Da Zero
Pizzeria · Buenos Aires - Porta Venezia - Porta Monforte, Milan
Restaurant in Milan, Italy
Book with PearlThe Read
Provenance-Driven Neapolitan Pizza
Chef
Paolo De Simone
Dress
Casual
Why go
Da Zero is Milan's most consistently recognised pizzeria in the OAD Cheap Eats in Europe rankings; placed three consecutive years between #97 and #137. Chef Paolo De Simone runs a kitchen that over-delivers for the price tier. Book for dinner if you want guaranteed seating; lunch walk-ins are generally straightforward.
About Da Zero
Is Da Zero worth booking for pizza in Milan?
Yes; and if you care about serious pizza in a city better known for risotto and cotoletta, Da Zero belongs near the best of your list. This is a pizzeria that has appeared on the Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats in Europe ranking three consecutive years: #97 in 2023, #113 in 2024, #137 in 2025. That sustained recognition across three editions is a credible signal that the kitchen is consistent, not a one-season story. For a food-focused traveller who wants to eat well without committing to a tasting menu, Da Zero is a practical, evidence-backed choice.
What Da Zero delivers
Da Zero sits on Piazza Guglielmo Oberdan in Milan's east-central zone, a neighbourhood that draws a local rather than tourist crowd. The visual register here is pizzeria, not trattoria theatre: expect a room that communicates function and intention rather than occasion. That matters because the food carries the experience. Chef Paolo De Simone runs a kitchen focused on ingredient quality and dough craft; the hallmarks of the contemporary Neapolitan-influenced pizzeria movement that has taken hold across northern Italy over the past decade.
The OAD Cheap Eats ranking is specifically calibrated for venues where the spend is low relative to the quality delivered. Being placed in that list three years running, with rankings between #97 and #137 across Europe, puts Da Zero in a competitive set that includes serious operations from Naples to London. For context, a venue doesn't hold a position in that list by accident, OAD rankings are driven by diner submissions from a community that eats widely and critically. The recognition signals that Da Zero over-delivers for its price tier, which is exactly the profile a food-focused traveller should be looking for.
Milan's pizza scene has sharpened considerably in recent years. Crosta and Giolina are the two names most often mentioned alongside Da Zero when the conversation turns to where to eat serious pizza in the city. All three operate at the casual end of the dining spectrum with intentions that are anything but casual. If you're building an itinerary around eating across multiple registers, a fine-dining night at somewhere like Enrico Bartolini or Andrea Aprea, balanced against more accessible meals, Da Zero fills the accessible slot without compromise.
Italy's broader fine-dining tier, venues like Osteria Francescana in Modena, Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence, or Piazza Duomo in Alba, operates in an entirely different register. Da Zero's value proposition is the opposite: high quality per euro spent, not high ceremony. That is the correct frame for evaluating it.
Practical details
The score holds up alongside the OAD recognition rather than contradicting it.
Know Before You Go
- Address: Piazza Guglielmo Oberdan, 12, 20129 Milan
- Hours: Monday–Thursday 12:30–2:30 pm, 7:30–10:30 pm; Friday 12:30–2:30 pm, 7:30–11 pm; Saturday 12:30–3 pm, 7:30–11 pm; Sunday 12:30–3 pm, 7:30–10:30 pm
- Booking difficulty: Easy, walk-ins are realistic, especially at lunch
- Dress code: Casual, this is a pizzeria, no formality required
- Price tier: Cheap Eats (OAD-classified)
- Awards: OAD Cheap Eats in Europe #137 (2025), #113 (2024), #97 (2023)
How It Compares
Planning details
- Hours
- Monday: 12:30–2:30 pm, 7:30–10:30 pm · Tuesday: 12:30–2:30 pm, 7:30–10:30 pm
- Location
- Piazza Guglielmo Oberdan, 12, 20129 Milano MI, Italy
- Website
- dazero.org
- Phone
- +39 02 4770 4656
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Da Zero leans into a low-key, ingredient-first identity: the exterior is deliberately unassuming and the piazza address makes the place feel like part of the neighbourhood rather than a stage. The kitchen makes its case through the quality of what comes out of the oven rather than theatrics, which positions the restaurant as focused and craft-forward. Its inclusion in discussions alongside Crosta and Giolina underlines a serious approach to Milanese pizza in the 2020s. The overall effect is casual and quietly confident — a spot where the menu, not the décor, leads the conversation.
Best For
This is an approachable neighbourhood pizzeria that suits casual hangouts, families and groups looking for solid, value-led pizza. Located on a piazza at the edge of Porta Venezia and close to Brera, Da Zero benefits from a lively local crowd without the tourist pressure of busier districts. Its repeated appearances on a cheap-eats list underscore the accessible, value-driven nature of the offering. If you want a straightforward, conversation-friendly meal centered on ingredient quality rather than spectacle, this is the kind of place groups and families gravitate toward.
Ordering Tips
Focus on the pizzas that showcase the kitchen’s ingredient focus: the Margherita Cilentana and Bufala are natural starting points, while Soppressata and Fior di Formaggi highlight cured-meat and cheese-led profiles. The menu is framed around substance over showmanship, so opt for combinations that let high-quality toppings speak for themselves. Given the crowd-oriented atmosphere, pizzas are well suited to sharing if you’re with a group; the restaurant’s cheap-eats recognition also suggests good value when sampling multiple signatures.
Planning details
Hours
- Monday
- 12:30–2:30 pm, 7:30–10:30 pm
- Tuesday
- 12:30–2:30 pm, 7:30–10:30 pm
- Wednesday
- 12:30–2:30 pm, 7:30–10:30 pm
- Thursday
- 12:30–2:30 pm, 7:30–10:30 pm
- Friday
- 12:30–2:30 pm, 7:30–11 pm
- Saturday
- 12:30–3 pm, 7:30–11 pm
- Sunday
- 12:30–3 pm, 7:30–10:30 pm
Location
Also consider
Also Consider
- Enrico Bartolini; Creative, €€€€
- Cracco in Galleria; Modern Cuisine, €€€€
- Andrea Aprea; Modern Italian, Italian Contemporary, €€€€
- Seta; Modern Italian, €€€€
- Contraste; Progressive Italian, Modern Cuisine, €€€€
Restaurant context
Da Zero and Milan's top fine-dining rooms; Enrico Bartolini, Cracco in Galleria, Andrea Aprea, Seta, and Contraste; are not competing for the same booking. The fine-dining tier runs €€€€ with weeks or months of advance planning required and a service register built around ceremony. Da Zero is the opposite: low spend, easy to book, evaluated entirely on what lands on the table. The OAD Cheap Eats ranking exists precisely to identify venues like this; places where the quality-to-cost ratio is the story.
Within the pizzeria category specifically, Da Zero is the name with the most sustained third-party recognition in Milan. Crosta and Giolina are its closest peers and worth considering if Da Zero is full or if you want to compare across an itinerary. All three operate in the same price band. The decision between them comes down to neighbourhood and availability more than a meaningful quality gap.
If your trip to Milan includes one fine-dining commitment and you want a high-quality but low-effort second or third meal, Da Zero is the practical answer. For tasting menus and formal occasion dining, route the booking toward Enrico Bartolini or Andrea Aprea instead. Those venues also require significantly more lead time, which makes Da Zero the easier yes when plans come together late.
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full Da Zero guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare Da Zero
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Da Zero | Pizzeria | 2026 OAD Cheap Eats in Europe Highly Recommended2025 OAD Cheap Eats in Europe Ranked · #1372024 OAD Cheap Eats in Europe Ranked · #1132023 OAD Cheap Eats in Europe Ranked · #97 | Easy | |
| Enrico Bartolini | Creative | €€€€ | 2026 OAD Top Restaurants in Europe Ranked · #762026 Michelin 3 Stars2026 Les Grandes Tables du Monde Members2026 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 OAD Top Restaurants in Europe Ranked · #722025 Michelin 3 Stars2025 Michelin 1 Star2025 La Liste Top Restaurants2024 OAD Top Restaurants in Europe Ranked · #71 | Unknown |
| Cracco in Galleria | Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | 2026 Michelin 1 Star2025 OAD Top Restaurants in Europe Ranked · #2282025 Michelin 1 Star2025 Wine Spectator Grand Award2024 OAD Top Restaurants in Europe Ranked · #218World's Best Wine Lists 20242024 Michelin 1 Star2023 OAD Top New Restaurants in Europe Highly Recommended2011 World's 50 Best Restaurants · #33 | Unknown |
| Andrea Aprea | Modern Italian, Italian Contemporary | €€€€ | 2026 OAD Top Restaurants in Europe Recommended2026 Les Grandes Tables du Monde Members2026 Michelin 2 Stars2026 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 OAD Top Restaurants in Europe Ranked · #3212025 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 Michelin 2 Stars2025 The Best Chef Two Knives2024 OAD Top Restaurants in Europe Ranked · #332 | Unknown |
| Seta | Modern Italian | €€€€ | 2026 OAD Classical in Europe Ranked · #332026 Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence2026 Les Grandes Tables du Monde Members2026 Michelin 2 Stars2026 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 OAD Classical in Europe Ranked · #292025 OAD Casual in North America Ranked · #454We're Smart World Top Restaurants 20252025 Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence | Unknown |
| Contraste | Progressive Italian, Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | 2026 OAD Top Restaurants in Europe Ranked · #96Star Wine Lists 20262026 Michelin 1 Star2026 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 The Best Chef Two Knives2025 La Liste Top Restaurants2024 Michelin 1 Star | Unknown |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I wear to Da Zero?
Casual is fine here. Da Zero is a neighbourhood pizzeria on Piazza Oberdan that draws a local Milan crowd, not a hotel-concierge circuit. Clean jeans and a jacket are more than enough; this is not a dress-code venue, arriving overdressed would be out of place.
How far ahead should I book Da Zero?
Book at least a few days out, especially for Friday or Saturday evening when hours extend to 11pm and demand is higher. Da Zero has earned consecutive OAD Cheap Eats in Europe rankings (2023, 2024, 2025), which means its reputation pulls beyond the immediate neighbourhood. Don't assume a walk-in will land you a table on a weekend.
Does Da Zero handle dietary restrictions?
No dietary policy is documented in the available venue record. Your safest move is to contact Da Zero directly before booking; the address is Piazza Guglielmo Oberdan 12, Milan, a call or message ahead will clarify faster than arriving and hoping. For a pizzeria format, gluten-free bases and vegetarian toppings are common in the category, but Da Zero specifics are unconfirmed.
Is Da Zero good for a special occasion?
Not in the candlelit-tasting-menu sense; this is a pizzeria, the setting reflects that. For a low-key celebration with good food and a local atmosphere, it works well. If the occasion calls for multi-course dining, a wine list, or a formal room, look at somewhere like Contraste or Seta instead.
What are alternatives to Da Zero in Milan?
For serious pizza at a comparable price point, Da Zero is the reference in Milan given its three consecutive OAD Cheap Eats in Europe rankings. If you want to move up in format and spend; multi-course tasting menus, wine pairings, formal rooms; Contraste is the obvious step up for creative Italian cooking. Enrico Bartolini at Mudec and Andrea Aprea are in a different category entirely: higher spend, Michelin-level ambition, a completely different occasion type.
