Pizzeria Concettina Ai Tre Santi In Naples

We find it Ironic that one of Naples’ most innovative pizzerias has been operating in from the same location in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods since 1951. Today, fourth generation pizzaiolo Ciro Oliva runs Pizzeria Concettina ai Tre Santi with a fresh attitude, an innovative rethinking of pizza and the best available ingredients.

It all began when Concettina Oliva started frying pies in vibrant Borgo dei Vergini (part of Rione Sanità). Still known for its generously sized fried pizza, the younger generation now specializes in crafting a variety of pies – some traditional, some beautiful and some eccentric.

Discover our picks for the best Naples pizzerias and our favorite Naples pizza tour.

Despite its historic location next to a shrine, Pizzeria Concettina ai Tre Santi’s dining room maintains a modern vibe with design elements like exposed brick, museum prints and colorful masks. An open kitchen near the entrance sets the tone – after all, eating pizza is the primary reason that families and business colleagues fill the restaurant every day of the week.

Ciro Oliva’s pizzas run from simple Margherita and Marinara pies to more complicated creations with intriguing toppings like smoked provolone, eggplant, clams and even dehydrated sea algae. But, as is always the case, the most important thing is how they taste.

Since we visited the pizzeria twice in two days, to say that we like those pizzas is an understatement.

We started our first meal with two fried treats – a crispy squash blossom oozing with hot ricotta and a classic frittatina loaded with spaghetti, tomato, peas, smoked provolone cheese and pepper. Both primed us for the main event – two pizzas.

As we bit into our classic San Marzano pizza (see photo above) topped with tangy tomatoes, fresh mozzarella di bufala, big green basil leaves and a spritz of EVOO, we declared the crust to be a heavenly pillow. Our more unique ‘Ciro Oliva’ pie incorporated bits of lemon zest as a subtle counterbalance to rich bufala mozzarella ricotta, smoky provolone and fatty pancetta.

Wanting to try more pizzas, a second visit was clearly in order.

We started our second visit with a Frittatina Genovese, the pizzeria’s crunchy, cheesy, meaty pasta fritter made with broken ziti and covered with outstanding Genovese sauce. We’ve eaten the classic Neapolitan stewed onion meat sauce at multiple Naples restaurants and Oliva’s version is our favorite.

The pizzeria served us a side of that delectable sauce in a tiny copper saucepan for extra dipping. But we didn’t just dip once. We definitely double dipped and maybe triple dipped too.

Though we adored our Il Sole Della Sanita pie, a colorfully yellow Margherita variation, we weren’t as crazy about the Fondazione San Gennaro. With a crust stuffed with Neapolitan salami and smoked provolone and a top layer of crumbled taralli, this white pizza provided a simultaneously crunchy and meaty experience with every bite. It was spectacularly tasty but maybe a little too dry and definitely too heavy. We love taralli as a snack but not so much on top of a pizza.

Beyond pizza and starters, Pizzeria Concettina ai Tre Santi’s menu includes desserts plus a curated selection of beer and wine. The pizzeria also offers a multi-course tasting experience for diners who make advance reservations and arrive with big budgets and even bigger appetites.

Order one pizza per person unless you opt for the curated tasting menu. For two people, we recommend ordering a basic pizza like the Margherita and whatever creative pizza catches your eye. Better yet, go with friends so you can try several.

Pizzas currently cost between 10 to 18 euros. However, since prices have practically doubled in the past few years, we won’t be surprised when/if they increase again. We still consider this pizzeria to be a wonderful value despite its increased prices.

One last tip – While you can finish your meal with dessert, the better option is to pop over to nearby Pasticceria Poppella and eat a fiocco di neve. Named after snowflakes which rarely appear in Naples, the cream-filled Neapolitan pastry is a local gem.

Pizzeria Concettina Ai Tre Santi is located at Via Arena della Sanità, 7 Bis, 80137 Napoli, Italy.

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.

Hungry For More In Naples?