Starita a Materdei

Starita a Materdei shows that the history of Neapolitan pizza also passes through hot oil. The company dates its beginnings to 1901, when Alfonso Starita opened a wine cellar serving food in the district; it later became a fried-food shop and pizzeria. Its signature montanara is fried and finished in the oven, a double cook intended to leave the outside crisp and the centre soft. The menu also includes angioletti, small pieces of fried dough served savoury or sweet, alongside more conventional oven-baked pizzas. This is not a tourist novelty imagined after the fact: the pizzeria explains the methods on its own menu.

Many visitors single out the dough, the montanara and the choice between oven-baked pizza and fried dishes. Others describe waits or a particularly lively dining room at peak times. If you have already tried a classic margherita in the centre, a montanara gives you a more revealing contrast than ordering the same pizza from another oven. Anyone avoiding gluten should ask the branch directly about preparation: its website advertises options but warns that cross-contact cannot be ruled out. That practical detail matters more than any general praise for the menu.

The original branch is at Via Materdei 27/28, separate from outlets in Milan, Turin and Florence. The review listing showed a Monday closure and lunch and dinner sittings on other days; confirm the branch’s hours and booking arrangements. From the historic centre you need to travel towards Materdei, so plan the journey on a current map or use the metro station of the same name. Starita rewards the detour if your aim is to compare pizza and frying techniques, rather than simply collecting famous names.