L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Naples Institution, Rooted in Hollywood

L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele traces its origins to 1870, when Michele Condurro founded what would eventually be called the "Sacred Temple of Pizza" in Naples. Over 150 years later, owner Francesco Zimone brought that same tradition to Hollywood in 2019 — the first U.S. location of the world-renowned pizzeria. Recognized by Gambero Rosso, the restaurant earns its place among the most serious Neapolitan pizza destinations outside Italy.

Zimone, born in Naples, designed the Hollywood space with his childhood summers in mind. The result is a setting where classic Italian meets modern Californian: blue and white tiles on the walls, natural wood and Baltic stone throughout the terrace and interior, and open "courtyards" where guests can watch pizzas being shaped and slid into an imported stone oven.

The Pizza, Made as It Always Has Been

The dough — flour, water, salt, and a small amount of yeast — is kneaded by hand and left to ferment for at least 24 hours. It's then stretched by hand, topped with Italian-imported ingredients, and baked in a wood-fired oven at around 485°C for roughly 90 seconds. That process hasn't changed since the Naples original, and it's the reason Julia Roberts famously declared, while filming Eat Pray Love at the Naples location, "I'm having a relationship with this pizza."

The menu at the Hollywood location extends beyond the two pies the original Naples shop is known for — Margherita and Marinara — while keeping authentic Neapolitan pizza at its center. Housemade pastas, seasonal appetizers, and a full brunch menu round out the offering.

The Team Behind It

Executive Chef Giuseppe Gentile, from Locorotondo in Puglia, trained at Italy's top culinary schools and worked at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris before landing in Los Angeles. His approach centers on high-quality ingredients and techniques that honor Italy's culinary heritage without theatrics.

Director of Operations Maggie Eslava, with over a decade in the industry, keeps the standard consistent across service. The philosophy here, as the restaurant puts it, is "never perfect, always genuine" — a phrase that captures the spirit of a place that takes its tradition seriously without taking itself too seriously.