The Best Pizza Near Bracali, by the Record
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Rank 1. La Pergola
Pizza
A medieval hilltop village in the Sienese countryside is a bold location for a pizza joint, but the terrace view over rolling Tuscan hills makes a strong argument for the commute. La Pergola turns out light-dough pies that run from revisited classics to more adventurous combinations, all backed by good local wine. The family-run warmth of the room is part of the point, not just a bonus.
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Rank 2. Bottega Dani
Gourmet Pizza
A pizzeria in Cecina where the gourmet pies go through a double cook, steamed then baked, landing somewhere between pillowy and crisp in a way that takes a little explaining. The dough work is clearly the obsession here, and the raw materials are chosen with matching care. While you wait, there's an aperitivo in a garden overlooking a pool, which feels like a reasonable way to spend a Tuesday. The cellar and beer list both punch above what you'd expect.
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Rank 3. Chicco
Wood-fired Pizza
A wood-fired pizza spot in Colle di Val d'Elsa where the dough gets long leavening times and the toppings lean into local PDO producers rather than the usual suspects. The team will walk the table through a tasting menu, which is a nice way to eat here, and there's a pairing of craft beers and oils that sounds odd until it doesn't. Comfortable room, attentive service, and the kind of place the town has quietly relied on for a while.
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The dough is the whole argument here: long-fermented, handled by a team that treats pizza-making as a craft rather than a throughput exercise. This is a pizza restaurant in Pontedera where the toppings, including nduja and caciocavallo nods to southern Italy, are chosen to pair rather than pile. The menu has a reference or two that enthusiasts will clock with a quiet nod. If you want something fast and familiar, this is the wrong room.
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A pizzeria set inside an old city wall in Empoli, where someone thought to pair stone arches with sleek modern decor and somehow it works. The menu runs from well-executed Neapolitan classics to bolder, less predictable combinations, with the same attention given to the traditional appetizers. The staff know the menu well enough to walk you through it without making you feel like you need to.