This place never fails to amaze me. Food is unreal, service is even better (Paul is MVP). Quiet atmosphere, very laid back. You can dress up if you want but not required. “This is better than the pasta I had in Italy”
Joanna Yanek
-
September 13, 2024
This is a great Italian spot. My husband and I drove from Clearwater Beach to try this authentic Napoli pizza and it did not disappoint. My husband used to live in Napoli and said the pizza here was the closest thing to Italy he has tasted in a while. The wines, the appetizers (especially the meatballs) were so good as well! Great place, great food and great service. 5 stars!
Mrs. I
-
August 30, 2024
This place is a delicious hidden gem. I had a salad and the wood fired bread. It was fresh and wonderful. My husband had the pizza (I had a small slice) it was great! Exactly how you’d want your wood fired pizza to be. The service was also very good and were welcoming. We will be back.
Ryan Brennan
-
April 11, 2024
Listen I don't know if the pizza or entrees are good but this tiramisu is pretty great. The cream is perfect and light, you can literally tell just by how it looks. Imo the biggest draw down is that the cocoa powder is a little thick and clumpy, just needs a really fine sieve. Other than that, MAYBE a stronger espresso for the lady finger but that would really be nitpicking. You can't complain at all about this tiramisu and the serving size was incredible. Easily enough for two people, very generous.
I'll definitely be back, and hopefully it remains good quality as I've seen some other people mention new ownership.
Danielle Glick
-
March 09, 2024
I just got back from Italy, where I ate at the #6 pizzeria in the world and #62 in Italy. I’ve also eaten at several of the original best pizzerias in Naples, Italy. That being said, this pizza is just as good as those!!! The crust is unbelievably fluffy and flavorful, and the toppings are as good as you can probably buy outside of Italy. The Montepulciano wine is also top notch and less than $10 a glass. The chef is from Naples, so this is truly authentic Neapolitan style pizza! The dining room also features a huge hand-painted mural of Naples that creates an Italian ambiance, if not for the lighting of a strip mall restaurant.
The strange thing is that this restaurant is fairly empty, even for weekend dinners, and I think I know why… The family who owns the restaurant, who are the only people you interact with, seem to be from India or thereabouts, and don’t seem to know anything about the authentic Italian restaurant they bought. For example, the dishes are written on the menu in Italian, but the waitress had to watch me point at the menu multiple times because she didn’t seem understand the spoken names of the dishes or the only wine they offer that even resembles the word "Montepulciano". A server should always know the items on their menu, even if it’s not in their native language. They also play pop music with Indian sounds and provide the kind of awkward service you might expect to get in an authentic Indian restaurant.
The problem is not that they are from a completely different culture, it’s that they’re not even *trying* to embrace the culture of the restaurant they bought. They've got an authentic Italian pizzaiolo who makes world class Neapolitan pizza in an authentic wood burning pizza oven from Naples. They just need to complete that authentic Italian experience by playing modern Italian (or even American) music and learning how to pronounce the foods on their own menu. These are easy and free changes that could be made tomorrow. Step 2 would be learning how to provide better service and dimmer yellow lighting in the dining room. Step 3 would a trip to Naples to learn the culture of their business and what else would make their restaurant more authentic. I hope they at least make Step 1 changes ASAP because I really don't want the best Neapolitan pizza in Tampa go out of business!
Our Address
4301 W El Prado Blvd, Tampa, FL 33629, USA
Claim Listing: Viva Napoli Restaurant & Pizzeria
Please Login or Register an Account to Claim Listing
This place never fails to amaze me. Food is unreal, service is even better (Paul is MVP). Quiet atmosphere, very laid back. You can dress up if you want but not required. “This is better than the pasta I had in Italy”
This is a great Italian spot. My husband and I drove from Clearwater Beach to try this authentic Napoli pizza and it did not disappoint. My husband used to live in Napoli and said the pizza here was the closest thing to Italy he has tasted in a while. The wines, the appetizers (especially the meatballs) were so good as well! Great place, great food and great service. 5 stars!
This place is a delicious hidden gem. I had a salad and the wood fired bread. It was fresh and wonderful. My husband had the pizza (I had a small slice) it was great! Exactly how you’d want your wood fired pizza to be. The service was also very good and were welcoming. We will be back.
Listen I don't know if the pizza or entrees are good but this tiramisu is pretty great. The cream is perfect and light, you can literally tell just by how it looks. Imo the biggest draw down is that the cocoa powder is a little thick and clumpy, just needs a really fine sieve. Other than that, MAYBE a stronger espresso for the lady finger but that would really be nitpicking. You can't complain at all about this tiramisu and the serving size was incredible. Easily enough for two people, very generous. I'll definitely be back, and hopefully it remains good quality as I've seen some other people mention new ownership.
I just got back from Italy, where I ate at the #6 pizzeria in the world and #62 in Italy. I’ve also eaten at several of the original best pizzerias in Naples, Italy. That being said, this pizza is just as good as those!!! The crust is unbelievably fluffy and flavorful, and the toppings are as good as you can probably buy outside of Italy. The Montepulciano wine is also top notch and less than $10 a glass. The chef is from Naples, so this is truly authentic Neapolitan style pizza! The dining room also features a huge hand-painted mural of Naples that creates an Italian ambiance, if not for the lighting of a strip mall restaurant. The strange thing is that this restaurant is fairly empty, even for weekend dinners, and I think I know why… The family who owns the restaurant, who are the only people you interact with, seem to be from India or thereabouts, and don’t seem to know anything about the authentic Italian restaurant they bought. For example, the dishes are written on the menu in Italian, but the waitress had to watch me point at the menu multiple times because she didn’t seem understand the spoken names of the dishes or the only wine they offer that even resembles the word "Montepulciano". A server should always know the items on their menu, even if it’s not in their native language. They also play pop music with Indian sounds and provide the kind of awkward service you might expect to get in an authentic Indian restaurant. The problem is not that they are from a completely different culture, it’s that they’re not even *trying* to embrace the culture of the restaurant they bought. They've got an authentic Italian pizzaiolo who makes world class Neapolitan pizza in an authentic wood burning pizza oven from Naples. They just need to complete that authentic Italian experience by playing modern Italian (or even American) music and learning how to pronounce the foods on their own menu. These are easy and free changes that could be made tomorrow. Step 2 would be learning how to provide better service and dimmer yellow lighting in the dining room. Step 3 would a trip to Naples to learn the culture of their business and what else would make their restaurant more authentic. I hope they at least make Step 1 changes ASAP because I really don't want the best Neapolitan pizza in Tampa go out of business!