Hey there, food lovers and wanderers. If you’re looking for real Italian food in Sedona, you can stop looking. Imagine stepping into a small restaurant in the back streets of Rome — the espresso machine going, someone shouting an order, bread that smells like it took time. That’s what we built here, on 89A in West Sedona.
Family Operated Since Our First Kitchen in 1996
We’re not one of the many restaurants around here. We’re family operated, we serve with humility and pride, and we cook the food we actually grew up on — Sicilian from Palermo, Piemontese from Torino, Roman by training. Whether you’re craving pizza, a memorable dining experience, or a pinsa romana after a long hike, Vespa is your go-to destination. No doubt.
Food Is Our Love Language
What Actually Makes Us Different
Seventy-Two Hours of Patience
Our pinsa dough is four ingredients — flour, water, yeast, sea salt — and it rests cold at 4–6°C for three full days before anyone touches it. That is what makes it light and crisp at the edge. We did the waiting so you don’t have to think about it afterward. How the dough works →
Flour From the Man Who Invented Pinsa
Pinsa romana was created in 2001 by Corrado Di Marco. We buy our flour from Di Marco — the original three-flour blend, not an American approximation. Milled outside Rome, certified non-GMO, screened for pesticide residue under European standards. Our pasta is made fresh in Italy and imported; we don’t pretend to do it better than people who have done it for generations.
Two Grandmothers
Nonna Pina taught this family the kitchen. Nonna Maria taught the coffee bar. That is why we are a café and not only a restaurant — the espresso here is its own discipline, handed down by its own teacher. Meet the family →
Easy on the Body
Long fermentation, clean sourcing, four ingredients, and a bread that sits lighter than standard pizza. Food that doesn’t sit on you for the rest of the afternoon — which matters more than usual when you’ve got a trail to get back to.
Perfect Location
1350 W State Route 89A, Suite 22 — West Sedona, not Uptown. Easier parking, and we’re open from 11am every day without closing between lunch and dinner.
A Culinary Journey Through Italy
Sicilian aubergine, Ligurian pesto, Roman flatbread, and the desserts that close an Italian meal properly. Our menu is a map of where this family comes from. See the full menu →
72-HOUR FERMENTED | FOUR INGREDIENTS | ROMAN FLATBREAD
NOT GLUTEN FREE: UNIQUELY BETTER.
Our menu is a trip through Italy — Roman flatbread, Sicilian aubergine, Ligurian pesto, and the desserts that end every Italian meal properly.
Some dishes live beyond the main list. Ask us what is available or explore our secret menu.
LA PINSA ROMANA
Roman Style Pizza
Ten varieties on a 72-hour, 85%-hydration dough. Oval, not round. Airy inside, shattering at the edge. Start with the Margherita if it’s your first time, or the Rucola e Prosciutto if it isn’t.
ANTIPASTI & INSALATE
Appetizers & Salads
Bruschetta Capri, Burrata Caprese, organic leaves with apple and toasted pistachio. Italian starters wake your appetite rather than blunting it.
SORRISI FARCITI
Sandwiches
Built on the same three-day dough, filled and folded. Lunch that doesn’t slow you down.
People come to Sedona and search for pizza. Then they find us and see the word pinsa, and reasonably wonder whether they’re about to be talked out of what they wanted.
You’re not. Pinsa romana is pizza — it’s the Roman version, and it’s older than the Neapolitan one everybody pictures. Round versus oval. One flour versus three. A few hours of rising versus seventy-two.
What that means when it arrives: a base that’s crisp underneath and open inside, with a bit of chew and no grease. It doesn’t fold like New York pizza and it isn’t soupy in the middle like Neapolitan. It’s its own thing, and once people have had it they tend to stop comparing.
We bake it on stone over gas at around 608°F. Not a wood oven — Neapolitan pizza wants ferocious heat for ninety seconds, and this dough doesn’t. It wants steady heat, held exactly, from the first order at 11am to the last one at night. So if you searched for the best pizza in Sedona and ended up here: you’re in the right place. It just took us three days to get ready for you.
Nonna Maria taught this family the coffee bar, so the espresso here is not an afterthought. Italian beans, pulled the way it is drunk in Rome — standing at the counter, quickly, no ceremony.
The wine list is short and chosen to sit alongside this food rather than to impress anyone. We keep a proper range of amari, the herbal digestivi that close a meal in Italy — a little sweet, a little bitter, and kind to a full stomach.
Espresso That Wakes You Up: We use the best Italian coffee beans to make espresso that’s rich, strong, and totally authentic.
Wines for Every Taste: Red, white, rosé – we’ve got a wine to match your mood and your meal. Let us help you pick the perfect one!
Cool Cocktails and More: From Italian NA sodas, classic aperitivos staples like Aperol Spritz and Campari soda, to Locally sourced Mocktails, and Classic Martinis and Craft Cocktails, we’ve got plenty of ways to quench your thirst.
Amaros (Trust Us): These herbal liqueurs are a classic Italian way to end a meal. They’re a little sweet, a little bitter, and totally unique.
Planning Your Visit
WALK-INS WELCOME | DOGS WELCOME OUTSIDE | OPEN 11AM DAILY
No reservations, and that’s on purpose
We don’t take bookings. Walk in and we’ll find you a table. The quiet window is 11am to 12:30pm — hikers come off the trails around 1pm and every kitchen in Sedona gets slammed at once. Come before noon and you’ll barely wait.
Bring the dog — here’s how it works
Dogs are welcome at our outdoor tables. It runs a little differently from inside: order at the counter, we pack it up for you, and you carry it out. There’s no table service outside, and Arizona liquor law keeps wine and cocktails indoors. But after a morning on the trail together, you and the dog get to sit down in the Sedona air instead of eating in the car — and that’s worth knowing before you drive over.
Order ahead or take it with you
Order online through Toast and collect, or call and we’ll have it ready. Everything on the menu travels — the pinsa in particular holds up far better than pizza does.
Open straight through
11am to 9pm Sunday through Thursday, 11am to 10pm Friday and Saturday. We don’t close between lunch and dinner, which in this town is rarer than it should be.
Finding us
West Sedona, on 89A — not Uptown. 1350 W State Route 89A, Suite 22. Free parking in the plaza lot, though it fills up around the middle of the day like everything else in this town. Another reason to come before noon. Directions and landmarks →
CUSTOMIZED MENUS TO SUIT YOUR EVENT | OFF & ON-SITE EXPERIENCE
We cater weddings, private parties, corporate events and retreats across the Sedona area — the same kitchen and the same 72-hour dough, wherever you are celebrating.
Every event is fully custom. Tell us what you are planning and someone will reach out within 10 minutes. Guaranteed. That is the thing our clients mention most.
CAREER GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT | EMBRACE THE VESPA SPIRIT
Join our team at Vespa. We value excellence, creativity and a real commitment to hospitality — the Italian kind, where looking after people is the job rather than a policy.
The Zacchino family came from Piazza Sant’Onofrio in Palermo, by way of Sanremo on the Ligurian coast, and opened its first American restaurant in Phoenix in 1996 — Tutti Santi by Nina, still going today. Vespa came later, and further north.
Leonardo is the patriarch. Matteo runs this kitchen. Over the years we have become the local’s favourite and a visiting must, and the reason is not complicated: we cook the way our grandmothers taught us, and we treat people like they have come to the house. More about the family →
While in Sedona for a few days, my wife and I discovered an amazing little restaurant, Vespa Healthy Italian Cafe. We were looking for a light lunch, so we decided to check it out. Turns out, we were so impressed by the menu and the service, we came back a second time before leaving town. Our server, Alex, was incredible. His knowledge of the menu items, the cuisine, what they import, and his recommendations, is impressive. Alex served us on both visits and he was spot on with his suggestion to try the Burrata and the Focaccia. Don't even question it, just order them! Vespa is officially our favorite restaurant in Sedona, and we will be back every time we are in the area. Thanks!
Greg S.
1 October 2023
Verified
+0
My wife and I grabbed lunch here yesterday and it was fantastic. As an appetizer we ordered a special with burrata over locally grown sliced tomatoes with a side of focaccia. It was fantastic. Really refreshing and super tasty. We then ordered a Pisa Romana with pesto and it was also delicious. Not only was the quality of the food incredible, the service was great. Very friendly and informative. As a pizza lover and pizza maker myself, I highly recommend this restaurant!
Dawn C
27 April 2022
Verified
Dog friendly patio! Amazing Italian! Fabulous flat bread pizza and outdoor patio for the dogs too! Loves the owners too who were super friendly and made us feel warm and welcome. Drive my Vespa and my dog, Potato, here too!
Mitra G.
6 May 2024
Verified
The food was heavenly delicious. The service was great. The owner came and chatted with us. The ambiance is fresh and friendly.
Jacob Miller
26 July 2022
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The BEST pizza I've ever had in my short 24 years of life so far. Bar none. Blows every single other pizza I've ever had outta the water, even pies I've had in NYC don't even hold a candle to what's served here. Would definitely return here again.
Dayan Sanchez
18 February 2026
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
This is the most amazing experience ever. Matteo (owner) was extremely kind, he made us feel in Italy and the the team was so friendly. Also, I enjoyed the most healthy pizza and sandwich because the bread is made with nurture and careful processing for our health. I really recommend this restaurant.
Tim Garner
6 January 2026
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
+1
Best pizza I have ever eaten. If you are in Sedona, don't miss eating here.
Damian Bruno (SedonaDamian)
10 August 2025
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Great place to drop for an espresso! As a Sedona local Vespa is one of favorite locations for lunch! Just love there pizza!
John Howard
19 September 2024
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We ordered take out tonight. This is our first time to visit this establishment. Let me tell you…. the service was absolutely perfect! Greeted immediately and almost on cue a gentlemen approached me with my dinner in hand! Perfectly presented with utensils nicely placed on top. The food was incredible! Every item had its own flavor profile. We’re only in town for a few more days but we’ll be having Vespa again for sure! Perhaps dinning in next time and enjoy the vibe!!
Melissa S
8 March 2024
Verified
What a find! We found Vespa by accident and WOW what a find! Without a doubt the best (and MOST reasonably priced) meal we had in Sedona. Don’t miss it.
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