Restaurant in Sarzana, Italy
Gambero Rosso-rated pizza, seriously worth booking.
Ranked 51st on 50 Top Pizza Italia 2025 and awarded Tre Spicchi by Gambero Rosso, Officine Del Cibo is the most credentialed pizza address in Sarzana. AVPN-certified and offering classic Neapolitan alongside steamed, pan, and thin-crust styles, it is worth a deliberate stop for anyone travelling through Liguria with an appetite for serious pizza.
Yes — and the credentials back it up. Officine Del Cibo holds a Tre Spicchi rating from Gambero Rosso, Italy's most authoritative pizza and restaurant guide, and ranked 51st on the 50 Leading Pizza Italia 2025 list. For context, that list covers the entire country; landing in the top 51 in Italy means you are competing with Naples itself. If you are in or around Sarzana and serious about pizza, this is where to go.
Officine Del Cibo sits on Via Brigata Partigiana Ugo Muccini in Sarzana, a small Ligurian city better known for its medieval fortress than its food scene. That context matters: this is not a restaurant propped up by tourist traffic or a major urban dining market. Its awards have been earned in a competitive national arena despite its location, which tells you something about consistency and intent.
The physical space rewards those who pay attention to where they sit. Counter or bar seating, where available, puts you close to the action of a serious pizza kitchen — and at a place associated with the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), watching dough preparation and oven work from that vantage point adds real context to the meal. If you have visited once and sat at a standard table, try the counter on your next visit. The spatial intimacy changes the experience in a way that is hard to replicate from across the room.
The menu covers more ground than a standard Neapolitan operation. Classic Neapolitan pizzas anchor the offer, but the kitchen also produces steamed pizzas, pan pizzas, and a thin, crispy style described as pizza all'italiana. A gluten-free option has been added more recently. For a returning guest, the thin-crust style is the most interesting branch to explore if you came in expecting traditional Neapolitan and want to see the full range of what the kitchen can do.
AVPN membership is a meaningful credential here, not just a wall plaque. The association enforces strict standards on dough hydration, fermentation time, ingredient sourcing, and oven temperature for any pizzeria that carries the Vera Pizza Napoletana certification. Officine Del Cibo's Tre Spicchi award from Gambero Rosso and its 50 Leading Pizza Italia ranking confirm that these standards are being met at a high level, year on year.
Book if you are in the La Spezia province and want a credentialed, serious pizza experience rather than a casual neighbourhood slice. This is also a sound choice if you are travelling between Cinque Terre and Tuscany and want a meal worth a short detour into Sarzana rather than eating at a tourist-facing restaurant on the coast. For a broader picture of where Officine Del Cibo fits into the local food scene, see our full Sarzana restaurants guide. If pizza is not your priority, Il Cardinale Vino e Cucina in Sarzana covers traditional Ligurian cooking and is worth considering for a different kind of meal.
Reservations: Booking difficulty is rated easy, but given the Gambero Rosso and 50 Leading Pizza Italia profile, calling or booking a day or two ahead is sensible on weekends. Price: No price range is recorded in our data, but AVPN-certified Neapolitan pizzerias in Italy at this award level typically price in the accessible-to-mid range , expect this to be considerably more affordable than a tasting-menu dinner. Dress: No dress code is specified; smart-casual is appropriate. Getting there: Sarzana is well connected by rail from La Spezia (around 10 minutes) and from Pisa. The address is Via Brigata Partigiana Ugo Muccini, 181, Sarzana SP. Also in Sarzana: If you are building a longer visit, see our Sarzana hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide.
It works well for a casual celebration , a birthday dinner, a low-key anniversary meal , where the occasion calls for something genuinely good rather than formally grand. The Tre Spicchi and 50 Leading Pizza Italia rankings give it credibility as a destination rather than a convenience stop. That said, if the occasion demands a full tasting-menu experience with extensive wine service, you would be better served by making the trip to Osteria Francescana in Modena or Dal Pescatore in Runate. For a pizza-centred celebration in northern Tuscany or Liguria, Officine Del Cibo is the right call.
Come expecting a serious, AVPN-certified Neapolitan pizza operation, not a generalist Italian restaurant. The menu is pizza-focused and spans classic Neapolitan, steamed, pan, and thin-crust styles. Sarzana is a small city, not a major tourist hub, so this is a venue that earns its rankings through the local and regional market , which is a good sign. Book ahead on weekends. If you are visiting from outside the region, pairing the meal with time in Sarzana's old town makes the trip worthwhile. For the wider area, check our Sarzana restaurants guide.
Booking difficulty is rated easy, but the venue's national profile , 51st in Italy on 50 Leading Pizza Italia 2025 and Tre Spicchi from Gambero Rosso , means it attracts food-conscious travellers as well as locals. For a weekday lunch or dinner, same-day or next-day booking is likely fine. For Friday or Saturday evening, book 2–4 days out to be safe. Counter seats, if available, may be held back for walk-ins or short-notice requests.
The AVPN association means the classic Neapolitan pizzas are the foundation of the menu and the most directly audited by the certification body , start there to understand the kitchen's baseline. Once you have a feel for the operation, the thin, crispy pizza all'italiana is the most interesting departure from the Neapolitan canon and worth ordering on a return visit. A gluten-free option is also available. Specific dish names and current pricing are not held in our database, so check the menu on arrival or contact the venue directly.
For a different style of eating in Sarzana, Il Cardinale Vino e Cucina covers Ligurian cuisine and is the natural alternative if you want something beyond pizza. If you are prepared to travel further for a high-end Italian meal, Uliassi in Senigallia, Piazza Duomo in Alba, or Le Calandre in Rubano represent Italy's highest tier. For the full local picture, see our Sarzana restaurants guide.
Counter or bar seating is not confirmed in our data, but AVPN-associated pizzerias of this format commonly offer some form of counter seating that faces the kitchen or oven. If available, it is worth requesting: watching the dough work and oven management at a certified Neapolitan operation adds genuine context to the meal and is one of the more instructive ways to eat pizza at this level. Call ahead to ask about counter availability if it matters to your visit.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Officine Del Cibo | Officine del Cibo offers the true Neapolitan pizza, associated with AVPN, in Liguria. The menu features classic, steamed, and pan pizzas, including a new gluten-free option and a thin, crispy "pizza all'italiana." It was ranked 51st on the 50 Top Pizza Italia 2025 list and has been awarded Tre Spicchi by Gambero Rosso. | Easy | — | ||
| Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler | Italian, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Dal Pescatore | Italian, Italian Contemporary | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Osteria Francescana | Progressive Italian, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Quattro Passi | Italian, Mediterranean Cuisine | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Reale | Progressive Italian, Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
A quick look at how Officine Del Cibo measures up.
Yes, with caveats. The Tre Spicchi rating from Gambero Rosso and a ranking on 50 Top Pizza Italia 2025 give it credibility for a meaningful meal, but this is a serious pizza destination, not a fine-dining room. If your occasion calls for a multi-course tasting experience, look elsewhere in Liguria. If a landmark pizza dinner counts as a celebration, this delivers.
Expect a pizza-focused menu built around AVPN-certified Neapolitan standards, with classic, steamed, and pan formats alongside a thin crispy version billed as pizza all'italiana. A gluten-free option is also available. The venue is in Sarzana, a small city in the La Spezia province, so factor in travel if you're based on the coast — this is a deliberate trip, not a casual drop-in.
A day or two ahead is generally enough given Sarzana's scale, but the Gambero Rosso profile and 50 Top Pizza Italia ranking attract pizza enthusiasts from outside the region. For weekend evenings or if you're coordinating around travel, book 3-4 days out to be safe. No phone or booking link is currently listed in Pearl's database, so check directly with the venue.
The menu covers classic Neapolitan pizzas certified by AVPN, plus steamed and pan variations — the formats that tend to define a place at this level. The pizza all'italiana, a thinner and crispier style, is a distinct alternative if classic Neapolitan isn't your preference. A gluten-free option is listed. Specific dish recommendations aren't something Pearl can make without current menu data, but start with the format that interests you most.
Sarzana has a limited dining scene overall, so direct pizza rivals at this credential level are scarce locally. For comparable pizza quality in the broader La Spezia province, research other AVPN-affiliated or Gambero Rosso-listed spots. If you're willing to travel toward Genoa or further into Liguria, the options widen considerably — but within Sarzana itself, Officine Del Cibo sits clearly above casual pizzerias.
Pearl's current data doesn't confirm bar seating or counter dining at Officine Del Cibo. Given it's a credentialed pizza restaurant rather than a bar-forward venue, a table booking is the safest approach. If bar or walk-in seating matters to your plans, confirm directly with the restaurant before visiting.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
