Eating The Best Pizza in the World at Pepe in Grani, Caiazzo, Italy
A pizza pilgrimage to try the ‘best pizza in the world’ at Pepe in Grani, Caiazzo, Italy, becomes a story of expectations.
Read on to learn whether there is such a thing as ‘the best pizza in the world’, and whether Pepe in Grani is worth the journey.
– SATURDAY 12 PM –
Close your eyes and picture a stereotypical Italian-American man. Imagine what he looks like, what his accent might sound like.
That’s who I sat next to on my train from Rome to Caserta, Italy.
His name was Wayne, and he’s an Italian-American chiropractor living full-time in Italy. He sounded like he could have been Tony Soprano’s favourite deli guy who has the best “muhzzarel” and “antipast” in Jersey.
Wayne was awesome.
I told him I was staying in Italy for a few months and on my way to a pizzeria many call the best in the world. My boyfriend Andrew and I were travelling four and a half hours one-way for this pizza.
Surprised, Wayne says to me, “I don’t mean to bust your balls, but do you think this is worth it? You can get great pizza everywhere in Italy.” (He really said this.)
Spoiler alert, Wayne was right. This is a story about expectations.
“I don’t mean to bust your balls, but do you think this is worth it? You can get great pizza everywhere in Italy.”
Pepe in Grani is what some of the world’s most respected chefs and food critics call “the best.”
I learned about it on the Netflix series “Chef’s Table.”
It’s located an hour outside of Naples in a small town called Caiazzo, far away from the typical tourist stops.
It’s led by pizzaiolo Franco Pepe who comes from a Caiazzo pizza dynasty family. The Pepe’s have been making traditional Neapolitan pizzas for generations.
Franco eventually left his family restaurant to pursue his own pizza formulas, some might say controversially. He rose to popularity with his unique take on the classics – one example being a margherita pizza with the sauce on the top, not the bottom.
Absolutely scandalous.
Successfully breaking the conformity within Italian pizza making is rare, especially with Neapolitan pizza. Franco Pepe is one of the few on top.
He notoriously handmakes all of his dough. That means no machines are involved in crafting the on average one thousand pizzas per night.
I had really high expectations coming here. During the pandemic, I developed a hobby of making traditional margherita pizzas and became obsessed with learning how something with seven simple ingredients can be so delicious.
Was it possible to make such a simple pizza stand out amongst the thousands of other pizzerias in Italy?
I had a voice in the back of my brain that kept saying “pizza is pizza is pizza.” It meant when a pizza is made with good ingredients and a little love, it’s always going to be delicious. This was just a theory though, and I wanted to prove that voice wrong and find a pizza that would blow me away.
I fantasized about taking a bite of the menu’s signature “Margherita Sbagliata” and literally being brought to tears. I fantasized about this… a lot.
And then the day finally came.
Caiazzo is charming, a small Italian town not yet overrun by souvenir shops and bus tours. It sits high atop the rolling Caserta Hills, with the narrow stone streets we all adore.
Pepe in Grani is without a doubt the town’s main, if not only, attraction.
Signs pointing to the restaurant are scattered throughout the streets.
I already knew what I would be ordering before I got there.
Il Coni Fritti
A fried dough cone filled with creamy cheese and topped with a tapenade and pesto oil.
Margherita Sbagliata
Otherwise known as the “Wrong Margherita.” It’s Franco’s take on the OG Neapolitan pizza classic we all know – tomato sauce, cheese and basil in this very specific order. He starts with a base of cheese topped with strips of raw tomato puree and a splash of reduced basil.
Grana, Pepe e Fantasia
A smoky cheese pizza with egg yolk and bacon.
La Crisommola del Vesuvio
A fried dessert pizza with apricot jam and ricotta.
My fantasy of being brought to tears at the taste of baked dough was about to, hopefully, become a reality.
– SATURDAY 7 PM –
Andrew and I are at the table, ready, hungry, and giddy as our pizzas arrive.
It’s happening, I’m chewing and tasting and processing it all.
We look up at each other, mouths full of margherita and instantly knew.
Pizza is pizza is pizza.
Wayne from the train was right, the tiny voice in the back of my brain was right. This pizza didn’t change my life.
The pizzas at Pepe in Grani were delicious. I could sit here and describe the fluffy crust and mouth-watering cheese but I’m not going to do that. Those are empty words that don’t mean anything if you haven’t tasted the food yourself.
Popular Youtube cook and vlogger Alex visited Pepe in Grani in 2018. He said the pizzas are “mind-blowing,” “like nothing you’ve ever tasted before,” and that they “can’t be described.”
He’s wrong. I can, in fact, describe the pizza.
It tasted like pizza, really delicious and well-made pizza. Great dough, fresh cheese, tangy tomato sauce, there’s not much more to say.
This is the problem with labelling anything as “the best” and using these empty buzzwords to describe things.
It makes for a good vlog and clickable article, but it’s setting your expectations far too high. So high that if you have anything less than life-changing, you’ll be disappointed. This is what I did with Pepe in Grani. I built this place up so high in my mind that I expected to have tears well up in my eyes after my first bite of the sbagliata.
When you eat something people call “the best,” what are you expecting? What does the best mean to you?
Are you expecting to taste a flavour you’ve never experienced before, to feel nostalgia, to laugh from amazement?
It’s so subjective and hyper-dependent on a person’s experiences.
Perspective is important. I come from a country where people love to break food rules. Cultural fusion and experimentation are welcomed and celebrated. I also come from a large city where diversity in flavours is easy to find.
Many people don’t live in cities like this, and that’s okay. They might have food that they’ve cooked the same way for thousands of years and have absolutely mastered the technique and tradition. We should always have dishes like this.
And so eating a margherita pizza at Pepe in Grani with the cheese (and not the sauce) on the bottom might be life-changing for some people.
But for me, I realized while sitting at that table I had poisoned my mind by expecting something to be the best before I had tasted it. The reality of the food will almost never live up to the picture painted in your head.
I mean you’ve got to respect the power of expectation. I took a four-and-a-half-hour train ride just to try a margherita pizza. Pepe in Grani is filled with other nomads who made their own pizza pilgrimages wanting to experience the same thing I sought.
To me, my dinner in Caiazzo confirmed that the best food comes when you don’t expect it.
– SATURDAY 9 PM –
After leaving Pepe in Grani we had the cheeky idea to try one last pizza from the Pepe family business, Antica Osteria Pizzeria Pepe.
Remember without this place, Franco Pepe would have never become obsessed with the art of pizza making and would have never opened Pepe in Grani.
Inside the restaurant it was dim and busy, filled with families having their Saturday night dinner surrounded by sounds of a bustling kitchen in the back.
As we ordered our one pizza for takeaway the man running the counter handed us a business card with the receipt and said in a thick Italian accent, “Here, Pepe family.”
It was that small moment that meant more for us than our entire dining experience at Pepe in Grani. There was something so pure about being handed a photo like that in a pizzeria with so much family history.
It was a cozy and unexpected moment that, I think, made the pizza taste even better.
When it comes to a dish like pizza, it isn’t the “master chef” title or food blogs that make it special, it’s the warmth of the environment.
We, humans, are suckers for a good story. And the legacy of this small-town Italian Pepe pizza-making dynasty is without a doubt a great story.
That’s why shows like “Chef’s Table” are so popular.
– SUNDAY, 11 AM –
We’re headed back to our home base in Florence, with just a few more hours left of our 24-hour turn-and-burn pizza pilgrimage.
A quick train transfer in Naples meant I had one more chance to get a Neapolitan pizza from its birthplace.
Unsurprisingly, there were a dozen pizzerias to choose from just minutes from the train station. In classic Italian restaurant fashion, the two margheritas we ordered took longer than expected.
So with steamy boxes in hand and five minutes until our train left, we sprinted back to the platform and made it to our seats just two minutes before departure.
Worth it.
I’m not going to say these spontaneous train station pizzas were better than “the best in the world” that I had the night before.
I’m not saying that.
I’m not.
I’m really not.
But…
they were pretty damn good, like really good, like maybe just maybe I enjoyed eating these train station pies more than the Sbagliata I fantasized about.
Remember, pizza is pizza is pizza.
My fantasy didn’t come true at Pepe in Grani, but I’m not disappointed. If anything, I’m grateful. It’s helped me to finally look past what’s popular and trending and experience food in a neutral state.
When I think about some of the “best” meals I’ve ever had, it’s hard to come up with a clear answer. I’ve realised the meals that come to mind are from very specific instances with very specific people:
The cheeseburger I ate from a roadside stand after a day of backpacking in California’s Sierra Nevada.
The braai I shared with a friend following an absolutely insane taxi ride in South Africa.
The chocolate cake my cousin surprised me with on my 23rd birthday in Los Angeles.
The margherita pizza I ate when I almost missed my train in Naples.
I don’t think there is such a thing as the best pizza in the world, but I happily invite someone to prove me wrong. If you know a place, I’m listening.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE VISITING BEFORE VISITING PEPE IN GRANI
PEPE IN GRANI OPENING TIMES
Opening hours | Tuesday - Saturday: 6 pm - 12:30 am, Sunday 12:30pm – 3:30 pm, 6:30 pm – 12:30 am
Cost | Classic pizzas start from €7. For the full menu, click here
WHERE IS CAIAZZO, AND HOW TO GET TO THERE
The tiny town of Caiazzo is located in the province of Caserta, in the Campania region of southern Italy, and is around 40 km north of the city of Naples.
The easiest way to get to Caiazzo and Pepe e Grani is by flying into Naples International Airport and then taking a train or a bus to Caiazzo.
We recommend taking the train, which takes just over an hour, and with several departures from Naples Central Station throughout the day.
Alternatively, you can take a bus from Naples to Caiazzo, which takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes. Buses depart from Naples' Piazza Garibaldi bus station, which is located near the Naples Central Station.
If you've rented a car for a proper Italian road trip (which takes a lot of guts, especially around Naples!), you can take the A1 highway from Naples to Caiazzo, which takes around 45 minutes depending on traffic. You can also take the SS 265 highway from Caserta to Caiazzo, which takes around 30 minutes.
TRAVEL INSURANCE | STAY SAFE IN ITALY
If you can't afford travel insurance, you really can't afford to travel. As the current global situation has taught many people, things can go wrong anywhere in the world - and insurance is often the only way of mitigating any issues with minimal expense or stress for you.
For all travellers | HeyMondo - COVID-19 coverage, comprehensive travel + medical insurance, an app with 24-hour medical support, and no out-of-pocket fees. *Get 5% off your policy by booking through our link here.
For digital nomads | SafetyWing - COVID-19 coverage, comprehensive travel & medical, and policies can be purchased while already abroad.
Car Insurance | Insurance4CarHire - a great annual car insurance policy
EXPERIENCE THE BEST OF ITALY
Check out these essential posts to help you have the best trip ever:
BEST OF BOLOGNA | 12 incredibly awesome things to do in Bologna, Italy, Where to stay in Bologna, Our guide to Bologna’s famous Asinelli Tower, Bologna Travel Tips, A guide to Italy’s most colourful hill town, Dozza
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WAY TO KNOW ITALY | Hiking the Via Matildica in Italy’s Emilia Romagna
DOLOMITES | Our 7-day road trip itinerary for the Dolomites, where to stay in the Dolomites, how to get to the Dolomites, 7 of the best day hikes in the Dolomites, including the famous Tre Cime De Lavaredo loop, Lago di Sorapis, our guide to Lago di Braies
PHOTOGRAPHY | Love our photography? Read our detailed photography gear guide, as well as our top travel photography tips!
RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL | Responsible travel is important. REALLY IMPORTANT. Learn our top responsible travel tips to help you, your family and your friends travel more consciously around the globe
ECO-FRIENDLY PACKING ESSENTIALS | Don’t leave home without our favourite eco-friendly travel essentials
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO ITALY WITH THESE POSTS!
Article written by Cami Buckman: Cami is an American journalist based in Los Angeles, California. She loves writing and producing videos about the intersections of food, history, and culture. When she's not working, you can find her practising her homemade pizza recipe.
Follow Cami everywhere at @camibuckman