The Unexpected Reason You Won't Be Able To Find Pizza For Lunch At Authentic Restaurants In Italy

Italy is a popular destination with its incredible landscapes, unique history, extravagant architecture, and of course its exquisite cuisine. But if you can't wait to get to Italy and bite into the famous Italian pizza, keep in mind that many authentic restaurants in Italy do not offer pizza for lunch. 

Unlike other countries where pizza can be found and devoured all-day long, in Italy it is primarily a dish to be eaten during the evening. Why is that? Well, Italians have a pretty good reason to serve pizza at dinner instead of lunch and it all comes down to the way that traditional Italian pizza is made. Because wood-fired ovens can take a good few hours to reach the required temperature needed to cook the pizza crust perfectly, serving it at lunch time doesn't make sense. Instead, most Italian pizzerias start lighting up their ovens in the late afternoon to have enough time to prepare the oven for dinner and bring out the perfect Neapolitan-style crust.

The famous Italian Neapolitan pizza is not to be missed when in Italy. Not only does it taste and look different, especially in comparison to American pizza, but the wood-fired ovens need to reach extremely high temperatures of around 900 degrees Fahrenheit. It could take hours for the oven to heat up just to get the perfect crust. Instead of easily switching on and off a regular oven, it is impractical to fire up a wood-fired oven for lunch only to cool it down and then reheat it for the evening, and that's why many pizzerias only operate during the evening.

According to Italian culture, lunch is the biggest and most important meal of the day, so it's typically reserved for a more intricate menu than pizza. During lunch, tourists should expect their meals in Italy to be longer, beginning with a primo or starter, such as pasta, soup, or risotto. Next comes the secondo, the main, which is usually a meat or seafood dish. There will also be contorni, which are side dishes. It's very unlikely that you'll hear the terms trattoria and pizzeria being used interchangeably when dining in Italy. Pizzerias usually only serve pizza and don't generally operate during lunch hours, whereas "trattoria" is a term used to describe traditional medium-range Italian restaurants, and they usually don't serve pizzas at all, instead focusing on pastas, meats, and seafood dishes. But if you're dead set on eating pizza at noon, your best bet is to visit a pizza al taglio shop.

During lunch hours, there are pizzas being sold by the slice known as pizza al taglio. These pizza slices are either baked in large trays or on paddles and reheated for quick service and are the best places to eat in Italy on a tight budget. The pizza crust, style, and toppings will differ based on the region. For example, in Rome, the pizza al taglio is known for its thin, crispy slices with toppings such as fig, octopus, or even pumpkin purée . Whereas in other cities, it is quite common to find pizza al taglio shops offering focaccia-style pizza with fresh ingredients. Just remember not to order a pepperoni pizza in Italy, or you'll get a pizza with peppers. 

If you'd like to follow the Italian culture and tradition when it comes to their dining etiquette, then be sure to save the pizza for dinner and opt for a pasta, salad, seafood, or meat dishes at lunchtime instead. Don't miss out on local specialities such as cacio e pepe in Rome or trofie al pesto in Genoa. To best plan your pizza experience in Italy, be sure to check the opening hours, but keep in mind that most pizzerias open at 7 or 8 p.m. You can make sure that you get your hands on the best pizza by asking the locals for recommendations and staying away from tourist areas.