Roman pizza is one of Italy’s most distinct regional styles — and once you’ve tasted it, the difference isn’t subtle. There’s a crispness to the base, a cleanliness to each bite, a way the toppings stay defined rather than melting into one soft, heavy mouthful. It’s a pizza designed around texture and precision.
But “Roman pizza” isn’t a single thing. It’s a family of traditions, shaped by Rome’s eating culture and the obsessive technique that comes with it. Some versions are round and paper-thin. Others are celebrated for a crunch you can hear across the table. And yes, Rome is also the home of pizza sold by the slice — but that’s only one part of the story.
So what is Roman pizza, really? How does it differ from Neapolitan pizza, the softer, foldable style most people picture when they hear “authentic Italian”? And what does it look like when it’s done well in Sydney?
Let’s get into it — and bring it back to the table at 170 Grammi in Surry Hills, where Roman pizza is made for what it truly is: crisp, structured, light, and built for sharing.
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What is Roman pizza?
Roman pizza is a style from Rome built around a thin base, a crisp bite, and a structured slice that holds its shape. Where other styles lean into softness and stretch, Roman pizza leans into definition — a clean snap through the base, toppings that taste sharp and individual, a slice that doesn’t fold or sag.
People often describe Roman pizza as crisp rather than soft, thin rather than puffy, structured rather than floppy, light and moreish rather than filling and heavy. That last point matters. Roman pizza isn’t less satisfying — it’s satisfying in a different way. The pleasure comes from texture and clarity, not from density. You can eat more of it without feeling weighed down, which is rather the point.
La Tonda Romana and Scrocchiarella: the two names worth knowing
When people talk about Roman pizza, two names come up again and again. They’re related, often used interchangeably, and worth understanding separately — because they describe genuinely different expressions of Roman crispness.
La Tonda Romana
La Tonda Romana is the classic round Roman pizza. “Tonda” simply means round, and this style is defined by a very thin base with a crisp, almost cracker-like bite. It’s precise and restrained — there’s very little dough to hide behind. When the fermentation and bake are right, the result is a clean, satisfying crunch and toppings that taste the way they’re supposed to: sharp, bright, and individual.
Scrocchiarella
Scrocchiarella is a Roman style associated with an even more pronounced crunch — the word itself is tied to the sound and feel of biting through it. Compared to a classic Tonda, Scrocchiarella tends to have a more aerated interior, lighter in feel, paired with that signature crackly exterior. Same Roman obsession with crispness, different internal texture.
Both styles live under the Roman umbrella. The distinction is in the bite: classic thin structure for Tonda, crackly with more open internal texture for Scrocchiarella.
👉 Go deeper on La Tonda Romana vs Scrocchiarella
Is Roman pizza always rectangular like pizza al taglio?
No — and this is one of the most persistent misconceptions worth clearing up.
Pizza al taglio (pizza “by the cut”) is a famous Roman format, often baked in rectangular trays and sold by weight or by slice. It’s an important part of Rome’s pizza culture. But it’s not the whole picture.
Roman pizza also includes round styles — La Tonda Romana and Scrocchiarella — designed to be sliced and shared at a table, not grabbed from a counter. If you’ve only ever associated Roman pizza with rectangle slices, there’s a whole other tradition worth exploring.
Roman pizza vs Neapolitan pizza: what actually differs
Roman and Neapolitan pizza both come from Italy, and both are genuinely excellent. But they were built for different eating habits, different environments, and different outcomes. Comparing them isn’t about which is better — it’s about understanding what each one is trying to be.
Neapolitan pizza comes from Naples. It’s soft and pliable, often folded in half to eat on the go. The crust (cornicione) is puffy and airy. The centre tends to be wetter and more delicate. It’s designed to be eaten quickly, while it’s hot, before the base softens — and when it’s done right, that softness is the whole point.
Roman pizza takes the opposite approach. The base is thin and dry, with a crispness that holds up under toppings. Slices stay structured. You can share a pizza without it collapsing. The flavours taste sharper because there’s less dough softening everything together. It’s built for the table — for variety, for sharing, for a longer meal.
Neither is more authentic. They’re different regional answers to the same delicious question.
Why Roman pizza is crisp: the technique behind the texture
Roman pizza’s crispness isn’t a lucky accident. It’s the result of deliberate dough decisions and a controlled bake. Three things do most of the work.
High-hydration dough
Hydration refers to the ratio of water to flour in a dough. Roman-style dough typically uses higher hydration, which — when fermented and baked with proper control — supports an open internal structure and a lighter overall bite. The pizza feels airy inside even while it’s crisp outside.
👉 Learn why high-hydration dough matters in Roman pizza
Long, controlled fermentation
Fermentation is time doing quiet work: building flavour, improving structure, making the dough easier to digest. Roman pizza relies on precision, and longer fermentation supports both the crispness of the final bake and the cleaner flavour profile that makes the style so distinctive.
👉 Read about the role of fermentation in Roman pizza
A bake timed for snap, not just colour
Crispness isn’t simply “more heat” or “more time”. It’s the right bake, at the right moment, for the right dough. When Roman pizza comes out correctly, the exterior sets with a clean snap and the slice holds its shape — while the interior stays balanced rather than turning dense or dry.
That combination — crisp outside, light inside, structured from edge to centre — is the Roman signature.
👉 Read why Roman pizza often feels lighter
How to eat Roman pizza properly
If there’s one thing that changes the Roman pizza experience, it’s this: don’t order for yourself alone. Roman pizza is built for variety across a shared table.
Because the base holds its shape, slices travel well from one end of the table to the other. That makes it easy — and genuinely enjoyable — to try a few different pizzas in the same meal rather than committing to a single topping. A simple approach that works well is one classic flavour, one vegetable-forward or lighter option, and one richer Roman favourite. The contrast keeps the meal moving, keeps everyone at the table happy, and turns a dinner into something that actually feels like a Roman night out.
👉 Use our guide on what to order at 170 Grammi
Roman pizza at 170 Grammi, Surry Hills
At 170 Grammi, Roman pizza is the focus — not a category on the menu, but the whole philosophy behind it. The round format draws on La Tonda Romana tradition, with technique influences that nod toward Scrocchiarella‘s characteristic crunch.
That means pizzas that are crisp from edge to centre, structured enough to slice and share cleanly, and balanced so toppings taste the way they’re supposed to. Not the first two bites — the whole pizza.
If you’re trying Roman pizza for the first time, the approach is simple: order with variety, share across the table, and pay attention to the base. The crunch isn’t decoration. It’s the point.
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Does Roman pizza travel well as takeaway?
Better than most. A structured, crisp base holds up during transit in a way that softer styles can’t quite manage — there’s less risk of sogginess, and slices stay intact. If you’re eating at home, keep the Roman spirit: order a few pizzas, mix the toppings, and share them in the middle of the table. It turns takeaway into a proper occasion.
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The short version
Roman pizza is defined by crispness, structure, and a lighter rhythm. It includes round styles like La Tonda Romana and crunch-forward expressions like Scrocchiarella. It’s not limited to rectangular pizza al taglio, and it’s not the same as Neapolitan pizza — even if both are genuinely Italian and genuinely worth eating.
Once you understand what Roman pizza is trying to be, you start tasting it differently. The base has definition. The toppings have clarity. The slice is designed to be shared, then shared again.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Roman pizza is a style from Rome known for a thin base, crisp bite, and structured slice that holds its shape under toppings. It’s lighter and crunchier than Neapolitan pizza, with flavours that stay sharp and defined from first slice to last.
No. Pizza al taglio is often rectangular and sold by the slice, but Roman pizza also includes round styles like La Tonda Romana and Scrocchiarella, which are served whole at the table and shared.
La Tonda Romana is the classic round Roman pizza style — very thin, with a crisp almost cracker-like base. “Tonda” means round in Italian. It’s a precise, restrained style where the dough quality does all the talking.
Scrocchiarella is a Roman pizza style associated with an ultra-crisp, crackly bite and a lighter, more aerated interior. The word itself evokes the sound of biting through it. It sits under the same Roman umbrella as La Tonda Romana but with a more pronounced crunch.
Roman pizza is thinner and crispier with more structure, while Neapolitan pizza is softer with a puffy crust and a more delicate, wetter centre. Neapolitan is designed to be eaten quickly while hot; Roman is built for sharing across a longer meal. Neither is more authentic — they’re different regional traditions.
Order multiple pizzas with contrast — one classic, one vegetable-forward, one richer option — and share them across the table. Because Roman pizza bases hold their shape, slices travel well around the table, making it easy to try a variety of toppings in a single meal.
