour. There are several in the city including one at Mercato Centrale.

A hybrid of two local food favorites (Rome’s pizza bianca and Italy’s triangular tramezzino sandwiches), Callegari’s culinary creation is a pizza dough cone stuffed with savory Roman food favorites and a few international classics. Its shape makes it uniquely portable while its ingredients attract crowds to Trapizzino’s locations around Rome and beyond. There’s even a location in New York City.

During our initial visit at the original Testaccio location, we spotted familiar fillings like trippa alla Romana (Roman tripe), parmigiana di melanzane (eggplant parmigana) and polpetta al sugo (meatballs in tomato sauce) as well as more exotic fillings like Ethiopian zighni flavored with berberé spice. Callegari’s original filling, pollo alla cacciatora (chicken cacciatore) was also on the Trapizzino menu.

That meal was a revelation. In addition to eating two different trapizzinos. One was filled with stewed pork and the other with a saucy meatball. We also ate our first-ever suppli. If there’s a better way to eat classic Roman dishes than to stuff them inside pizza bread, we are yet to find it.

Pro Tip
Don’t be surprised if there’s a queue. The trapizzino is one of Rome’s most popular street foods.

Trapizzino has multiple locations. We ate at the Trapizzino shop located at Via Giovanni Branca, 88, 00153 Roma RM, Italy.

Our Rome pizza journey continues! If you’re like us, you’ll want to check out pizzerias near the Trevi Fountain as well as on the city’s edges. Consider the following pizzerias if your belly has room for more pizza:

Pizza, the most famous Italian food, is inexorably tied to Italy and therefore Rome, the country’s vibrant capital city. This association is no passing trend or new fangled-fad. Instead, people have been eating various forms of pizza in Italy for centuries.

Greek conquerors introduced flatbreads to Italy before it was either a kingdom or country while Roman soldiers topped flatbread with cheese and olive oil after making their own conquests. Emilia-Romagna had its own early version of pizza as did Sardinia and Sicily. Then there’s Naples, the Italian epicenter, both historically and culinarily, of what many in the world call pizza today.

Ironically, despite its history with pinsa (i.e., flatbread), Rome didn’t have a signature pizza until the 20th century. Now it has several and they’re everywhere from markets to upscale eateries.

There’s no such thing as Roman pizza. Hear us out…

A lot of people think of Roman-style pizza as thin and crispy featuring a dough made with olive oil. However, this type of pizza, often called pizza Romana, is just one type of pizza served in Rome.

As evidenced by the sheer number of Rome pizza shops selling slices, Pizza al taglio may be the most popular pizza in Rome. But what is it? Pizza al taglio literally translates to cut pizza and that’s exactly what it is: a pizza that’s cut or sliced to order and typically priced based on weight.

Toppings are what make this rectangular pizza special. Easy to find all over Rome, Pizza al taglio is a great option for those seeking a quick lunch or afternoon snack.

Other Roman pizza styles include pizza rossa, a simple flatbread with tomatoes and olive oil, and pizza bianca, a flatbread often filled with mortadella. When it’s stuffed, the latter becomes a sort of pizza sandwich, proving that food can be whatever you wish to make of it. If we were to slap together two slices of sausage pizza…, well, you get the point.

💡 Frequently Asked Questions

🇮🇹 Rome Travel Checklist

Check out our guide to eating in Italy as well as our picks for the best Italian foods and the best Italian desserts before your trip so that you don’t miss a delicious bite.

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