Neapolitan Pizza in Siena: Where to Eat True STG
Neapolitan pizza requires technique, the right flours, and a serious wood-fired oven. In Siena, there are few places that do it well. We've selected them for you.
When we talk about Neapolitan pizza, we're talking about a very specific thing: dough made with specific flours, high hydration, long leavening, a crust that naturally develops during cooking, and a wood-fired oven at 430-480°C. Everything else, no matter how good, is something different.
The STG ("Traditional Speciality Guaranteed") definition recognized by the European Union sets the rules for Neapolitan Margherita and Marinara: ingredients, techniques, cooking times. Very few pizzerias in the world truly adhere to them. In Siena, only one establishment is currently mentioned in the 50 Top Pizza guide.
La Napoletana 2.0 — Viale Sardegna
At Viale Sardegna 37, a few minutes' drive from the historic center (and within walking distance for those staying in the San Prospero / Acquacalda neighborhoods), La Napoletana 2.0 is currently the go-to spot for Neapolitan pizza in Siena. It has been featured multiple times in the 50 Top Pizza guide, building its identity on three principles:
- Balance before spectacle: a present crust but never exaggerated, no purely scenic effects.
- Lightness and digestibility: soft, hydrated dough with long maturation — the classic pizza you eat in the evening and sleep well.
- Campanian raw ingredients: selected flours, DOP tomato, high-quality fiordilatte mozzarella.
What to order
- Margherita STG — the litmus test for any self-respecting Neapolitan pizzeria. Here, it comes out perfectly cooked, with balanced salt and fresh basil.
- Mortadella, fiordilatte, and pistachio pesto — their signature pizza, a must-try at least once.
- Fried pizza (when on the menu) — the "wallet" version from the Neapolitan tradition.
- Marinara — for those who truly want to understand the quality of the dough, without the veil of cheese.
Practical info
- Address: Viale Sardegna 37, Siena
- Average price: 12-16 € per pizza; full menu around 25 €
- When to go: best to book on Friday and Saturday evenings. Sunday lunch is always very popular.
- Takeaway and delivery: yes, they maintain the same standard as dine-in service.
What a Neapolitan pizza — really — is
To avoid disappointment when you enter a pizzeria that claims to be "Neapolitan," check for:
1. A wood-fired oven, not electric — Neapolitan cooking requires temperatures that an electric oven can reach but with a different result (a drier crust). 2. A tall and soft crust, never biscuit-like. If it's crunchy all over, it's not Neapolitan — it's something else (good, but different). 3. Rapid cooking: 60-90 seconds. If the pizza comes out after 5 minutes, something is wrong. 4. Raw tomato on the Margherita: it's added cold before cooking, no sauce is made.
Other options in the city
In Siena, there are other pizzerias that offer a "Neapolitan-inspired" style, but with technical compromises (electric oven, less developed crust, shorter leavening times). If true Neapolitan is the priority, the address we recommend remains La Napoletana 2.0.
For a complete overview of the city's pizzerias with all styles, read our guide to the best pizzerias in Siena.
