In Novato, you can eat pizza for weeks and only encounter three random slices of pineapple, which are probably hiding under a mountain of pepperoni (and have no business being there). But that makes us even more appreciative of these seven spots, which are showing pizza the respect it deserves—and using lots of local ingredients in the process.
THE VENUE by Ghiringhelli’s
$$ | (415) 878-4977 | WEBSITE
The owner here introduces this place as her take on a versatile event space—if it studied abroad in Italy and fell in love with pizza. The fact that they’ve given the venue an entire fictional backstory is already a good sign. It starts with professional service from Olympia and her staff mixed with live music, vintage clothing, and salsa dancing. Then it’s blanketed with a snowstorm of delightful cocktails.
This is a fancy gathering spot that can proudly stand side by side with the appealing food, personalized decorations, and social atmosphere at THE VENUE’s events.
The Village Italian Restaurant
$$ | (415) 898-2234 | WEBSITE
Step into The Village Italian Restaurant, and you’ll see a gorgeous cathedral ceiling, stout wooden beams, and perhaps a potato-skin-style pizza appetizer. Context clues would lead one to believe that this is a place to order classic Italian comfort food. That’s only half true. The Village Italian Restaurant’s most underrated superpower is customization. They excel at making vegetarian options shine.
If the addictive garlic cheese bread without cheese doesn’t convince you, try the linguine al pesto with sausage that’s doing a pitch-perfect impression of rustic home cooking. The dishes get tweaked often, but the freshness they’re given remains at a level similar to a nervous 15-year-old meeting his girlfriend’s huge father for the first time.
Boca Pizzeria
$$ | (415) 883-2302 | WEBSITE
What Boca Pizzeria has done for pizza, it can also do with pasta. There’s no singing (long story) involved in their rigatoni, but it does make a lot of noise with all of the Italian sausage, braised kale, and truffle cream involved. It’s even a bit interactive, with that thin, crispy crust for scooping up sausage, cheese, and tomato sauce all covered in great flavors.
There are many delicious things that hit the table after this arrives, like the light and fluffy gnocchi or the truffled mac and cheese, but this pasta refuses to be upstaged by any of them.
Round Table Pizza
$ | (415) 897-2512 | WEBSITE
Round Table Pizza turns its King Arthur supreme into a glorious mountain of toppings piled high on a perfectly crispy crust. You’ll see it on just about every table in this family-friendly spot for a reason. It tastes like they’re using a pound of pepperoni per slice. Full disclosure, that’s the only pizza we’ve had a chance to try at this Marin county favorite, but it has already proven to us that this team respects pizza.
We’ve got a good feeling about the veggie pizza with artichoke and green onions and an even better feeling about the Maui Zaui pizza, which comes with ham, pineapple, bacon, and just the right amount of red sauce.
Stefano’s Pizza
$$ | (415) 878-4959 | WEBSITE
Many of the pizza spots in this guide come and go with the trends. But Stefano’s Pizza is the reliable home of the first pie we ever inducted into our personal Pizza Hall Of Fame: the chicken, bacon & pesto pizza. It tastes like being launched directly into your favorite neighborhood pizzeria during their dinner rush. Every slice is a collision with perfectly cooked crust, just-right cheese, savory chicken, smoky bacon, and fragrant pesto.
Close your eyes and you can persuade your senses that you’re devouring a classic New York slice instead of enjoying a thoughtfully balanced pizza at a friendly new restaurant.
Mountain Mike’s Pizza
$$ | (415) 898-8800 | WEBSITE
Pizza is always a good sign when it comes to a casual spot. And that’s the first thing you notice with Mountain Mike’s classic pie. It’s the main attraction on the menu, and is usually topped with a generous layer of mozzarella and pepperoni. Beyond all that cheese, you can expect consistent, reliable quality—but always a satisfying flavor balance that shifts from savory to tangy. It’s crispy, hearty, and a comforting experience akin to settling into a well-worn booth on game day.
The last time we ordered this, it featured a perfectly charred crust with a chewy, airy interior as well as rich, savory notes of tomato sauce. There were also golden-brown onion rings, a side of chicken wings, and cheese. A gloriously unrestrained amount of cheese.
Extreme Pizza
$ | (415) 898-6575 | WEBSITE
Extreme Pizza is all about vegan options, customization, and feeling satisfied with a quick lunch in Novato. But they don’t drop the ball on the classic pizza experience. You have standout pies here: Ghost Wave, Yard Sale, or PAIA PIE. The PAIA PIE is delicious and topped with quality ingredients and attention to detail. But the Ghost Wave is what you want between bites of a fresh salad.
It’s not overly spicy, crispy, dusted in locally made hot sauce, and comes with a variety of flavors you’ll want to add all over those pizza slices to make it even more satisfying.