Our family has found our new favorite pizza place in St. Louis. We’ve had friends begging us to go the last couple years, and for whatever reason, it just took us this long to hop over to The Hill and actually dine at Pizzeria da Gloria. It was so good, we went twice in a week.

On the first visit, I sat with my girlfriends on the patio and was immediately transported to Italy. The twinkle lights, the fountains, the flowers, the smell of pizza wafting through the doors as the waiters scurried back and forth.

I arrived a bit before my other friends and had time to study the spritz menu a bit and research some of the lesser-known ingredients to me. I went with the cappelletti spritz, and on a return visit also tried the rhubarb spritz. Both are refreshing, not overly sweet, and the perfect accompaniment to my meal. The mezcal margarita is also excellent with the cheffy addition of a smoked sage leaf.

Pizzeria da Gloria is the perfect spot to order a bunch of plates to share. Their pizzas are 12″ and in our opinion, a perfect size for two people, with the addition of a couple small plates. The meatballs are in a league of their own. Three Slagel Farms beef meatballs come on a generous serving of ricotta and served with basil, breadcrumbs, and pecorino romano. One of my favorite parts of this dish is the tomato sauce. It’s not overly sweet or acidic- the perfect balance of fresh, ripe tomatoes.

The Caesar salad is incredible, with homemade anchovy-forward dressing tossed among romaine, pecorino romano, black pepper, and house made croutons from the STL fan-favorite Union Loafers bread bakery. I am looking forward to trying their other salads, including a house, creamy Italian, and cucumber panzanella.

I’ve now tried four of the pizzas at Pizzeria da Gloria, and all have been incredible. Owner/Pizzaiolo Joe Kurowski grew up in St. Louis and studied the art of pizza making in Italy, through experiences traveling and more formal apprenticeships in both Italy and New York. His story is captivating, and instead of retelling it here, you should click over to their website and take a minute to scroll through his culinary journey. It’s worth your time. Pictured above is a seasonal pizza special- the Asparagus, which features mozzarella, asparagus, whipped ricotta, lemon, black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and pecorino romano.

No matter which pizza you choose, it’s going to be excellent. Their dedication to the art of pizza combined with the use of simple, fresh ingredients, takes a most simple dish soaring. Our kids could even tell the difference in quality when we brought them. They were both completely silent (which never happens), eyes closed with each bite, mesmerized by watching the team stretch the dough and make the pizzas. Pro-tip: if you have kiddos, they’ll love sitting inside and watching the open kitchen. Neil and I recently enjoyed the sausage and fennel pizza, with tomato sauce, mozzarella, homemade Italian sausage, and pecorino romano.

I dream of the Stracciatella pizza. This simple, beautiful creation features their perfectly crispy crust topped with tomato sauce bursting with fresh flavor and gooey hand pulled burrata filling, drizzled with extra virgin California olive oil and finished with black pepper. I split this pizza with two of my girlfriends who are the most polite women in the world. For the first time in years, nobody left a dainty “last piece” or offered to split it. We all just kept devouring every last bite, cleaning up any extra cheese or crumbs with our forks.

But that’s not all. The dessert menu features three simple offerings: basque cheesecake, chocolate tart, and tiramisu. We had the chocolate tart, which was rich and decadent chocolate nestled in a buttery graham cracker crust and topped with big flaky salt that balanced the entire dish.

Pizzeria da Gloria is a special place. I now realize why my friends wanted us to visit so badly. They knew it would steal our hearts and call us back for more. Even writing this post, I’m planning which pizza is next on my list (probably the Bonci: thinly sliced eggplant, garlic chili oil, and parsley). I’m sure we’ll post about it on Instagram when we go again. If you’re in St. Louis, bump this one up on your must-try list.

Pizzeria da Gloria: 2024 Marconi Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, 314.833.3734

Tuesday – Thursday: 11AM – 2PM (last seating 1:30), 5PM – 9PM (last seating 8:30)

Friday: 11AM – 2PM (last seating 1:30), 5PM – 10PM (last seating 9:00)

Saturday: 12PM – 10PM (last seating 9:00)

CLOSED Sunday & Monday