Futura Neapolitan Pizza

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Neapolitan in Friedrichshain

The name comes from a song. In the early 1980s, Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Dalla sat in Berlin and wrote Futura — the story of two lovers, one from the East, one from the West, dreaming of a daughter and a better city. Alessandro Leonardi, born in Naples in 1981, chose that name for his pizzeria when he opened on Bänschstraße in February 2019, and the spirit holds: something hopeful, rooted, and quietly serious about what it does.

The Man Behind the Dough

Alessandro left a career as an entrepreneur to follow a single obsession: pizza. He earned his certification from the AVPN — the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, the body that defines authentic Neapolitan pizza — and moved to Berlin to put his skills to work. After years of experience in the city, he partnered with musician Alex Uhlmann to open a place built entirely around his own vision. That focus shows in every detail, from the sourcing to the fermentation.

Ingredients and Technique

Every ingredient at Futura comes from Italy. Corbara tomatoes, San Marzano DOP, Fiordilatte from Agerola — each chosen with the kind of precision that treats the supply chain as part of the craft. The flour is Campanian, fully natural, with no additives or preservatives. The dough itself is leavened using both firm and liquid sourdough, a method Alessandro applies with an eye on digestibility as much as flavour. Traditional Neapolitan pizza preparation is the foundation; the innovation lies in how these techniques are combined and refined.

Alongside the classic pies, the menu features montanare — fried pizza bases topped in various ways — and the kitchen rounds things out with Italian wines, a lemon tart worth ordering, and a well-made tiramisù.

Recognition and Atmosphere

The room is informal and warm: wooden furnishings, floral details, the kind of place that doesn't try too hard but gets everything right. Gambero Rosso awarded Futura its top 3-slice rating, and the restaurant has also featured among the best pizzerias in Berlin in the 50 Top Pizza guide — recognition that reflects the consistency Alessandro has maintained since opening.

For anyone serious about Neapolitan pizza in Berlin, Futura is the address.