Whatever the country you’re touring, after trying the local cuisine, one of the foods you’re most likely to crave will surely be pizza.
Undoubtedly, to taste authentic pizza in its traditional surroundings, you have to go to Italy. Nevertheless, over time, many Italian pizzaioli have sought their fortunes abroad in foreign cities – and St. Petersburg is one of these cities. The art of making pizza has also spread among the locals, and many Russian pizza makers have acquired great skills in it.
So let’s discover five top spots where you can eat a tasty pizza and satisfy your cravings (and don’t worry – these venues have all been tried and tested by Italian students attending Liden & Denz!)
1. Caffè Italia
The atmosphere in this restaurant is amazing, and every corner of it is perfect for shooting new pics for your Instagram account. Caffè Italia boasts six rooms and some atmospheric decor, including a couple of vintage cars and Piaggio Vespas. Its menu offers a huge variety of pizzas with dough so good and crunchy that you can’t help but eat the whole crust. Since the cafe is often very busy, it’s better to book a table in advance. Just be careful, they only accept cash payments.
Address: Bakunina Ave., 5
2. Pizza 22cm
As the name of the restaurant suggests, every pizza here measures 22 cm. Although an Italian will probably need more than one pizza (or a big dessert after) in order to satisfy their hunger, the quality is really good. The dough is high and fluffy, and the ingredients on top are delicious. Servers speak English as well, so this is a plus if you’re not confident with your Russian yet.
Address: Zhukovskogo St., 45
3. Little Italy Trattoria
This spot is literally a piece of Italy in the historical center of St. Petersburg. You’ll be glad to hear that their pizzaiolo comes straight from Naples. The crust of Little Italy’s pizza is thin and crunchy, and the size is quite big. The interior is typical and cosy: there’s only one room (and it’s not big, so you better book a table, especially at the weekend) and it is nicely decorated. Don’t miss the opportunity to take some photos in front of their walls, which are reminiscent of Medieval Venice.
Address: Ital’yanskaya Ulitsa, 10
4. Il Patio
This is a pretty famous chain restaurant in Russia (present everywhere, from airports to malls to the well-known Nevskij Prospekt) where you can enjoy a lot of different Italian and international dishes, not only pizza. But as this article in about pizza, I can reassure you that Il Patio’s pizza is really good, as it’s baked inside traditional wood-fired ovens. The choice is not as wide as in other restaurants, but the fun fact is that you can choose between two sizes of pizza — 30cm or 40cm diameter — according to your hunger. Each dish on their menu is accompanied with a photo, which is helpful if you don’t recognise some of the words in the list of ingredients.
Address: Nevsky Prospekt 30 / Nevsky Prospekt 182
5. Co-op Garage
This place is a bit hidden and you need to go through a gate to enter, but as soon as you’ll find it you won’t be disappointed. You can try different types of food, but what’s important is that their pizza is delicious. Co-op Garage has nice interiors and a pleasant yard, so that in summer you can enjoy your meal in the fresh air. There’s also a billiard table, so you can have fun playing with friends after a good pizza.
Address: Gorokhovaya st., 47
So here you are: our recommendations for the best pizza restaurants in St. Petersburg. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, we would be glad to get some pieces of advice from you, too!