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 →
You absolutely must come try this place. Easy to look over with the hype around all the larger restaurants. Everything was so fresh. We ate so much, but did not leave uncomfortable because of the high-quality ingredients. We will be back on our 3 day visit for sure!
Senta H.
1 December 2023
Verified
Most amazing,delicious,and authentic food i've ever had. The staff was super friendly and the environment was wonderful! I highly recommend, every penny was worth it!
Adelyn Banken
15 March 2024
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Recently ate at Vespa with my family over spring break. I thought that the food was wonderful! Great portions and great taste. Mateo was a really great server throughout our time there. He was very friendly and took care of our requests. Had a really great experience here!
Inverleith F.
21 February 2025
Verified
+4
Just coming tonight and looking for a salad and light dinner. After a pick up from Whole Foods, this cafe showed up in my yelp search for salad.
So, in we go and order the spinach strawberry salad, burrata salad, half order foccacia and the Sicilian.
There was plenty to share because the salad is entree size, the burrata tomatoes were generous and the flatbread was sizeable.
Everything was well prepared and my only disappointment was the foccacia. Why did I not know that it was the flatbread. I didn't need it since the Sicilian was perfect for lapping in the juices from the tomatoes. Also, I recommend that this item be free similar to bread at an Italian restaurant, with some oil and vinegar.
The flatbread is light and unbelievably crispy. I wish I could eat it all there because it won't be that way tonight .
So for flavors, I would have liked the offer of pepper for the salad, some red chili flakes and salt because that was missing for me. Easy enough to remedy. I'll be sure to ask next time.
The staff is very friendly and I appreciated how the manager/owner says to guests as they leave, "see you tomorrow".
Plenty of parking, no waiting is always a plus for me.
Please support this local business
Oliver Phoa
13 March 2026
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Amazing place and amazing Italian food - very fresh and delicious.
david miner
28 June 2026
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Very friendly
Andrea Burgess
31 March 2026
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One of the best finds in a while! The owner was greeting every person as they walked in, brought water and introduced the waiter personally. The staff was kind and attentive, the food was fresh and simply seasoned to perfection. I will gladly go back over and over again!!
Marian Carol
16 April 2022
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The restaurant is absolutely lovely, you can tell it was a dream!
Music is great, food and pizza is delicious and the owners are so attentive. DEFINITELY a gem in Sedona where most of the food is so poor.
This place is lovely and totally coming back next time we come to Sedona
Shaun
23 November 2024
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+0
Fabulous food. They serve pizza (or pinsa) with a light crunchy bread that was both tasty and easy on the stomach. We liked it so much that we went twice in three days.
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