3. Confine — Milan, Italy
It’s not often that you come across a pizza restaurant that offers tasting menus with wine and cocktail pairings, yet Confine promises just that (along with à la carte options for those feeling a little less peckish). The wine list is 500-bottles strong, focusing on whites from Campania, and there are some great alcohol-free options, too, including cider and kombucha. A glass-fronted open-plan kitchen allows diners to watch the pizzaiolo hard at work, expertly twirling and topping pizzas such as Popeye, a favorite made with spinach sautéed in Normandy butter, Parmesan, marinated egg yolk, steak tartare, and black truffle. The restaurant is housed in a former ironmongery in Le Cinque Vie, a delightful district that lies southwest of the Duomo, where quirky stores and family-run restaurants sit snugly beside art galleries. —Kiki Deere, contributing writer
4. I Masanielli – Francesco Martucci — Caserta, Italy
Nestled within the dreamy Campania region of Italy, the best of the best pizza in Caserta isn’t your nonna’s recipe. The restaurant’s eponymous pizzaiolo made his name from gleefully redefining what the iconic dish can be. Maximalism is the name of the game here with creations like the Assoluto di Pomodoro, consisting of tomatoes seven different ways: roasted cherry tomato cream, sautéed piennolo tomato, sautéed yellow tomato, San Marzano PDO tomato mousse, dried piennolo cherry tomato, chips of red datterino, and Piennolo tomato jam. Every single pizza here is its own feast of bold flavor combinations, and there’s no surprise that the first place that Martucci planted his flag outside of Italy was Miami’s artsy Wynwood District. That restaurant, Francesco Martucci Miami, even made the regional list of the best pizza in the US.
The modern approach of Seu Pizza means local products are used in nontraditional ways—and there’s an ideal order to eat each pie in, too.
Seu Pizza Illuminati
Upon stepping across the threshold, diners are struck by the sleek, modern design and colorful contemporary art lining the walls, realizing that Seu Pizza isn’t your typical old-school pizzeria. It’s no surprise that the chef and owner, Pier Daniele Seu, has been winning award after award for his amazing and creative work. The crowd—not overly boisterous but vocally enthusiastic—is hip, and serious about good pizza. Pizzas incorporate local products in nontraditional ways; even classics like marinara will surpass anything you’ve ever had. Keep an eye on the antipasti; the deep-fried spring rolls with artichoke and broad beans are delicious. For pizza fiends who want the full experience, Seu offers three different tasting menus that range from five to eight courses and feature his greatest hits. The staff is on point and worth every euro you’ll leave as tip. Valeria, the chef’s right-hand woman, will tell you the precisely perfect order for your pizzas—she’s an artist, so be sure to listen to her. —Erica Firpo, contributing writer
Dining and Cooking