Pizzeria Da Ezio

Verdict: A Pilgrimage-Worthy Pizza Stop in the Belluno Mountains

Since 1977, Pizzeria Da Ezio has been operating out of Alano di Piave, a small town in the Dolomite foothills of the Veneto. That's nearly five decades of continuous operation at the same address; a fact that carries more weight than any award. Under Denis Lovatel, who inherited and expanded the family project started by his father Ezio, the pizzeria has built a national reputation around a specific technical proposition: the "Impasto Crunch," a light, crispy dough developed in-house and now considered among the more distinctive pizza styles in northern Italy. If you're traveling through the Belluno province, or making a deliberate detour from the Dolomites, this is a booking worth making.

The Space

Alano di Piave is a village, not a city, Da Ezio reads accordingly. The setting is a traditional piazza-facing room; compact, unhurried, closer to a family trattoria in scale than a destination restaurant in the formal sense. The spatial experience here is about intimacy and the particular quiet of a mountain town: this is not a high-ceilinged, design-forward dining room. Expect close tables, a room that fills quickly on weekends, a pace that favors lingering. For travelers arriving from Treviso or Belluno, the drive into the valley makes the arrival feel earned. That context matters, Da Ezio is leading understood as a destination you travel to, not a room you stumble into.

What Makes It Worth the Detour

The central proposition is the "Sustainable Pizza" philosophy: seasonal, locally sourced ingredients drawn from the Belluno mountain region, combined with a dough technique that prioritizes texture and digestibility over volume. Denis Lovatel has taken a family pizzeria format and pushed it into a conversation about ingredient provenance that sits closer to the farm-to-table fine dining world than to a standard pizzeria. For food and wine travelers who have already covered the obvious bases, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Le Calandre in Rubano, or Piazza Duomo in Alba, Da Ezio offers something genuinely different: a rigorous approach to a populist format, in a location most visitors overlook.

The ingredient sourcing from the Belluno mountains also has implications for the drink pairing opportunity. The Veneto and its neighboring Friuli-Venezia Giulia produce a range of wines that work well alongside lighter, crispier pizza styles: Prosecco Superiore DOCG from nearby Valdobbiadene, orange wines from Friuli, lighter reds from the Colli Euganei. While specific wine list details for Da Ezio are not available in our records, a pizzeria of this philosophy and standing in the Veneto would be expected to offer regional pairings that reflect the same local-first thinking applied to the food. Asking the staff for a regional pairing recommendation is the right move here.

Who Should Book

This is the right call for food travelers who want depth without formality, who are already routing through northeastern Italy. It works well for solo diners (counter or small table formats suit one person eating thoughtfully), couples, small groups of two to four. It is not the venue for a large celebration dinner or for travelers who need a full wine-program experience in the way that Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence or Uliassi in Senigallia would provide. The appeal is precision in a casual register, not luxury.

If your itinerary includes the Dolomites, the Prosecco Road between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, or a pass through Treviso, Da Ezio can anchor a meal that is otherwise hard to find in this part of Italy: technically serious, locally grounded, easy to access without a formal booking six weeks out. Check our full Alano di Piave restaurants guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide to build a fuller day around the visit.

Practical Details

Reservations: Booking is categorized as easy, a call or walk-in may work mid-week, but weekends in a village this size fill quickly; book a few days ahead to be safe. Dress: Casual. Budget: Specific pricing is not available in our records, but the pizzeria format and regional context place this firmly in the affordable-to-mid range. Getting there: Alano di Piave is approximately 70km north of Venice and 25km south of Belluno, a car is the practical choice. Further reading: See our Alano di Piave hotels guide and bars guide if you're planning to stay in the area.