Italian Restaurant in Sedona — Roman Pinsa, Baked to Order
Hey there, food lovers and wanderers. If you’re looking for real Italian food in Sedona, you can stop looking. Imagine stepping into a small restaurant in the back streets of Rome — the espresso machine going, someone shouting an order, bread that smells like it took time. That’s what we built here, on 89A in West Sedona.
Family Operated in Arizona Since 1998
We’re not one of the many restaurants around here. We’re family operated, we serve with humility and pride, and we cook the food we actually grew up on — Sicilian from Palermo, Piemontese from Torino, Roman by training. Whether you’re craving pizza, a memorable dining experience, or a pinsa romana after a long hike, Vespa is your go-to destination. No doubt.
Food Is Our Love Language
What Actually Makes Us Different
Seventy-Two Hours of Patience
Our pinsa dough is imported Di Marco flour, water, yeast and sea salt, and it rests cold at 4–6°C for three full days before anyone touches it. That is what makes it light and crisp at the edge. We did the waiting so you don’t have to think about it afterward. How the dough works →
Flour From the Man Who Invented Pinsa
Pinsa romana was created in 2001 by Corrado Di Marco. We buy our flour from Di Marco — the original three-flour blend, not an American approximation. Milled outside Rome and certified GMO-free, confirmed to us in writing by Di Marco. Our pasta is made fresh in Italy and imported; we don’t pretend to do it better than people who have done it for generations.
Two Grandmothers
Nonna Pina taught this family the kitchen. Nonna Maria taught the coffee bar. That is why we are a café and not only a restaurant — the espresso here is its own discipline, handed down by its own teacher. Meet the family →
LIGHT, NOT HEAVY
Seventy-two hours of cold fermentation and a high-hydration dough give pinsa an open, airy crumb — lighter in texture than standard pizza. Guests regularly tell us it eats lighter than they expect, which matters when you’ve got a trail to get back to.
Perfect Location
1350 W State Route 89A, Suite 22 — West Sedona, not Uptown. Easier parking, and we’re open from 11am every day without closing between lunch and dinner.
A Culinary Journey Through Italy
Sicilian aubergine, Ligurian pesto, Roman flatbread, and the desserts that close an Italian meal properly. Our menu is a map of where this family comes from. See the full menu →
72-HOUR FERMENTED | THREE ITALIAN FLOURS | ROMAN FLATBREAD
NOT GLUTEN FREE: UNIQUELY BETTER.
Our menu is a trip through Italy — Roman flatbread, Sicilian aubergine, Ligurian pesto, and the desserts that end every Italian meal properly.
Some dishes live beyond the main list. Ask us what is available or explore our secret menu.
LA PINSA ROMANA
Roman Style Pizza
Ten varieties on a 72-hour, 85%-hydration dough. Oval, not round. Airy inside, shattering at the edge. Start with the Margherita if it’s your first time, or the Rucola e Prosciutto if it isn’t.
ANTIPASTI & INSALATE
Appetizers & Salads
Bruschetta Capri, Burrata Caprese, MIXED LEAVES WITH APPLE AND TOASTED PISTACHIO. Italian starters wake your appetite rather than blunting it.
SORRISI FARCITI
Sandwiches
Built on the same three-day dough, filled and folded. Lunch that doesn’t slow you down.
People come to Sedona and search for pizza. Then they find us and see the word pinsa, and reasonably wonder whether they’re about to be talked out of what they wanted.
YOU’RE NOT. PINSA ROMANA IS PIZZA — THE ROMAN VERSION. ROUND VERSUS OVAL. ONE FLOUR VERSUS THREE. A FEW HOURS OF RISING VERSUS SEVENTY-TWO. CORRADO DI MARCO REBUILT THE RECIPE IN 2001, WORKING BACK TOWARD THE OLD ROMAN FLATBREADS, AND IN 2025 THE LAZIO REGION ENTERED PINSA ROMANA IN ITS OFFICIAL REGISTER OF TRADITIONAL FOODS. THAT IS THE TRUE STORY, AND IT IS BETTER THAN THE MYTH.
What that means when it arrives: a base that’s crisp underneath and open inside, with a bit of chew and no grease. It doesn’t fold like New York pizza and it isn’t soupy in the middle like Neapolitan. It’s its own thing, and once people have had it they tend to stop comparing.
We bake it on stone over gas at around 608°F. Not a wood oven — Neapolitan pizza wants ferocious heat for ninety seconds, and this dough doesn’t. It wants steady heat, held exactly, from the first order at 11am to the last one at night. So if you searched for the best pizza in Sedona and ended up here: you’re in the right place. It just took us three days to get ready for you.
Nonna Maria taught this family the coffee bar, so the espresso here is not an afterthought. Italian beans, pulled the way it is drunk in Rome — standing at the counter, quickly, no ceremony.
The wine list is short and chosen to sit alongside this food rather than to impress anyone. We keep a proper range of amari, the herbal digestivi that close a meal in Italy — a little sweet, a little bitter. Italians will tell you an amaro settles a big dinner; we won’t make any claims for it.
Espresso That Wakes You Up: We use Miscela d’Oro, a Sicilian roaster, for espresso that’s rich, strong and authentic.
Wines for Every Taste: Red, white, rosé – we’ve got a wine to match your mood and your meal. Let us help you pick the perfect one!
Cool Cocktails and More: From Italian NA sodas, classic aperitivos staples like Aperol Spritz and Campari soda, to Locally sourced Mocktails, and Classic Martinis and Craft Cocktails, we’ve got plenty of ways to quench your thirst.
Amaros (Trust Us): These herbal liqueurs are a classic Italian way to end a meal. They’re a little sweet, a little bitter, and totally unique.
Planning Your Visit
WALK-INS WELCOME | DOGS WELCOME OUTSIDE | OPEN 11AM DAILY
No reservations, and that’s on purpose
We don’t take bookings. Walk in and we’ll find you a table. The quiet window is 11am to 12:30pm — hikers come off the trails around 1pm and every kitchen in Sedona gets slammed at once. Come before noon and you’ll barely wait.
Bring the dog — here’s how it works
Dogs are welcome at our outdoor tables. It runs a little differently from inside: order at the counter, we pack it up for you, and you carry it out. There’s no table service outside, and Arizona liquor law keeps wine and cocktails indoors. But after a morning on the trail together, you and the dog get to sit down in the Sedona air instead of eating in the car — and that’s worth knowing before you drive over.
Order ahead or take it with you
Order online through Toast and collect, or call and we’ll have it ready. Everything on the menu travels — the pinsa in particular holds up far better than pizza does.
Open straight through
11am to 9pm Sunday through Thursday, 11am to 10pm Friday and Saturday. We don’t close between lunch and dinner, which in this town is rarer than it should be.
Finding us
West Sedona, on 89A — not Uptown. 1350 W State Route 89A, Suite 22. Free parking in the plaza lot, though it fills up around the middle of the day like everything else in this town. Another reason to come before noon. Directions and landmarks →
CUSTOMIZED MENUS TO SUIT YOUR EVENT | OFF & ON-SITE EXPERIENCE
We cater weddings, private parties, corporate events and retreats across the Sedona area — the same kitchen and the same 72-hour dough, wherever you are celebrating.
Every event is fully custom. Tell us what you are planning and someone will reach out within ten minutes during business hours. That is the thing our clients mention most.
CAREER GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT | EMBRACE THE VESPA SPIRIT
Join our team at Vespa. We value excellence, creativity and a real commitment to hospitality — the Italian kind, where looking after people is the job rather than a policy.
The Zacchino family came from Piazza Sant’Onofrio in Palermo, by way of Sanremo on the Ligurian coast, and reached Arizona in 1996. Its first restaurant opened in Phoenix in 1998 — Tutti Santi by Nina, still going today. Vespa came later, and further north.
Leonardo is the patriarch. Matteo runs this kitchen. Over the years we have become the local’s favourite and a visiting must, and the reason is not complicated: we cook the way our grandmothers taught us, and we treat people like they have come to the house. More about the family →
So I just happened to find this cute little spot by chance. (Actually, I was eavesdropping on someone's conversation and heard a gentleman say that this place had the best Italian food, but you would never guess it by how small the establishment was.) I'm so glad that I decided to be nosy for once because he was totally right! We only waited about five minutes for a table, but soon after we were seated, they had a line to get in the door. I actually heard one guy say "I'm not waiting that long. It's not worth it" and someone turned around from the kitchen bar, seating area and told him, "no, it's totally worth it". Now I'm really psyched. The staff that greeted us were extremely friendly. We ended up ordering two pizzas. After a bit we noticed some pizzas came out to a different table but there was some confusion because it wasn't what they ordered. The employees ended up taking it back to the open kitchen and a really nice gentleman with an Italian accent explained to my friends that there was a mix up and they couldn't serve us the food. I wasn't there when the incident happened, but according to my friends, they assumed they wouldn't serve food that they had delivered to another table for sanitary reasons. We later found out the man's name was Mateo and he is one of the owners. He was very apologetic and 15 mins later, when our food came out, he told us to save room for dessert. After the most amazing pizza I had ever eaten, we did order dessert and asked for our bill. I was given one of those electronic bills and was asked to tap my card, but hadn't seen an actual bill up front. I always feel awkward in that scenario because, personally, I like seeing the paper receipt so I can check for errors. I paid anyway and then Mateo came to say that there was a mistake with our bill. Apparently I had been charged for the dessert and he was really unhappy about it. I could hear him talking to the servers in Italian. He corrected everything and was very generous. Reversed charges on my credit card and gave me his card to call him if there were any additional errors. He really took care of us and we kept telling him it wasn't a big deal. He kept saying he hated that it happened to us and insisted on taking care of us further. I can't tell you a time that I received such genuine and upstanding customer service. You can tell that Mateo takes a lot of pride in his restaurant and wants all of his patrons to leave happy. Not only will we be back because of the food, we'll be back because of the outstanding service. Thanks for taking care of us Mateo and don't worry, I won't text you in the middle of the night, but if you touch my sis in laws arm one more time, I can't be responsible for her texts .
Pat S
21 March 2025
Verified
Best pizza dough and toppings I've had!
The crust and toppings on our pizza were amazing. The ingredients for the crust are imported from Italy and the dough is proofed for 72 hours. Soooo good!
Mark Solberg
5 November 2025
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Excellent food & service. Even pet friendly!
Marion R
4 April 2022
Verified
Healthiest and Best Italian food in town!
I am so delighted to highly recommend this Cafe! I love healthy food and I can now eat great pizza! The pizza here is light, crispy and delicious. It is better than just gluten free as the ingredients are of the highest quality coming from Italy. The salads and sandwiches are also excellent. I can't wait to return for breakfast. Sedona needs more restaurants like this. The owner is present and very caring about our dining experience. Tell him Marion sent you!
Claire Dempsey
30 March 2026
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
We had lunch here today. Loved it!
Food was really good - salad and a "pizza" option. Really good and fresh. Best of all was waitstaff - Matthew. And owner, who was very engaging and is doing good things!
Joel Barrett
22 March 2026
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
+6
Insanely good food and service. Atmosphere like an authentic Italian eatery. Felt like we were in Florence again. I had the lasagne which was perfect. Wifey had the bruschetta and we split a Cab Sav Pessimist 375ml which went perfect with dinner. Highly recommended!
Wayne Dahl
13 June 2026
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Great food with a personal touch! Portions were perfect and the food was amazing!
Lynn Snyder
5 October 2024
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Visiting from out of town. Selected this place based on the positive rating. Aesthetic of the restaurant was not what we expected. We actually almost walked away thinking it wasn’t the dining experience we desired. So glad we decided to stay!! Food was wonderful and service was excellent! Our server Brennan was awesome, and what we assume was the owner was walking around visiting tables as well. Can’t say enough positive about this place!
Emm M.
16 March 2024
Verified
+1
Great and unique Italian restaurant in Sedona.
This restaurant's unique item is "pinsa." It is pretty much just pizza with a different type of dough that is fermented for 72 hours. It's great and makes a crunchy crust that is fluffy on the inside. Also it's not as filling as regular pizza dough. So you can eat a whole pizza without feeling terrible. The Pinsa was amazing and you should try it. I got that and bruschetta. All the ingredients in everything were high quality and fresh.
The service was great! Our waitress and hostess were both extremely helpful and friendly. The inside is really nice and clean. It definitely has a 2000's vibe.
Try this restaurant if you are in Sedona, AZ.
Zoe M
8 May 2022
Verified
Dayuuuuuummmm this place is deeeelicious💝💝💝
The “Pinza” is the best flatbread pizza I have ever had in my life. So fresh so healthy all the ingredients are really special, the salads are delicious and do not miss the tiramisu! This is a little hidden gem next to Whole Foods in Sedona. I have eaten here 3 days in a row. The people here are very caring and care about your overall experience, food quality is tops!
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