The Best Pizza Near Ricciardulli – Pizzeria Contemporanea, by the Record
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A contemporary pizzeria in Policoro where the dough comes in three versions, classic, hemp, or charcoal, and the choice genuinely changes the meal. The crusts run airy and light, built to carry toppings without competing with them. When the weather cooperates, tables move outside to a small garden that makes the whole thing feel less like dinner and more like an occasion someone planned.
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Rank 2. Austin
Lucanian Pizza
A pizzeria carved into the rock of the Sassi, in a space that was once a communal bread oven, which gives the whole thing a pleasing sense of continuity. The dough is a seven-grain blend with sesame and sunflower seeds, dark and aromatic in a way that upstages most toppings. The ingredients lean local, the service is switched-on, and the room manages to feel both ancient and genuinely comfortable.
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Rank 3. 400 Gradi
Pizza
A pizzeria a short walk from Matera's main drag, with a room that mixes contemporary touches and traditional details without looking like a mood board. The menu splits between classics and limited-edition pies, and the pairings are considered without tipping into fussiness. The staff keep things relaxed rather than performative, which is its own small mercy. Listed among Italy's excellent pizzerias by 50 Top Pizza.
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Parked along the waterfront with the Aragonese castle filling the window, Baroné is a Taranto all-day spot running from breakfast pastries through to dinner pizzas. The dough gets a long, slow rise that keeps it light, and the menu moves between straightforward classics and more composed options. The 50 Top Pizza guide lists it among Italy's excellent pizzerias, which tracks for a place this committed to its flour.
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Rank 5. Spicchi & Morsi
Pizza
A bright, modern pizzeria on Viale Magna Grecia with big windows and a menu that wanders cheerfully past pizza into burgers, sandwiches, and salads. The crust is thin in the center, soft and airy, with a satisfying crunch at the edge. Toppings lean toward combinations like eggplant parmigiana with buffalo mozzarella, or gorgonzola with caramelized pears. A young, attentive crew keeps things moving. Listed among 50 Top Pizza Italy's Excellent Pizzerias.
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A no-frills pizza spot in Taranto where the dough menu splits into classics, multigrain, and a protein-rich line aimed at athletes, which is either very niche or very Puglia. The atmosphere is casual and the service moves fast, so nobody lingers over the menu descriptions, which are admittedly sparse. The pistachio croquette has been known to distract from everything else on offer.
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Rank 7. Biga Lovers
Contemporary Pizza
A large outdoor terrace fills up on warm Taranto evenings, and the pizza here is the crispy, contemporary kind that holds its own without needing a manifesto. The fried starters and meatballs with various toppings give you good reasons to arrive hungry. Beer is taken seriously; the wine list leans on a single producer, so order accordingly. The room is relaxed and the service knows when to disappear.
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Rank 8. Dai! Brò
Neapolitan Pizza
A Neapolitan-style pizza spot on the edge of Taranto where the dough is soft and airy and the fried starters, stuffed with cheese and pepper or mortadella and pistachio, disappear fast. The team puts care into sourcing local ingredients, and the combinations on the pizza read thoughtful rather than fussy. Bring your own wine, though, because the drinks list is essentially a shrug. Listed among 50 Top Pizza Italy's Excellent Pizzerias.
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Rank 9. Gioia
Contemporary Pizza
A family-run pizzeria in Corigliano where the room is clean and minimal and the doughs are light, contemporary style. The menu reads like someone thought hard about it, with creative combinations that don't feel forced. The chef's wife handles desserts herself, which tells you something about how the whole operation runs. A relaxed place that takes its ingredients seriously without making you feel like you're attending a lecture.
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Rank 10. Brando Pizza Bistrot
Contemporary Pizza
Seven versions of the Margherita on the menu, and that's before you get to the rest. Brando is a contemporary pizzeria in Gioia del Colle where the dough leans toward the refined end, the local DOP mozzarella shows up everywhere it can, and the wine list takes itself as seriously as the pizza does. The room is comfortable and put-together, the kind of place where ordering a cocktail with your slice feels completely natural.
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Rank 11. Pizzeria Levante
Contemporary Pizza
The dough gets the obsessive treatment here: long-leavened, soft through the middle, and just crispy enough at the edge. This is a contemporary pizzeria in Altamura where the menu runs across red, white, yellow, and green pies, plus slices of what the team calls Contemporary 3.0 pizza. The beer list leans artisanal, the room is modern without feeling cold, and the service keeps up without hovering. A spot that takes the craft seriously without making you feel like you're attending a lecture.