Best Pizzerias in Napoli for Authentic Italian Pizza

Napoli (Naples) is the literal birthplace of pizza. It was created here between the 16th and mid-18th century and started out more as a flatbread than a pizza. Margherita pizza was created because the colors of the basil, mozzarella, and tomato sauce were the colors of the Italian flag.

So now that you know a little bit about the history of pizza, let’s go over some of the best places in Napoli to get an authentic Napoli pizza, made in the traditional Napoli style. I have been to every place on this list (I might be a little obsessed with Napoli) so I know from first-hand experience what the best pizza in Napoli is.

L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele

If you’ve seen the movie “Eat, Pray, Love”, you’ll recognize this iconic pizzeria in Napoli. Superstar actress Julia Roberts ate here and said this line, “I am so tired of saying no. I’m tired of waking up in the morning and recalling every single thing I ate the day before, counting every calorie I consumed so I know just how much self-loathing to take into the shower. I’m going for it.” I think we can all be a little bit more like her and “go for it” when it comes to pizza. In Napoli, you always order your own pizza. It’s not like in America where you buy a giant pizza and everyone gets a couple of slices. Here, you get your own.

L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele was founded in 1906 and is known as “the sacred temple of pizza” by food critics. They have a secret recipe that every other pizzeria in Napoli wishes they could get their hands on and only leave their pizzas in the wood fire oven for 30 seconds! The line here usually wraps around the block, so be prepared for a long wait, but it’s 100% worth it! Get there like 10 minutes before opening and you should be one of the first to get into the restaurant.

Gino e Toto Sorbillo

This is the second most famous pizzeria in Napoli and always has a line. The line is so long here that I’ve only eaten here once of the five times I’ve been to Napoli. It’s right on one of the main tourist streets of Napoli called Via dei Tribunali so the amount of tourists here is a bit overwhelming.

All that aside, the pizza here is incredible! It was opened in 1935 by one of the 21 children of Luigi Sorbillo, who was one of the original pizza makers of Napoli. Gino and Toto were brothers and opened up this location and now have locations around the world. If you are looking for a place that serves traditional Italian pizza by some of the original pizzaiolo of Italy, make sure to stop by!

Pizzeria Antonio Sorbillo

Just down the street from Gino e Toto Sorbillo is Pizzeria Antonio Sorbillo, who was another one of the Sorbillo brothers who became a pizza maker. Antonio is not even close to being as popular as his brothers Gino and Toto, but his pizza is incredible!

The two pizza places are rivals and if you ask Antonio about his brother’s restaurant, let’s just say he won’t be happy. Antonio’s restaurant is often confused for the more popular restaurant just down the street but you won’t be missing out on much coming here instead of Gino e Toto Sorbillo (and there’s usually no line here!) The pizza here is incredible and is a great spot to grab a quick and delicious lunch!

Pizzeria Del Popolo

This is my personal favorite spot in all of Napoli. It’s off the main tourist track and is not as well known as some of the other places, but man is their pizza good! They have the perfect sauce-to-cheese ratio and use the best quality mozzarella to make their cheese. I am usually a Margherita-only person and my wife is a diavola-only person and the diavola here is so good I might have to order it next time instead of my usual.

We’ve probably eaten here ten times and every time they seem to get better and better, which is not usual for places that are getting more and more popular by the day. The people here are super nice (not common for Napoli) and make you feel at home. I highly recommend you try this place next time you’re in Napoli.

Tutino dal 1935

Located near the Port of Napoli, this pizzeria not only serves some of the best pizza but also has pizza to-go! This is called “pizza portafoglio” and is when they just make a Margherita pizza, fold it up, and hand it to you to-go. I would say that this is one of the smartest inventions since sliced bread.

If you wish to dine in here and not take your pizza to-go, they have some incredible options all for around 4.50-7 Euros, which is pretty standard for Napoli pizza. This was the first place that we went to when we landed in Napoli for the second time and loved it! It has tons of great reviews and the pizzas are to die for.

Antica Pizzeria Di Matteo

This is one of the more famous places in Napoli. The wait here is long but 100% worth it. Like most popular pizzerias in Napoli, get there right as the open and you’ll usually be able to get in quickly.

Here, they also serve pizza fritta (or fried pizza). I haven’t gotten myself to try the fried pizza in Napoli because why would I waste one of my meals on fried pizza when there’s perfectly good normal pizza? If you like fried food though, you need to try this for yourself and see if it lives up to the hype. The pizza here comes with a lot of cheese which I’m not a big fan of (I like to taste each ingredient without one overpowering the others) but with 12,000 reviews and 4.3 stars on Google Maps, lots of people really like this place.

Pizzeria Da Attilio

As I said, the restaurants on this list are pizzerias, meaning that they serve only pizza. I think that places that serve pizza, pasta, and whatever else you could think of are not dedicated enough to their craft. However, most pizzerias in Napoli also serve little fried balls called Frittatine di pasta, which are fried pasta balls filled with cheesy pasta. This place is famous for them and they look incredible.

Another thing that this place is famous for is its ricotta stuffed crust. Yes, you read that right. A cheese-stuffed Napoli pizza crust that gives the pizza a star shape and tastes amazing!

Pizzeria Donna Sofia Ai Tribunali | Napoli

This is a great lunch spot to grab a pizza if you are running low on time or just want to get in and out of somewhere quickly. There’s never much of a line here and the interior of the place is adorable.

Again, this is a place that has a lot of cheese on the pizza, which I’m not a fan of, but if you want mountains of mozzarella that will really fill you up until dinner, then this is your kind of place.

Pizzeria I Decumani

Located right next door to Pizzeria Donna Sofia is Pizzeria I Decumani. If you’re looking for a place that will give you a good-sized portion of buffalo mozzarella on your pizza, then come here. Buffalo mozzarella is cheese made from the milk of Italian Mediterranean water buffalo and has a stronger taste than normal mozzarella. It will cost you a little extra but is something you need to try when in Napoli.

The prices here are a little more expensive because it’s on a tourist street (and they add too much cheese to their pizza) but with its central location, it’s a great lunch spot!

Pizzeria Brandi

Located in the Quartieri Spagnoli of Napoli, Pizzeria Brandi is a little farther out than some of the other places on this list, but it’s worth the trip! If you are looking for a romantic night out on the town, choose here. They have a guitar player who will serenade you as you fall in love with Napoli pizza.

This restaurant is also the birthplace of Margherita pizza (or so it claims). A lot of places in Napoli say that they invented pizza, but it’s unknown which place really did. This place says that it’s been dishing out pizza since the 1780s! It has the perfect amount of cheese though, so maybe they’re telling the truth!

Pizzeria Pellone

Pizzeria Pellone is located right next to the central train station of Napoli so if you are looking for a place to grab a quick bite before heading to your next destination, this is your place! They are most famous for their fried pizza but also serve regular pizza as well.

They also have a cute little motto here which is “The best pizza is the one I make tomorrow” meaning that their pizza is only going to get better and better and not go down in quality.

Pizzeria Concettina ai Tre Santi

This place has a large menu with lots of options, but if you know true Napoli pizza, you know that this is usually the sign of a tourist restaurant.

The prices are also higher than normal Napoli pizza, which is also a sign of a touristy place. Even with all these red flags, they make a dang good pizza. They also have dessert pizza, which is classic Napoli crust with Nutella on top (another sign you’re in tourist territory).

Pizzeria Attanasio

If Gino e Toto Sorbillo has too long of a line, head here to Pizzeria Attanasio. It’s just down the street and most people won’t be able to tell the difference. This place opened in 1984, so it’s relatively new to the pizza game compared to the rest of the ones on this list.

Not only can you eat delicious pizza here, but you can also become a certified professional pizza maker! Think about it, if you took their course here and learned their ways, you could have Napoli pizza whenever you wanted! They serve lots of different styles of pizza here too like fried, Nutella, and have about 30 different toppings.

Pizzeria Trianon

Last up on the list, we have Pizzeria Trianon, which is right down the street from L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele. This was a smart move by them because anyone who doesn’t want to wait in an hour-long line at Da Michele can just walk a minute and be at a place that also serves delicious Napoli-style pizza.

They also have a lot more options than Da Michele, so if Margherita pizza isn’t your thing but you’re in the neighborhood, you should come here instead. The Buffala here is incredible and they even have a live band on occasion.

What do you think?

I don’t know about you guys, but all this talk of pizza has made me starving! Which place do you want to try the most? Have you been to any of the places on this list? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading!