Il Pizzaiuolo

My friend and I went for a late dinner on a Saturday night. The place was packed. Lots of locals but enough tourists that they had English language menus. We both got pizza. Each pizza was delicious. Can’t speak to the other dishes, but the food at the other tables all looked good.
It’s also near a bunch of bars that locals go to, so it’s a good way to start a night exploring the less touristy side of Florence.

The dough is just amazing — I could eat it all by itself and be so satisfied :)

Great Napoletana-​style pizza tucked away in a lesser tourist-​ridden area of Florence. There’s a mirror that allows you to see your pizza being made in a matter of minutes. The bread is soooo tasty. My husband doesn’t like crusts usually, but he couldn’t stop scarfing it down! Fresh salads too – their tomatoes are amazing!!!

Definitely a great find near Santa Croce! My parents, sister and I went there for lunch, were greeted immediately and the staff was very friendly! We split 3 pizzas, and were stuffed! Great thin crust with plenty of toppings on the pizza!!!

I’d order a margherita pizza from here for each lunch and dinner if I could. The quality and style was like that of what we had in Naples many years ago. It was by far the best pizza we have had in a long time. That dough… Just the right amount of chewy doughyness… I quickly realized on this trip I don’t care for Italian food and much prefer French food any day. However when it comes to pizza this good I would have it everyday.

My husband and I went in September and STILL talk about how great this place was. A little hard to find, but so worth looking for. Turned out to be one of our most memorable meals in Italy.

I wish I had eaten every meal here! The food was excellent & the service was even better. I especially enjoyed sitting in front of the pizza oven– watching the chefs do their magic was a show in itself. Don’t miss out on the meatballs or the craft beer but honestly, I don’t think it’s possible that anything is bad at this restaurant.

I asked a Florentine friend of mine for the best places to eat in Florence. He answered ‘Il Pizzaiuolo’, and he was right: This place serves definitely some of the greatest pizzas of Florence! The topping is perfected dosed, rich in flavour and good in quality. The crust is great with a fluffy, crispy-​outside soft-​inside edge. And then it’s baked over open fire. Seriously amazing.
But though the pizzas are really good, the service in the restaurant is more or less non-​existing. It seems like it’s more important to have as many guests as possible rather than making sure that the few is having a good experience. In general I always find it really stressing and not-​at-​all comfortable to eat with a time limit. Such a shame, cause this place seriously has a great potential: to me, there is nothing authentic than sitting in a restaurant and be able to see the pizza bakers making pizzas over open fire.
I really do love their pizzas, but I’m less fan of the rest. Grab your pizza to-​go, and you will definitely have the greatest pizza-​experience of Florence.

Tres bon acceuil et bon marche. La meilleure pizza de Florence. Tout se passé en direct le pizzailo est tres sympa. Attention il faut reserver !!!

Hands down, the best pizza in Florence. I have eaten here many times and never had a bad experience. The pizzas are well priced and delicious. The crust is so light and soft, thin and moist. You can taste the tomatoes and basil and the freshness of the mozzarella. Very popular spot and sometimes difficult to get into, but always worth the wait.

This is a magical little place is in the heart of Florence and unless you are looking, you probably won’t stumble upon it. It doesn’t seem like much from the outside, or even the inside really, but it is exactly what you want from an Italian pizzeria. Namely, the pizza is AMAZING! The ingredients are simple and very high quality. The preparation is traditional; you can almost tell that the cooks got the recipes from their grandmas grandma and they have been making it the same way since.
If you are in Florence, you must track this place down. Just make sure it’s open before you go!

Very good pizza for a fair price. I thoroughly enjoyed this cute little pizza place and the taste of their food. Service felt a little rushed and it’s a little hard to get the waitresses attention when you sit tucked away in the back corner, but the waitresses were nice enough. Did not give us bread though.
We ordered the Parmigiana pizza and really liked the traditional Neapolitan style pizza. It’s completely different from pizza in the States. The dough is soft and chewy and goes perfectly with the tomato sauce and whatever toppings you would get. Cut a piece of everything and stick in onto your fork for the perfect bite of pizza.
On the other hand, I thought the Black squid ink linguine with calamari and mushrooms was alright. The noodles were not great quality and I thought the sauce was also mediocre. Not bad, but definitely would have preferred ordering two pizzas. Overall a really yummy lunch spot though. Definitely go for some great pizza!!!

One of the best pizza in Florence, take the eggplants one, don’t remember the name but remember the taste, yummmm!
Also the desserts are delicious, don’t forget to try their pastiera.

Looking for a pretty Italian place on the weekend is one of my favorite activities and this place luckily caught my eye. As I was looking for a restaurant on Unilocal and the place was not where it said it was I instead fell upon this pizzeria. It looked empty from the outside so but I curiously pursued my craving for food and stepped inside.
To my amazement the place was completely packed I had to wait 20 minutes to get seated with my friend. But surprisingly this reassured me, it means that it’s a popular destination.
We were finally seated and I ordered the three types of mozzarella which was really really nice and a perfect starter to share between two, (I would find it too much to handle on my own).
Then I got the mozzarella and tuna pizza which tasted very nice especially as all the Ingredients were fresh, or at least that’s what the kind waitress told me. My friend got pasta with ricotta cheese to go which is a nice service to offer as well as her main margarita pizza which ofcourse was also very well done.
The service was fairly average but for a crowded place it is to be expected. Perhaps reserve a table if you don’t like to wait.
Oh the whole I was very satisfied and would love to come back here especially as there is a fun market open just next door on the weekends.

This is probably the best pizza I’ve ever had! The food is amazing! The meatballs are like nothing I have ever tasted neither — incredible!
The staff can be a little bit short/​abrupt but you can almost excuse them for it because the place is packed and queued out the door constantly!!! I’ve always had to wait at least an hour for a table but it is sooooo worth it!!!

BEST PIZZA I’VE EVER HAD. Literally.
Also located near a cool piazza, good for people watching. But who cares.
BEST PIZZA I’VE EVER HAD.

I wrote an extensive review in 2012 on Il Pizzaiuolo, so I will not bore you with too many details or flowery prose. Leave it to say that in parts of Italy, Rome and northward, good pizza is hard to come by. Most visitors do not realize that this is authentic pizza napoletana (not «Napolean», he was the squirt of a French dictator), equaling some of the best pizzerias in Naples (Napoli), the home of pizza and the best in the world.
They have only around 15 tables, so the place is small and hard to find a seat after 8pm. Beside pizza, they have starters, pasta, meat, and fish dishes, but pizza is their specialty. On this visit, one of many in the past, we decided to try their frittura (€ 8 — fried things), including arancini di riso (rice balls), croquette di patate (potato corquettes), and montanare (fried pizza dough with a little tomato sauce). Their were just two of each and at € 8 a disappointment compared to what you would get in a Naples pizzeria for the same price. They were good, but there should have been more.
I had a Neapolitan classic, pizza con salsiccia e friarielli (fior di latte cheese, sausage, and broccoli rabe sauteed in olive oil and garlic) and it was wonderful. My wife’s pizza quattro formaggio (four cheeses) was also wonderful with loads of mozzarella, gorgonzola, ricotta, and provola cheese. As usual, the dough is thin and chewy, only crisp enough to hold the toppings without getting soggy and with little splotches of burnt crust from the fiery wood-​fired oven.
My only complaints, other than the women’s toilet being rather filthy on this visit (my wife told me, I did not see for myself) are the fact that you can only get wine by the glass or bottle, no liters or half-​liters and that the prices are a little steep, but those are small discrepancies when you are eating un’oltima pizza napoletana (excellent Neapolitan pizza) in Northern Italy!
CombatCritic Il Pizzaiuolo 8 Out Of 10 Bombs … Bombs Are Good!

YUM! The pizzas and the calzone here were sooo good. Soft, thin, extra cheesy. We also ordered a platter of steamed mussels and clams for only 12 euros. It was big enough to split between three people, and so flavorful. Yum yum yum. So glad this was our first meal in Florence. It’s very busy so you might need to wait for a table, and the waitresses were kind of impatient (probably because it’s so busy). I’ll definitely be back next time I’m in Firenze! Quality pizza and seafood.

The hype is deserved. This is real deal, delicious, wood-​fired pizza. Once we found Pizzaiuolo it became our pizza place in Florence. And for good reason. The crust is chewy with a few leopard spots to give a little different texture and flavor. Throw in their flavorful tomato sauce and fresh toppings, and you have an amazing pizza.
We started things off with a fried food starter once, and although we enjoyed it, especially the fried dough, we decided that it wasn’t necessary as we wanted to save room in our stomach for the pizza! I almost always order the Bomba, a scrumptious amalgamation of tomato sauce, mozzarella, ricotta, mushrooms, and spicy salami – just thinking of it makes me sigh AND salivate. The salsiccia e friarelli is delicious, too, although with it being the same price as the Bomba (or at least very close), I’d rather have the Bomba. My husband usually goes for the Rustica, with tomato sauce, ham, onion, sausage, and mushrooms plus he adds mozzarella, which rivals my beloved Bomba, especially when you drizzle some olio picante onto it.
Service is adequate – when we we arrived the first few times the host was very warm and inviting, although recently he’s just showed us to our seat and that’s about it. Our waitresses have been so gracious and patient with us, especially as we wheel in our stroller and 10-​month-​old into the small restaurant. Their pizza-​making chef is a genius, and they have a window over his pizza-​making station so you could watch your pizza being made. It makes for great entertainment. Nice guy, too – feel free to start up a conversation with him if he has a free moment.
Il Pizzaiuolo is right across from the Sant’Ambrogio market, not too far from Santa Croce, so if you’re in the area, check it out. Actually, even if you aren’t in the area, check it out. It’ll change the way you view pizza.
And one more for the road: Bomba.

I’m Unilocaling as I eat because they have free wifi and the food is bombastic. Speaking of, get the Bombo pizza. It is awesome. Chewy dough with ham and pepperoni and goooooooyness cheese. The water is good here because the dough is money. Haha. pUN intended. For the second course, the great food just kept on coming, get the meatballs and seafood pasta. Their menu is huge so you’ll have your pick. The portions are not that big as compared to other Italian restaurants so sharing is caring! If you have questions, just as your server to recommend you something, she was great. If you’re in Florence, you HAVE to come here to get the true Firenze Flava. I would skip the deserts though because we got the panecotta, and the sauce tasted from a can. But just eat the main so you’re already full. Problemo solved.

A friend of mine who studied abroad in Florence recommended this place when I told her I was visiting — so you know it must be good!
I was lucky because I came here right when they just opened for dinner with no reservations (during the winter season) and was able to be seated right away. The restaurant soon quickly filled up though — so keep that in mind!
Anyway, to the good part: The food! I know this place is known for their pizza, but their pasta was just as amazing! My boyfriend and I ordered one pasta and one pizza dish and shared. We left no leftovers because everything was absolutely amazing! This place will put a shame to all the pizzas you had in the states!
It is definitely a must try and I will definitely stop by here again when I come back to Florence!

Il Pizzaiuolo est ma pizzeria préférée à Florence !
Attention vous avez intérêt à avoir faim car ce serait plus que dommage de né pas profiter des antipasti ET de la pizza !
À demander absolument comme antipasti l’assiette de burrata (fromage délicieux du même style que la mozzarella mais avec une consistance plus fraîche et liquide) accompagnée de beignets de pâte à pizza frite, beignets de purée de pommes de terre frits ainsi que arancini (petites boules de riz remplies de viande et… frites!).
Vous l’aurez compris rien de très léger mais la qualité est exceptionnelle. Je m’y suis rendu des dizaines de fois sans jamais être déçu. La pizza est très bonne également. Napolitaine c’est à dire avec pâte épaisse je pense vraiment qu’il s’agit d’une des meilleures de la ville.
Né vous laissez pas impressionner par l’apparence touristique de ce restaurant … Au premier regard l’endroit, bien que très similaire à une trattoria typique peut ressembler à un attrape touriste car toujours rempli de français américains japonais etc… Il n’en est rien ! À essayer absolument si vous passez à Florence !

Le restaurant est chaleureux et très simple.
Accueil très agréable mais surtout la pizza est excellente, parfaitement cuite avec une pâte délicieuse. Le quartier très animé, il est donc possible de rester dans le coin après dîner pour boire un verre. J’ai adoré!

One of the best pizza places in Firenze with all that Napolitan soul. Can’t go wrong with either the calzone or the Bomba!

Während eines Wolkenbruchs zur Mittagszeit trafen wir zufällig unsere Freunde in einem Parkhaus in Florenz. Bei dem Versuch, schnellstmöglich gemeinsam von einem Dach unter das nächste zu kommen, gerieten wir ins Pizzaiuolo. Dort war alles bis auf den letzten Platz besetzt, zunächst schien es etwas aussichtslos, einen Tisch für fünf Personen zu bekommen. Dann wurde aber organisiert, arrangiert und verschoben, wir wurden aufs freundlichste bedient, haben Pizza, Pasta und Dessert gegessen, Kaffee getrunken und waren sehr glücklich. Era delizioso!