Lievità
Lievità is a Milan-based gourmet pizzeria chain founded in April 2015, built on stone-ground semi-wholemeal and wholemeal flours and extended 24–48 hour dough fermentation. Holder of two Gambero Rosso slices, Lievità won the 2018 fourth edition of 4 Ristoranti hosted by chef Alessandro Borghese as the best gourmet pizzeria in Milan.
At a glance
- Type
- Gourmet pizzeria (three Milan locations)
- Founded
- April 2015 (first location); second October 2016; third July 2017
- Style
- Contemporary Neapolitan tradition; stone-ground wholemeal flours; slow fermentation
- Location
- Milan, Lombardy · 45.4685° N, 9.1512° E (primary location)
- Recognition
- Two Gambero Rosso slices; winner, 4 Ristoranti Milan gourmet pizza episode (2018)
Overview
Lievità entered the Milanese food scene in 2015 as a deliberate reinterpretation of the Neapolitan pizza tradition through a northern Italian lens of ingredient rigour and craft sourcing. Its name — a play on the Italian word for yeast and lightness — encapsulates the founding philosophy: a product that is more flavourful than standard pizza yet easier to digest. Three locations in Milan (opened 2015, 2016, and 2017) allowed the concept to establish itself as a benchmark of the city’s gourmet pizza movement. The Gambero Rosso recognition and the 4 Ristoranti victory in 2018 cemented its reputation nationally.
History
The first Lievità location opened in April 2015, at a moment when Milan’s restaurant culture was embracing artisan food production and slow food principles. The founders chose to work exclusively with semi-wholemeal type 1 flour and wholemeal flour — both 100% Italian soft wheat, stone-ground — retaining the bran and germ that conventional white pizza flour discards. The dough is matured for 24 to 48 hours before baking, a technique drawn from artisan bread-making. By 2017, three locations were operating across Milan. In 2018, Lievità competed in and won the gourmet pizza episode of 4 Ristoranti, defeating Pizza Biscottata Gourmet, Garage Pizza & Co., and Assaje Pizza.
What you see
Lievità’s locations share a clean, contemporary aesthetic that foregrounds the food rather than theatrical decor. The menu is built on seasonal ingredients, with toppings chosen for freshness and territorial provenance. The pizza base is thinner and lighter than traditional Neapolitan pizza and noticeably more complex in flavour due to the stone-ground flour and long fermentation. Reduced salt in the base dough further emphasises the mineral character of the wheat. The result is a product that the founders describe as producing a feeling of lightness (lievità) unlike conventional pizza experiences.
Cultural significance
Lievità represents the maturation of the Italian slow food movement into everyday urban dining. By applying craft bread-making techniques to pizza — one of Italy’s most democratic and widely consumed foods — it made artisan values accessible to a broad audience rather than restricting them to fine-dining contexts. Its Gambero Rosso recognition and television victory validated this approach at a national level, contributing to the ongoing conversation about what authentic Italian food culture means in the twenty-first century.
Practical information
- Locations
- Three addresses in Milan; check official website for current details
- Hours
- Check official website (pizzeria-lievita.com) or Google Maps for current opening times
- Reservations
- Recommended, especially on weekends
Getting there
Milan is served by Malpensa (MXP) and Linate (LIN) airports. The city Metro (MM) network, trams, and buses cover all neighbourhoods. Check current Google Maps directions for each specific Lievità address and nearest public transport stop.