The Best Places To Get Pizza Al Taglio In Rome, According To Local Experts

The Italian peninsula is home to several styles of pizza, from the round, pillow-soft dough bombs found in and around Naples to the thick, square slices that permeate the island of Sicily. Rome, on the other hand, is dominated by two styles: the thin, feather-light round pizza and the perhaps lesser-known pizza al taglio.

Translating to "pizza by the cut," pizza al taglio is baked in a large, rectangular pan, cut into long strips or rectangular pieces, and sold by weight. It's technically considered a street food, as it's typically sold out of hole-in-the-wall joints and frequently eaten on the go as a quick lunch or snack. Classic toppings include marinated zucchini flowers, thinly sliced potatoes drizzled in ribbons of olive oil and sprinkled with flecks of rosemary and sea salt, and a rich tomato sauce paired with dollops of mozzarella. While primarily a savory food, some places also sell the timeless sweet-and-savory pizza bianca con Nutella, a soft, lightly salted plain pizza generously stuffed with the chocolate-hazelnut spread.

In recent years, the pizza al taglio scene has gotten bigger, better, and bolder thanks to a burgeoning class of experimental pizzaioli who are revamping the style with innovative ingredients and flavor profiles — think fried artichokes, anchovies, and lemon-infused olive oil. Tasting Table spoke with six local experts, from respected food writers to popular online food bloggers, about their favorite places to get pizza al taglio in the Eternal City.

Housed in a hole-in-the-wall joint on Viale Aventino just mere steps away from the Circus Maximus is RUVER Teglia Frazionata. Opened in late 2023 by young Roman pizzaiolo Alessandro Ruver — one of Gabriele Bonci's protégés — RUVER has already won over hearts and stomachs with its rainbow of pizza offerings. "Maximum attention is paid to high-quality products, both in terms of dough and the seasonings. It's that place you want to keep secret so you can enjoy all its goodness alone," said Pamela Panebianco, the editor-in-chief of online Italian food publication Agrodolce.

Ruver has earned glowing write-ups in both Food&Wine Italia and the prestigious Italian food magazine Gambero Rosso for his carefully sourced flavor profiles and emphatic dedication to old-school pizza al taglio. "He chooses a thinner and crunchier crust, looking at Roman tradition, and uses carefully sourced ingredients," Luciana Squadrilli, senior editor at Food&Wine Italia and the co-founder of online pizza magazine Pizza on the Road, told Tasting Table. In particular, she highlighted his signature pizza, the RaguVER, an homage to ragù. The crust is soaked in a rich Chianina meat and tomato ragù sauce and sprinkled with parsley and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Ruver further stands out from the crowd by selling his pizza in pre-cut rectangular slices rather than by weight, which, according to Squadrilli, is standard practice in Rome. 

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+39 366 44 29 714

Viale Aventino, 46, 00153 Roma

As for old-school pizza al taglio, the restaurant Pizzeria Sancho dal 1969, as Lucrezia di Pancrazio told Tasting Table, is undoubtedly "an institution in Rome. All [of its] pizzas are incredible and super special." The family-run establishment is located just outside of Rome in the seaside town of Fiumicino, where fresh sea air and lovingly baked pizza go hand-in-hand.

The restaurant is a favorite of many pizza lovers, such as Giovanni Puglisi, a food writer and the founder of Conza Food Lab. He ranked Pizzeria Sancho as one of his favorites for its "ability to conjugate a level of utter mastery in the technical management of the dough with a playful and sinful attitude, both on the choice of toppings and toward the customers."

For Romans like Jacopo Mercuro, the pizza at Pizzeria Sancho dal 1969 is worth the traffic you must endure to escape the city. "Every Roman who loves pizza al taglio heads to Fiumicino for the Sancho family. The pizza with porchetta in a potato crust is poetry," he told Tasting Table. Di Pancrazio seconded Mercuro's opinion on the porchetta and potato pizza, adding that visitors should also try one of its many stuffed pizzas, such as the one stuffed with a breaded veal cutlet and greens tossed with mayonnaise.

pizzeriasancho.it

+39 06 6580690

Via della Torre Clementina, 142, 00054 Fiumicino

Roscioli is Roman royalty. The name doesn't encompass just one thing, but rather a string of operations, including a restaurant, salumeria, coffee and pastry shop, wine club, and — of course — its crown jewel: the Antico Forno.

Located just steps away from the bustling Campo de' Fiori in the heart of Rome's historical center, Antico Forno Roscioli set up shop in a 19th-century bakery in 1972. The restaurant is primarily known for its bread, baked cakes, and 5-foot-long slabs of pizza al taglio. Its arguably most popular pizza is also its simplest: la pizza bianca, a fluffy white pizza seasoned only with ribbons of olive oil and flecks of sea salt.

Roscioli's other pizza offerings include pizza rossa, another simple pizza lightly flavored with a brush of tomato sauce, and Elizabeth Minchilli's favorite: pizza con patate, pizza garnished with thinly sliced potato medallions aromatized with rosemary and salt. Although lines form often and early outside of Roscioli, the delicacies inside are surely worth the wait.

anticofornoroscioli.it

+39 06 686 4045

Via dei Chiavari, 34, 00186 Roma

Pantera, meaning "panther," is a relative newcomer to Rome's increasingly trendy Garbatella district, known for its slew of inner courtyards, urban gardens, and distinct architectural styles. Opened in late 2023 by the two brothers behind the nearby natural wine bar Circoletto, according to Puglisi, Pantera is a no-frills joint freckled with soccer memorabilia. "Thin, crunchy, and pleasantly toasted, Pantera's pizza al taglio tastes and feels like a treasured memory straight from the late '80s," Giovanni Puglisi described to Tasting Table, adding, "With the slight difference that the toppings are farm-fresh and top-tier."

Slices with mushrooms, zucchini flowers, and wedges of potatoes are traditional standouts, and customers can also grab a local craft beer from its small fridge and supplì to go. ​"It's a new opening in Garbatella and a return of the rustic pizza, how it used to be. The red pizza with the salsa verde is a must," Jacopo Mercuro said.

Puglisi recommended trying its Coratella pizza, made with mixed lamb offal stewed with onions; its Trippa alla Romana, ox tripes cooked in tomato sauce and sweet mint and sprinkled with Pecorino Romano cheese; and its pizza topped with moscardini, or baby octopus.

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+39 06 9500 8710

Circonvallazione Ostiense, 153, 00154 Roma

Owned and operated by Mario Panatta and Sara Longo, Pizza Chef Roma uses lievito madre, or sourdough, and high-quality ingredients for its pizza al taglio. "It's the place I'd recommend to those who want to experience Rome like a local," Pamela Panebianco told Tasting Table, adding, "The perfect dough combines softness and crunchiness, and the fillings are so delicious that you have difficulty choosing which ones to eat every time." Panebianco also noted that its fried foods — like supplì — shouldn't be overlooked, either.

The small establishment in the Appio-Tuscolano district of Rome recently underwent a renovation, "So now the ambiance does justice to the magnificent pizzas displayed over the counter on daily rotation," Luciana Squadrilli told us. She added that most of its ingredients are sourced from small, local producers. In particular, Squadrilli recommends sampling its pizza with zucchini, zucchini flowers, sheep ricotta, Cetara anchovies, and lemon-scented olive oil.

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+39 06 8756 6046

Via Clelia, 63a, 00181 Roma

Tucked behind Rome's iconic Piazza Trilussa in the nightlife district of Trastevere, La Renella has been baking pizza, bread, and cookies since 1870. Small and unassuming, the family-run establishment is dominated by a slew of ovens and a long glass display case featuring its many mouthwatering pizza al taglio options. "I feel like they're an old-fashioned Italian pizza place," Elizabeth Minchilli told Tasting Table. "Not fancy at all, and very old-fashioned passivity. But their pizza is really good."

A popular spot on weekend nights for both locals and tourists seeking a delicious (and affordable) meal to soak up the night's revelries, La Renella is undoubtedly a Roman stalwart. It does old-school pizza al taglio toppings like potatoes and zucchini flowers the best, but don't forget to try one of its many homemade breads, which can be delivered fresh from the oven to your door (or hotel).

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+39 06 581 7265

Via del Moro, 15, 00153, Roma

The author of this article is a native Roman. She found certain sources online on Instagram — such as Elizabeth Minchilli and Lucrezia di Pancrazio, bloggers whom she has followed for years — and reached out to her local, personal contacts to find the best voices for this article.

Tasting Table balanced voices from food writers, food bloggers, and those personally involved in the pizza business, such as the pizzaiolo Jacopo Mercuro, to gather a diverse range of opinions. Interviews were conducted in both English and Italian and took place over the phone, via email, and via Instagram.