San Matteo

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Slice of Southern Italy on the Upper East Side

On a stretch of Second Avenue in the 80s, San Matteo Pizza & Espresso Bar has built a reputation that reaches well beyond the neighborhood. The spot earned 2 Slices from Gambero Rosso — the Italian food bible's top rating system for pizza outside Italy — a recognition that speaks directly to the seriousness of what comes out of this kitchen.

The menu reads like a tour through Campania and beyond. Red pies (Pizze Rosse) lean on San Marzano tomatoes and house-made mozzarella, with perennial best-sellers like the Margherita (tomato, homemade mozzarella, fresh basil), the Diavola with spicy sopressata, and the Mariconda layered with pancetta, Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano. White pies (Pizze Bianche) go further: the Porcini e Tartufo pairs homemade mozzarella with porcini and truffle oil, while the Centenario brings together sliced San Marzano tomatoes, smoked mozzarella di Bari and 'nduja salami from Reggio Calabria.

Beyond the Pizza

San Matteo doesn't stop at pizza. Calzoni are stuffed with combinations like buffalo mozzarella, buffalo ricotta and spicy sopressata, or escarole, anchovies, black olives and capers in the Salernitano style. Panuozzi — the soft, oven-baked bread sandwiches from the Campania region — come filled with roast pork and arugula, or prosciutto di Parma with buffalo mozzarella and roasted peppers.

Pasta dishes hold their own: Fusilli al Ragù is built on a short rib ragù finished with ricotta salata, while the Spaghetti Cartoccio arrives sealed in a foil envelope with cherry tomatoes, mixed mushrooms, zucchini, pesto and burrata. Antipasti like the Parmigiana di Melanzane and the Mozzarella di Bufala Caprese round out a menu that takes Italian regional cooking seriously from start to finish.

The Room and the Experience

Outdoor seating, table service and a casual espresso-bar energy make San Matteo work equally well for a quick lunch or a relaxed dinner. The Gambero Rosso 2-Slice distinction — awarded in 2026 — confirms what regulars on the Upper East Side already know: this is Italian pizza done with genuine craft, not approximation.