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by Georgia Arkell
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- Culinary Guides
Pizza is the quintessential Italian national dish, exuding national pride and culinary expertise. While pizza originated in the heart of Naples, Florence is increasingly becoming a hot spot for the art of pizza-making, offering a wide array of different pizzerias, each with their own unique take.
The city’s architectural beauty and natural landscape are attracting an increasing number of people from all over the country, especially from the South, seeking to recreate and reinterpret Naples’ ancient culinary traditions.
From a humble street food creation to a gourmet delicacy, pizza today has been elevated to a true symbol of Italy’s unmistakablehaute cuisine.
Is your favored pizza the Neapolitan style or Roman? Or maybe even the classic Tuscan style? Do you like your crust crisp and crunchy or soft and bready? Thin or thick?Al taglioor whole? Regardless of the type of pizza that you love, the following list of the top 10 pizzerias in Florence covers each and every preference!
1. La Divina Pizza
If La Divina Commedia is Dante’s literary masterpiece, La Divina Pizza’s creations may well be Florence’s culinary masterpiece! A small, cozy restaurant nestled in one of the city’s central streets is renowned for its painstaking research and selection of premium ingredients.
The pizza is made using fresh sourdough derived from sustainable, high-quality Italian flour, which is stone milled and left to leaven for more than 24 hours. This results in a wonderfully light and digestible pizza which is trulydivina!
2. Il Vecchio e Il Mare
Inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s iconic novel, il Vecchio e il Mare (The Old Man and The Sea) is a typical Italian restaurant situated in a magical hidden courtyard, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, where the essence of the Mediterranean is beautifully brought to life in their culinary creations.
The undisputed star of the menu is theGrigio Casentinopizza, made withfior di lattemozzarella, small yellow cherry tomatoes from Vesuvius, creamy stracciatella cheese from Puglia andGrigio Casentinoham: an absolute blast bringing together all the flavors of southern Italian cuisine.
3. Giotto
Bearing the name of the major 14thcentury Italian painter and architect, the pizzeria Giotto is undoubtedlyà la hauteurof its name. This family-run restaurant has gained a reputation over the years for its winning fusion of traditional artisanal techniques with an innovative and exotic take.
Such is the case, for example, with their iconic Montanara Fritta, where the combination of wakame seaweed, stracciatella di bufala, red prawn tartare and black truffle will wonderfully surprise you and leave you wanting more!
4. Largo 9
Fascinated by the art of pizza making, Gabriele Dani, the renownedpizzaioloof Largo 9, has created a new concept of pizza eating.
Besides the iconic classic recipes, thepizzeriais widely known and appreciated for its sophisticated and avant-garde touch, presentinggourmetpizzas elegantly garnished with the finest ingredients and already sliced, making it ideal for sharing with friends and family!
5. Giovanni Santarpia
In this quintessential Neapolitan pizzeria, you will be greeted by the warm and enthusiastic spirit typical of Parthenopean culture. Thin in the middle and with a soft and bready crust, the pizza dough faithfully follows the original Neapolitan recipe and is topped with fresh seasonal ingredients.
As we’re approaching summer, make sure you try the ultimate fresh and tasty pizza made with a delicate courgette pesto,fiordilattecheese, cherry tomatoes andguanciale, and garnished with aromatic dried lemon zest.
6. Al Fresco
Immersed in the beautiful Giardino della Gherardesca, next to a fresh and tantalizing blue water pool, Al Fresco offers a unique culinary and wellness experience with a sophisticated touch. Relish their iconic delicacies such as the Mia Napoli or the Parmigiana with Roasted aubergines and flakes of Parmigiano. Al Fresco boasts a wide and varied selection of prestigious wines that elevate even more a unique sensory experience.
7. Da Michele
This is a decade-long culinary tradition of the Condurro family. Tracing back to the 1870s, following in his father’s steps, Michele Condurro perfected the family recipe, elevating their wonderful creations to what has become today a UNESCO heritage pizza.
The secret of this enduring success lies in the use of natural ingredients and long leavening of the dough, which confers flavor and lightness at the same time: a long-lasting winning recipe!
8. Fuoco Matto
Widely regarded as one of the best Pizzerias in Florence, Fuoco Matto is a cozy restaurant with a unique Country Chic style. The Neapolitan style and Tuscan ingredients, a winning combination, has allowed Fuoco Matto to win the Gambero Rosso Award.
Whether with traditional or wholegrain flour, all pizzas exude a genuine and authentic taste, which expresses a strong link with the land. Taste, simplicity and flair are the signature marks of Fuoco Matto.
9. Don Fefè
Don Fefè presents itself as a real culinary journey through the genuine flavors of the Tuscan and Southern Italian countryside and the ancient milling techniques which confer their pizzas with the unmistakable taste of authenticity and uniqueness.
With a few, simple ingredients, such as the DOP prized Mozzarella di Bufala andPomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio, Don Fefè traces the pizza-making art back to its authentic roots. Here you will taste the irresistible and simple deliciousness of pizza at its finest.
10.Starita a Materdei
This is a long love story, beginning in 1901 in a district of Naples, between Antonio Starita and the art of pizza making. It all began as a wine cellar, and to this day, Starita continues to offer high-quality wines to combine with delicious pizzas.
After Naples, New York, Milan and Turin, Starita a Materdei finally landed in Florence, bringing extraordinary conviviality and authenticity. These features will not pass unnoticed, as you bite into a succulent Marinara or their classic Porta a Porta, featuring a double filling of ricotta, fried tenderstem broccoli, cherry tomatoes and Pecorino cheese.
Related: Florence Food Guide: What to Eat in Florence
Related: Most Popular Tuscan Foods
Related: Where to Eat the Best Pizza in Rome
Related: Rome Food Guide
Georgia Arkell
Georgia Arkell is an Italian writer and translator, born in a small town on the Tuscan coast, where she lived for almost 20 years. She has a B.A. in History and French Studies from the Oxford Brookes University in Oxford, England. She graduated in 2019 with a First Class honours and later moved to Barcelona to work as a translator for multiple leading European brands in the Fashion and Jewelry industry. She is now working as a freelance translator and writer covering multiple verticals from literature and gastronomy to marketing.