Short answer: we make three different doughs — thin and crisp Roman, soft high-crust Neapolitan, and an extra-thin one rolled with a pin — and you choose which one you want on any of the fourteen pizzas. All three rise for at least 72 hours and bake on lava stone.
Almost every pizzeria makes one dough and puts different things on top. We make three, and the difference is not in the topping: it is underneath. Order a Margherita on a different dough and you are eating a different pizza, not the same pizza dressed another way.
Three doughs, three different pizzas
Tonda Romana — thin and crisp. This is the pizza of Rome: rolled out very thin, it bakes fast and you hear it when you cut it. If you are after crunch, this is the one.
Diversamente Napoletana — soft, with a high rim. The crust rises in the oven and stays pillowy, and the centre holds wetter toppings without giving way. If you like something to bite into, this is it.
Super Fina — rolled with a pin, the way it was done before rolling pins disappeared from pizzerias. It comes out thinner and more even than the Roman, with no bubbles. On the menu it carries a +2 next to the name: it costs two euro more because it takes more work.
All three are stretched by hand and baked on lava stone, which gives the heat back from below at a steady rate and produces an even base from the first service to the last.
The dough is your choice on all fourteen pizzas, and it is the first question we will ask you. If you cannot decide, the working rule is: dry, generous toppings sit better on the Roman; wet toppings and few ingredients on the Neapolitan.
What 72 hours actually does
The number of proofing hours has become a slogan, so it is worth explaining what it means rather than repeating it.
A dough that rests for a long time at a low temperature gives yeasts and enzymes the time to break down the starches and relax the gluten network. The result is not a question of flavour but of structure: the pizza sits more lightly and does not leave the bloated feeling that comes from doughs rushed through in a few hours. That is why all three of ours rise for at least 72 hours — three full days before the pizza reaches the oven.
For it to work, though, two things are needed that time alone does not provide. The flours are milled from selected grains, and the only fat in the dough is extra virgin olive oil: no lard, no seed oils. A dough left to rise for three days with an ordinary flour is still a dough with an ordinary flour — the 72 hours multiply what is there, they do not replace it.
The toppings, which is where you see the difference
A well-made dough carries a mediocre topping, but it does not rescue it. That is why across fourteen pizzas there is not one generic line: no “cheese”, no “mixed cured meats”, no “tomato”.
The dairy. Fior di latte is the base, but where character is needed we go to buffalo mozzarella — Bufalina, Regina, Partenopea. Burrata stracciatella goes on raw, on the Parma and the Estiva, where heat would ruin it. The Tropea carries smoked provola with pecorino, and Grana Padano DOP finishes the Bufalina and the Parma.
The cured meats. The raw ham is Parma aged 18 months, on three pizzas: Super Capricciosa, Parma and Estiva. The Diavola does not carry any spicy salami but spianata calabra. Boscaiola and Tropea have sausage.
The fish. Here the difference is audible and you pay for it: the Regina carries anchovies from the Cantabrian Sea, which are another thing entirely next to ordinary anchovies for texture and savour — and that is why that pizza is 15 euro. Marinara and Fiorita have anchovy fillets; the Esotica a Nord has salmon marinated in citrus in house.
The tomatoes, which are three and not one: tomato sauce on the classics, yellow datterino on Regina, Partenopea, Tropea and Esotica, red cherry tomato on Partenopea and Parma. The yellow datterino is sweeter and less acidic: it changes the balance of the pizza, it is not a colour trick.
The vegetables. Fresh courgette flowers on the Fiorita, caramelised Tropea onion on the pizza that carries its name, roasted artichokes and Leccino olives on the Super Capricciosa, courgettes, peppers and aubergines on the Ortolana.
The fourteen pizzas, and how they are divided
The Traditionals are ten, from 10 to 15 euro. The two that are never touched — Margherita and Marinara, both at 10 — then Diavola and Bufalina at 13, and at 14 the Super Capricciosa with its egg, the Boscaiola, the Ortolana and the Partenopea. At the top the Regina at 15.
The Signatures are two, both 15 euro, and they are ours. The Tropea puts together red and yellow datterino, sausage, caramelised Tropea onion, smoked provola and pecorino: sweet and smoky in the same bite, and the most divisive thing on the menu — the people who love it reorder it, the people who do not never order it twice. The Parma plays safe: fior di latte, Parma 18 months, stracciatella, rocket, cherry tomato and Grana Padano.
The Seasonals change, and right now they are two at 16 euro. The Estiva has no tomato at all: Parma 18 months, stracciatella, lime zest, rocket and black pepper ground at the last moment. The Esotica a Nord has citrus-marinated salmon, fior di latte, rocket and yellow datterino.
All fourteen, with the allergens listed item by item, are on the pizza menu page.
Where we are, and when
- Address: Viale Aventino 32, 00153 Rome — three minutes on foot from the Circus Maximus
- Getting here: Circo Massimo station, metro line B, four minutes on foot
- Open: 365 days a year, August and public holidays included, until 1am — 2am on Friday and Saturday
- Booking: online or on +39 342 189 9629 — worth doing at the weekend and on concert nights
The pizza lives alongside the rest: the butcher counter and the grill are in the same room, which is why you can still eat late on the nights the Circus Maximus has a concert. If you want to know what else is around, we have written a practical guide to the Circus Maximus area, and one on how to judge the meat if you are coming for the grill instead.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Roman and Neapolitan pizza?
Roman pizza is rolled very thin and bakes crisp, with almost no rim. Neapolitan is softer, with a high puffy crust that stays pillowy and holds wetter toppings. Neither is more authentic than the other — they are two different traditions, and at ROSSO you choose which one you want on any pizza on the menu.
How much does a pizza cost in Rome, and here?
Ours run from 10 euro for the Margherita and the Marinara to 16 for the two seasonal pizzas, with most of the menu between 13 and 15. The Super Fina dough adds 2 euro. There is a 2 euro per person table charge, which in Italy is normal and is shown on the menu.
Do I need to book a table?
Not usually, but at the weekend and on the evenings of a concert at the Circus Maximus it is worth it — that is when the area fills up. You can book online or call +39 342 189 9629.
How late can I eat pizza near the Circus Maximus?
We serve until 1am, and until 2am on Friday and Saturday, every day of the year including August and public holidays. Most kitchens in the area close around 10:30 or 11pm, so if you are arriving late it is worth checking the kitchen hours rather than the opening hours.
Are the doughs suitable for a gluten intolerance?
No — all three doughs contain gluten, and they also contain soy. The full allergen list is printed under each pizza on the menu page. If you have an intolerance, tell the staff when you order: it is faster than reading through the list, and the kitchen can tell you what is safe.
Is the menu available in English?
Yes, and so is the staff. The whole menu is on this site in English, allergen by allergen, so you can read it before you arrive.
More practical questions — hours, parking, dogs, accessibility — in our FAQ.
