Tastescope: searching for the best Neapolitan pizza in Tashkent

In our first issue, we set out to find the best Neapolitan pizza in Tashkent. We ordered only Margherita everywhere to keep the comparison fair. We evaluated it by a few simple but essential parameters: dough, sauce, cheese, oven type, and overall harmony of flavors.

For reference: Neapolitan pizza originated in the Italian city of Naples and has become the benchmark for classic pizza. The dough is made from just four ingredients — flour, water, yeast, and salt — and baked for about 60–90 seconds in a wood-fired oven at 430–480 °C. This is what gives it that distinctive smoky aroma, puffy crust, and soft, thin center.

A rare case of a place that doesn’t make a big fuss about itself but simply does its job well. Punto is a neo-Italian project by the Breadly chain, where the focus is on dough and pasta, with clean, modern presentation. The interior exudes quiet elegance: large windows, natural light, and a sense of thoughtful simplicity.

Margherita for UZS 90,000

The appearance alone shows how serious the approach is: even charring, beautiful puffy crust. But the main thing is the taste. All the ingredients seem to harmonize with one another: the dough is light yet cohesive, the cheese stretches just as much as it should, and the sauce made from low-acidity Italian tomatoes is mild and balanced. Even though we tried this pizza last, we wanted to keep eating it again and again. Punto is the kind of place you really want to return to — specifically for the pizza.

Сыроварня is a restaurant and cheese shop that has grown into an international brand created by Arkady Novikov. The star and pride of this project is its in-house cheese production, where they make mozzarella, stracciatella, burrata, halloumi, and scamorza. The cheeses are served on their own and added to salads, pizzas, and pasta, and the menu mainly features home-style Italian cooking.

Margherita for UZS 138,000

Pizza here is all about the cheese. Unlike the «ideal» Neapolitan shape, the crust isn’t as pronounced, but the toppings make up for it: plenty of stretchy mozzarella, a mild tomato sauce without excessive acidity, and a thin base. This is a very solid, full-flavored Margherita that has confidently taken second place.

The Roni team is one of the first in Tashkent to focus specifically on Neapolitan pizza. «Pizza Napoletana» is featured on the logo, the wood-fired oven is the heart of the restaurant, and «leopard spots» on the crust are a must. The vibrant interior matches the project’s southern temperament.

Margherita for UZS 70,000

This small, single-serving pizza is prepared carefully and with respect for the classics. The dough is simple, made only from flour, water, and salt. The Mutti Pelati sauce delivers a mild tomato flavor without excess acidity, though there isn’t quite as much topping as you might hope for. This pizza is light and not overloaded — a well-deserved third place in our ranking.

Cucucina is a spacious, bright spot styled after the Italian Riviera: a Vespa at the entrance, a Fiat 500, and lemon trees. This Sun Group Asia restaurant is well suited for large groups and friendly gatherings.

Margherita for UZS 88,000

The pizza here is denser and more bread-like than you’d expect from the Neapolitan style. The dough has noticeable cornmeal, the crust is thick and pillowy, and the charring is neat. There’s a moderate amount of topping, and the sauce has a slight tang but pairs well with basil. However, it’s clear that the pizza isn’t cooked in a wood-fired oven — there’s no signature smoky note. A good option, but compared to the top spots in our ranking, it comes across as a solid middle-of-the-road choice.

Trattoria A presents itself as a restaurant serving home-style Italian cuisine. It has a vibrant interior, checkered tablecloths, and colorful plates, and the menu features pasta, pizza, bruschetta, wine, and other joys of life on the Apennines.

Margherita for UZS 120,000

Technically, the place has a wood-fired oven, but in practice they often bake the pizza on gas, which is immediately noticeable from the even crust without any charring. The taste is reminiscent of the pizza at Cucucina, but the dough is lighter and thinner. There’s cornmeal on the crust, plenty of topping and basil, and the Margherita is sprinkled with Parmesan. The sauce has a slight tang. The pizza reminded us of something homemade, but it lacked true Neapolitan character.

A cozy family pizzeria decorated in sage and olive tones — an Italian oasis on Said Baraka. Here, the first rule of the pizza (and signature pizza sandwiches) is live fire. The second is birch, cherry, and sweet cherry wood. Finally, no serious business gets done without Italian flour and authentic ingredients.

Margherita for UZS 90,000–110,000

This pizza tried to pass for a classic but wasn’t all that convincing. The crust is a bit underwhelming, the charring is heavier than it needs to be, and the sauce has a noticeable tang. Still, the pleasantly thin, slightly crispy base is worth noting — it carries the traditional topping and a sprinkle of Parmesan really well.