Lombardi's Pizza, Historic pizza establishment in Little Italy, Manhattan, United States.
Lombardi's Pizza is a pizzeria at 32 Spring Street in Little Italy, Manhattan, where dough is rolled by hand and baked in a coal oven at very high heat. The space consists of two narrow rooms with exposed brick walls and an open kitchen area where the oven operates.
A license was issued in 1905, making this address recognized as America's first pizzeria. The current version reopened in 1994 after a closure and uses similar techniques to those from earlier decades.
The name comes from Gennaro Lombardi, whose coal oven still chars the crust slightly and produces smoky flavors today. Guests sit at plain tables under red-and-white checkered cloths and watch as pies emerge directly from the embers.
Wait times can be long, especially on weekends, so arriving early or visiting outside peak meal hours helps. The establishment does not accept reservations, so seating follows arrival order.
In 2005, the restaurant sold whole pies for five cents, the same price as at opening. The line stretched for several blocks and hundreds came to take advantage of the offer.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
