Restaurant in Florence, Italy
Florence's most serious Neapolitan pizza, no argument.
Giovanni Santarpia brings a serious Neapolitan pizza tradition to Florence's Oltrarno neighbourhood, and it holds up on repeat visits. The Santarpizze are the reason to come; the friendly service and casual room make it easy to recommend to first-timers. Booking is straightforward and the price point is accessible. Go early, order the house originals, and do not skip the bread.
If you have already eaten at Giovanni Santarpia once, you already know the answer: go back. The pizza holds up on a return visit in a way that many lauded spots in Florence simply do not, and the Oltrарno location on Via Senese means it functions as a genuine neighbourhood anchor rather than a tourist detour. For a first-timer, the case is direct: this is the most credible Neapolitan pizza in the city, brought from the Castellammare di Stabia tradition to a room that feels local rather than performative. Book it, go early, and order more than you think you need.
Giovanni Santarpia sits on Via Senese, 155r, south of the Arno in a part of Florence that rewards the short walk from the historic centre. The atmosphere reads casual without being careless: the room has the low-key energy of a place where regulars eat on weeknights, not a destination engineered for out-of-towners. Noise levels are comfortable enough for conversation at dinner, though the room fills up and the ambient hum rises with it. If you want a quieter experience, arriving when doors open is the move.
The menu is organised around the Santarpizze, a set of house-original pies, alongside the classics and a small selection of steamed pizzas that are less common in Florence. Appetisers and desserts round out the offering, and the bread alone is worth noting. The dough is carefully leavened and the ingredients are sourced with evident attention. You are not going to find the kind of table-side theatre that the fine-dining rooms along the Arno offer, but that is not why you are here. You are here because the pizza is the point.
Service is attentive and friendly without being stiff, which matters in a room where the food is approachable in price but serious in execution. The beer and wine selection is well-matched to the menu without being exhaustive. For a first visit, order one of the Santarpizze to understand the kitchen's identity, then a classic if you are sharing. The steamed options are worth trying if you want to see what makes this place distinctive within the Neapolitan format.
Booking is direct. This is not a hard reservation to secure by Florence standards, especially compared to the city's fine-dining tier. Walking in is possible, but given how consistently the room fills, calling ahead or booking online is the sensible approach, particularly on weekends. Via Senese is accessible on foot from the centre or by bus along the south side of the city. There is no dress code in any meaningful sense; smart casual is more than sufficient and the neighbourhood regulars set the tone.
The Oltrarno side of Florence has a different rhythm from the tourist-heavy streets around the Duomo. Giovanni Santarpia fits that rhythm. It is the kind of place where the neighbourhood comes to eat, not just visitors looking for a representative experience. That local gravity is partly what makes it worth the trip across the river if you are staying elsewhere in the city. The Neapolitan tradition it represents is not native to Florence, but it has taken root here in a way that feels genuinely embedded rather than imported for effect.
For context on where this fits in the broader Florence dining picture, see our full Florence restaurants guide, Florence hotels guide, Florence bars guide, Florence wineries guide, and Florence experiences guide.
Exploring beyond Florence: Osteria Francescana in Modena, Dal Pescatore in Runate, Uliassi in Senigallia, Quattro Passi in Marina del Cantone, Reale in Castel di Sangro, and Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico. Further afield: Le Bernardin in New York City and Lazy Bear in San Francisco.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giovanni Santarpia | Easy | ||
| Enoteca Pinchiorri | Italian - French, Italian Contemporary | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Santa Elisabetta | Italian, Creative | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura | Modern Italian, Italian Contemporary | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Il Palagio | Italian Contemporary | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Borgo San Jacopo | Italian, Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Unknown |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Seating options at Giovanni Santarpia are not fully detailed in available records, but the cozy atmosphere documented at Via Senese, 155r suggests a compact dining room rather than a dedicated bar counter. Your safest move is to check the venue's official channels before arrival if counter or bar seating is a priority.
The pizzeria is described as having a cozy atmosphere, which typically signals a smaller room where large groups can be disruptive to pacing and service. Groups of four to six are likely manageable with advance notice; parties larger than that should call ahead to check capacity at Via Senese, 155r before assuming availability.
If you want to stay in the Oltrarno area and eat well without switching format, Giovanni Santarpia is the clearest option for serious Neapolitan pizza. For a different register entirely, Enoteca Pinchiorri or Borgo San Jacopo offer fine-dining experiences, but those are multi-course, higher-spend evenings — a different decision entirely.
No dietary restriction policy is on record for this venue. The menu centres on Neapolitan pizza with high-quality ingredients, which typically means gluten is central to the format. check the venue's official channels on arrival planning if you have specific requirements — do not assume accommodations without confirming first.
It works well for a low-key celebration where great pizza is the point, not ceremony. The service is noted as attentive and friendly, and the food quality is the draw. If the occasion calls for tableside formality, wine-pairing rituals, or a private room, look instead at Il Palagio or Borgo San Jacopo.
This is a neighbourhood pizzeria on Via Senese with a cozy, relaxed atmosphere — dress accordingly. Smart casual or even casual is appropriate; there is no indication of a dress code, and showing up in anything more formal than a neat shirt would be out of place.
The menu is anchored by the Santarpizze (the house originals), the classics, and a small selection of steamed pizzas — start there rather than the appetizers. The dough is the main event, carefully leavened and made with high-quality ingredients sourced in the Neapolitan tradition from Castellammare di Stabia. The desserts and bread are also noted positively by reviewers.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
