Best Pizza in Siena: Where to Eat It and How to Order

What pizza in Siena looks like

Pizza in Siena often comes from mixed restaurants rather than dedicated pizzerias: the same kitchen may turn out pici (thick hand-rolled spaghetti), grilled meat and seafood, and pizza. That can make dinner a slower, multi-course affair than a quick slice. Some of the places listed here appear in the city's pizzerie directory as pizzerias or as restaurants with pizza alongside other cooking.

The local flatbread you should not skip is the ciaccino, a leavened bread-dough focaccia with olive oil, traditionally white and used either as bread or topped with cured meats and cheeses. It is Siena's own answer to a pizza and worth ordering before moving on to a proper pie. Where else you eat in the city is mapped in our guide to the best restaurants in Siena, which covers the wider dining scene.

Da Meme in Monteriggioni, just outside Siena

Da Meme, in Uopini in the comune of Monteriggioni, is a short drive from central Siena and combines traditional Tuscan cooking, seafood specialities and a pizzeria, with an outdoor terrace and dehor that is cool and shaded in summer. The menu changes with the seasons and regularly features pici, soups, pappardelle, beef and cacciucco, the thick Tuscan fish stew, alongside pizza and a takeaway service.

The pizza here is built on a blend of white flour and a stone-milled semi-wholemeal flour, naturally leavened, and comes in normal and extra-large sizes with custom toppings. Alongside it the kitchen keeps the ciaccini senesi, the Sienese flatbread, on the menu. Finish with homemade desserts, including tiramisù and crostate prepared daily.

Il Locale di Guido at Taverne d'Arbia

Il Locale di Guido is a Tuscan restaurant and pizzeria at Via Principale 46/50 in Taverne d'Arbia, a village just outside the city, serving classic Tuscan cooking alongside pizza rather than experimental toppings. Treat it as a dinner stop when you are driving in or out of Siena rather than a stroll from Piazza del Campo. The address and phone number are in the local pizzerie directory.

Osteria da Cice on Via San Pietro

Osteria da Cice, on Via S. Pietro 32 in the centre, presents itself around fresh pasta and top-quality seasonal produce cooked in the Senese tradition. It appears in the city's pizzerie directory without any mention of pizza, so treat it as a place for an unhurried dinner of Senese cooking rather than a slice between sights.

La Verbena on Strada di Pescaia

La Verbena, on Strada di Pescaia, serves Tuscan first courses of fresh pasta, grilled meat and fresh fish, and appears in the city's pizzerie directory, which describes its cooking without naming pizza. Go for the pasta and fish, or for the seafood menu that the directory highlights, rather than expecting a dedicated pizza oven.

Tia Loca on Via Ricasoli

Tia Loca, on Via Ricasoli inside the walls, is listed as a dedicated pizzeria, affiliated to the Italian pizzeria association and open at lunch from Tuesday to Friday according to its directory entry. That makes it a practical lunch stop between the Duomo and Piazza del Campo when you want pizza without committing to a three-course dinner.

Ciaccino: what it is and why order it first

Ciaccino is a bread-dough focaccia with olive oil, traditionally white with no tomato, crisp outside and soft inside, used as bread or topped with local cheeses and salumi. As Da Meme puts it, every baker makes it their own way, so it is worth trying more than one version.

Order it as a starter alongside a mixed antipasto of crostini, cheeses and cured meats, then move on to pizza or a pasta course. If you have a sweet tooth, Siena's almond biscuits and panforte make a natural finish, covered in our guide to ricciarelli and panforte.

How a pizza night in Siena works

Expect a slower rhythm than a British or American pizza night: bread and antipasto first, pizza or pasta as one course, then dessert and coffee. Sharing is normal for antipasti and dessert, less so for a single pizza. A beer goes well with it, and keep an eye on the coperto, the small per-person cover charge added to the bill.

Aperitivo is a separate ritual from dinner, usually a drink with small snacks in the early evening rather than a pre-pizza course; our guide to aperitivo in Siena covers the etiquette. If you want to learn to make pici or pizza dough yourself, cooking classes in Siena run in and around the city.

Central pizzeria or a short drive out?

Choose a central address such as Osteria da Cice or Tia Loca if you are staying inside the walls and do not want to move the car; both are walkable from the main sights. Choose Da Meme, Il Locale di Guido or La Verbena if you have a car, are staying outside the centre or want a fuller menu with seafood and grilled meat alongside the cooking.

The Siena pizzerie listings mix restaurants, osterie and dedicated pizza places, so read the description before choosing where to eat rather than expecting a standard pizza menu everywhere.

Which pizzeria should you book?

Book Da Meme if you want pizza, ciaccini, seafood and homemade desserts in one sitting, and do not mind a short drive. Stay central at Osteria da Cice or Tia Loca if you are on foot. Wherever you eat in Siena, start with a ciaccino before the main event.