If you want to understand pizza in Naples, start with its oldest pizzerias.
The short answer is that Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba is generally recognised as the oldest pizzeria in Naples still in operation. Its history goes back to 1738, when the site operated as a place producing pizza for street sellers, and to 1830, when it became a sit-down pizzeria with tables and service.
That distinction matters, because the history of pizza in Naples is older and more complicated than a single opening date.
Several historic pizzerias played different roles in shaping the food we now think of as Neapolitan pizza: Port’Alba represents the earliest surviving pizzeria tradition; Brandi is tied to the famous 1889 Margherita story; Da Michele became one of the best-known examples of the minimalist Neapolitan style; and other long-running institutions such as Di Matteo and Pellone became part of the everyday pizza culture of the city.
If you want to eat through Naples’ pizza history rather than simply chase the most famous current names, these are the places to know.
What Is the Oldest Pizzeria in Naples?
Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba is recognised as the oldest pizzeria in Naples still operating today.
Its own history dates the business back to 1738, when pizzas were produced there for street vendors.
In 1830, it became a proper pizzeria and osteria with tables and seating, which is why both dates appear when people discuss its origins.
So:
- 1738 = the beginning of the pizza-making activity
- 1830 = the transition to a sit-down pizzeria
That is more accurate than simply calling 1738 the date the modern restaurant opened.
The City of Naples has also formally recognised Port’Alba as the oldest pizzeria in the city still in operation.
Is Port’Alba the Oldest Pizzeria in the World?
Port’Alba is frequently described as one of the world’s oldest surviving pizzerias, and sometimes as the oldest.
But the claim depends on what you mean by “pizzeria.”
Pizza-like flatbreads and commercial pizza sellers existed before the modern restaurant format, while other historic Naples businesses also trace their origins deep into the 18th century.
So I would avoid treating “world’s first pizzeria” as an uncontested fact.
What we can say confidently is that Port’Alba is one of the most historically important surviving pizzerias in Naples and is officially recognised locally as the city’s oldest still operating pizzeria.
Naples Pizza History at a Glance
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Late 18th century | Pizza becomes an established part of everyday food culture in Naples |
| 1738 | Port’Alba traces its pizza-making activity to this period |
| 1830 | Port’Alba becomes a sit-down pizzeria and osteria |
| 18th century | The establishment that later became Brandi traces its origins to this period |
| 1889 | Raffaele Esposito at the establishment later known as Brandi serves the pizza associated with Queen Margherita |
| 1906 | Michele Condurro opens the first Da Michele pizzeria |
| 1930 | Da Michele moves to its current Via Cesare Sersale location |
| 20th century | Pizzerias such as Di Matteo and Pellone become part of Naples’ modern pizza culture |
Pizza as we recognise it today developed in Naples over time rather than appearing in one restaurant on one specific date.
That is why the city’s historic pizzerias are interesting: each represents a different stage in that evolution.
Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba — The Oldest Pizzeria in Naples
Address: Via Port’Alba, 18, Naples
Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba is the place to start if history is your priority.
The pizzeria traces its origins to 1738, when pizzas were prepared there for vendors who sold them in the streets around Naples. In 1830, the business became a restaurant-style pizzeria with tables and seating.
That makes Port’Alba less interesting because it can claim a record and more interesting because it shows how pizza moved from street food into a permanent restaurant setting.
Its location is also part of the appeal. Via Port’Alba sits at the edge of Naples’ historic centre, close to Piazza Dante and the old bookshops that still define this part of the city.
What to order at Port’Alba
If you are visiting because of the history, start with one of the simplest traditional pizzas.
A Marinara or Margherita makes more sense here than an elaborate modern topping because you are tasting the type of pizza that made these institutions famous in the first place.
Is Port’Alba worth visiting?
Yes, if pizza history matters to you.
I would not necessarily tell someone that it must be the single best pizza of their entire Naples trip. That is a different question.
But if you want to eat in the pizzeria most closely associated with the earliest surviving pizza tradition in Naples, this is the place.
Pizzeria Brandi — The Home of the Margherita Story
Address: Salita Sant’Anna di Palazzo, 1/2, Naples
Brandi is one of the most historically significant pizzerias in Naples because of its connection to the Pizza Margherita.
The establishment traces its origins to an earlier pizzeria known as Pietro e Basta Così, founded in the 18th century.
Its most famous moment came in 1889, when pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito prepared pizzas for Queen Margherita of Savoy.
According to the story preserved by the pizzeria, one of the pizzas combined tomato, mozzarella and basil — the red, white and green associated with the Italian flag — and became linked to the queen’s name.
Whether you treat that story as the literal invention of the Margherita or as the moment the pizza acquired its famous name, Brandi remains central to Naples’ pizza history.
What to order at Brandi
Order the Margherita.
There is little point coming to Brandi for its historical importance and then ignoring the pizza that made the restaurant famous.
Is Brandi worth visiting?
Yes, particularly if you are interested in the story of the Margherita and the relationship between Naples, pizza and Italian culinary history.
Its location near Via Chiaia, Teatro San Carlo and Piazza del Plebiscito also makes it easy to combine with sightseeing.
L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele — A Historic Naples Institution
Address: Via Cesare Sersale, 1, Naples
Da Michele is often described as dating from 1870, but the pizzeria’s own history makes an important distinction.
The Condurro family pizza tradition began in 1870, while Michele Condurro opened his first pizzeria in 1906. The business moved to its current Via Cesare Sersale location in 1930.
That makes Da Michele younger than both Port’Alba and Brandi as a restaurant, but no less important to the modern image of Neapolitan pizza.
Its international fame grew enormously after appearing in Eat Pray Love, but the reason it matters in Naples goes beyond the film.
Da Michele built its identity around a deliberately limited menu and a very traditional style of pizza.
What to order at Da Michele
The classics are the point.
A Margherita or Marinara gives you the clearest sense of why Da Michele became such an institution.
Is Da Michele worth visiting?
Yes, but expect queues.
If your priority is tasting one of Naples’ most famous traditional pizzas, it belongs on the list.
If your goal is specifically to visit the oldest pizzeria, however, Port’Alba is the more relevant historical stop.
Pizzeria Di Matteo — A Via dei Tribunali Classic
Address: Via dei Tribunali, 94, Naples
Di Matteo belongs to a later generation of historic Naples pizzerias, but it has become an institution in its own right.
Located on Via dei Tribunali, one of the busiest food streets in the historic centre, it represents the type of pizzeria that helped keep traditional Neapolitan pizza embedded in everyday city life rather than turning it into a purely tourist experience.
Di Matteo is particularly useful if you want to combine pizza with a walk through the historic centre.
What to order at Di Matteo
You can sit down for a full pizza, but this is also a good place to explore Naples’ more casual pizza culture.
Alongside Margherita and Marinara, look for pizza fritta and other fried specialties if they are available.
Is Di Matteo worth visiting?
Yes, especially if you are already exploring Via dei Tribunali.
I would think of it as an important historic Naples pizza institution rather than one of the contenders for the title of “oldest pizzeria.”
Pizzeria Pellone — A Traditional Institution Near Napoli Centrale
Address: Via Nazionale, 93, Naples
Pellone is another long-running name in Naples’ pizza culture.
Its location near Napoli Centrale makes it particularly useful for travellers arriving by train who want a traditional Neapolitan pizza without crossing the entire city.
Pellone is known for generous pizzas and a style that feels firmly rooted in the city’s everyday pizza tradition.
What to order at Pellone
Again, start simple.
A Margherita gives you the best baseline for understanding the dough, tomato and cheese before moving to more elaborate options.
Is Pellone worth visiting?
Yes, particularly if you are staying near the train station or arriving in Naples by rail.
It is less relevant to the “oldest pizzeria” question than Port’Alba or Brandi, but it belongs in a guide to historic Naples pizza institutions.
Which Historic Pizzeria in Naples Should You Visit?
If you only have time for one, choose according to what you care about.
Choose Port’Alba if you want to visit the oldest pizzeria in Naples still in operation.
Choose Brandi if you are most interested in the history of Pizza Margherita.
Choose Da Michele if you want one of Naples’ most internationally famous traditional pizza experiences.
Choose Di Matteo if you are exploring Via dei Tribunali and want pizza as part of the historic-centre experience.
Choose Pellone if you are near Napoli Centrale and want a traditional local institution without travelling across the city.
If you have time, visit more than one.
The point is not to decide which historic pizzeria “wins.” Their histories represent different periods in the evolution of pizza in Naples.
Was Pizza Invented in Naples?
Pizza has older ancestors, and flatbreads existed in many cultures long before modern Naples.
But the pizza we recognise today developed in Naples. By the late 18th and 19th centuries, pizza had become an established part of Neapolitan food culture, particularly among ordinary residents of the city.
That evolution — street sellers, bakeries, early pizzerias and eventually restaurants — is what makes Naples central to pizza history.
The story is therefore bigger than the idea that one person suddenly “invented” pizza on a specific day.
Naples created the culture in which modern pizza developed.
Was Margherita Pizza Invented at Brandi?
Pizzeria Brandi is historically associated with the famous 1889 Queen Margherita story.
The restaurant preserves documentation connected to Raffaele Esposito preparing pizzas for Queen Margherita of Savoy during her visit to Naples.
The famous tomato, mozzarella and basil pizza became associated with her name.
What is harder to prove is that nobody had ever combined those ingredients on pizza before that day.
So the safest way to understand the story is:
Brandi is the historic home of the Margherita story and the restaurant most closely associated with giving the pizza its famous royal identity.
That is historically more useful than reducing the story to “this restaurant invented pizza.”
Are Naples’ Historic Pizzerias Still Worth Visiting?
Yes, but not because age automatically makes pizza better.
Naples now has an enormous range of excellent pizzerias, including many younger restaurants doing outstanding work.
The reason to visit these historic places is different.
They connect the pizza you are eating today with the development of pizza as street food, restaurant food and eventually one of the most internationally recognised foods in the world.
Go to Port’Alba because of the beginnings of the pizzeria tradition.
Go to Brandi because of the Margherita story.
Go to Da Michele because of the stripped-back traditional style that made it globally famous.
Then eat elsewhere too.
Naples’ pizza story did not stop with its oldest restaurants.
The Oldest Pizzerias in Naples: Final Take
If you are looking for the oldest pizzeria in Naples, start with Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba.
Its history goes back to 1738, with the business becoming a sit-down pizzeria in 1830, and it is officially recognised in Naples as the city’s oldest pizzeria still in operation.
But Naples’ pizza history makes more sense when you look beyond a single record.
Brandi tells the story of the Margherita.
Da Michele represents another generation of traditional pizza-making.
Di Matteo and Pellone show how pizza remained part of ordinary Neapolitan life through the 20th century.
Together, they explain why Naples is not simply a city with excellent pizza.
It is the city where modern pizza culture took shape.