Top Rated Pizza Joints in Xi'an That Locals Swear By

If you're hunting for the top rated pizza joints in Xi'an, you're probably imagining a city where wheat noodles and flatbreads dominate every menu. That's fair. But Xi'an's pizza scene has grown quietly over the last decade, fueled by returning locals who studied or worked abroad, expat communities around the universities, and a younger generation that treats Friday night pizza as a weekly ritual. I've spent the better part of three years eating my way through this city's slices and pies, from cramped basement kitchens near the South Gate to sun-drenched terraces outside the Third Ring Road. What follows is my honest, locally tested directory of the best casual pizza Xi'an has to offer, with enough detail to get you to the right table at the right time.

1. Rembrandt Pizza (South Gate Area)

Address: 118 South Street (南大街118号), near the South Gate of the City Wall, Beilin District

Rembrandt has been a fixture on South Street since the early 2010s, making it one of the longest-running local pizza spots Xi'an regulars still talk about. The owner, a Xi'an native who spent several years working in Italian restaurants in Shanghai, opened this place when the South Gate area was still mostly hotels and calligraphy shops. The dining room is small, maybe twelve tables, with dark wood paneling and framed prints of Dutch landscapes that have yellowed pleasantly over the years. The oven is a stone-deck setup visible from the counter, and the dough is made in-house each morning using a 48-hour cold fermentation process that gives the crust a noticeably tangy depth.

The Vibe? Quiet, slightly old-school, the kind of place where couples linger over a single pie and a carafe of house red.

The Bill? 60–90 RMB per person for a pizza and a drink.

The Standout? The Rembrandt Special, topped with Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, caramelized onion, and a drizzle of honey that sounds strange but works beautifully against the charred crust.

The Catch? They close at 9:30 PM on weeknights, and the last hour before closing the kitchen sometimes runs out of specialty toppings, so don't show up at 9 expecting the full menu.

Best time to visit: Weekday evenings between 6:00 and 7:30 PM. Weekends get packed with families from the nearby hotels, and the wait can stretch past forty minutes after 7 PM.

Local tip: If you walk two blocks east from Rembrandt along South Street, you'll pass a tiny shop selling hand-pulled noodles for 12 RMB a bowl. Grab a quick bowl before your pizza dinner. It's the Xi'an version of a pre-dinner appetizer, and the locals who work in this neighborhood do exactly that.

What tourists don't know: Rembrandt used to operate a second location near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, but it closed in 2019. Some outdated travel blogs still list it. The South Street original is the only one left.

Connection to Xi'an: South Street has historically been the corridor connecting the old city's scholarly and merchant quarters. Rembrandt sits roughly where the city's literati once gathered for wine and calligraphy, and the restaurant's calm, unhurried atmosphere still echoes that tradition.

2. Pizza Factory (Beilin District)

Address: 27 North Gate area (北门里), Beilin District, near the Xi'an Beilin Museum

Pizza Factory is the closest thing Xi'an has to a true cheap pizza Xi'an institution. Located in a narrow storefront tucked between a print shop and a tea vendor just inside the North Gate, this place has been feeding students from the nearby universities for years. The menu is straightforward: ten-inch and fourteen-inch pies, a handful of pasta options, and soft drinks. Nothing fancy, nothing pretentious. The crust is thin and cracker-crisp, closer to Roman-style than Neapolitan, and the cheese is a mozzarella blend that melts into an even, golden layer without pooling oil.

The Vibe? Fast-casual, fluorescent-lit, with a steady stream of university students hunched over laptops in the back corner.

The Bill? 35–55 RMB per person. Two people can eat well for under 100 RMB total.

The Standout? The spicy salami pizza, which uses a locally sourced lap cheong (Chinese sweet sausage) as a topping alongside pepperoni. It's a fusion that shouldn't work but absolutely does.

The Catch? The space is tiny. If you arrive with a group larger than four, you'll almost certainly have to wait or split up across tables. There's no reservation system, just first-come-first-served.

Best time to visit: Late afternoon, around 3:30 to 5:00 PM, after the lunch rush clears out and before the dinner crowd of students arrives. You'll get the pick of tables and the fastest service.

Local tip: Ask for the house chili oil on the side. It's made in-house with Shaanxi-facing-heaven peppers and adds a numbing, smoky kick that transforms the already-good spicy salami pie into something memorable.

What tourists don't know: Pizza Factory doesn't appear on most English-language food apps. You'll need to search for it on Dianping (大众点评) using the Chinese name 披萨工厂, or you'll walk right past it.

Connection to Xi'an: The North Gate area has always been a working-class neighborhood, gritty and unpolished compared to the tourist-heavy South Gate. Pizza Factory's no-frills pricing and generous portions reflect the practical, no-nonsense character of this part of the city.

3. Stella Pizza (Yanta District)

Address: 68 Xiaozhai East Road (小寨东路68号), Yanta District, near Xiaozhai intersection

Stella Pizza sits on one of the busiest commercial strips in Xi'an's Yanta District, surrounded by electronics malls, clothing stalls, and the constant hum of the city's southern shopping zone. The restaurant occupies the second floor of a mixed-use building, up a narrow staircase next to a mobile phone repair shop. Inside, the decor is Mediterranean-inspired with whitewashed walls, blue trim, and a small open kitchen where you can watch the pizzaiolo stretching dough by hand. The oven reaches 400°C, and pies come out in under three minutes with the kind of leopard-spotted char on the cornicione that you'd expect from a dedicated Neapolitan outfit.

The Vibe? Energetic, slightly chaotic, with a mix of expats, young Chinese professionals, and families sharing tables on weekends.

The Bill? 70–110 RMB per person, depending on whether you add wine or craft beer.

The Standout? The burrata pizza, topped with fresh burrata cheese added after baking, along with San Marzano tomato sauce, basil, and a swirl of high-quality olive oil. It's the most expensive pizza on the menu at 98 RMB, and it's worth every yuan.

The Catch? The staircase up to the restaurant is steep and has no railing on the side. If you have mobility issues or are carrying small children, it's worth knowing before you commit.

Best time to visit: Tuesday or Wednesday evenings. Stella runs a midweek promotion with discounted bottles of wine, and the crowd is more relaxed than on weekends when the wait can exceed an hour.

Local tip: The Xiaozhai area is one of the most congested intersections in Xi'an. Avoid driving here between 5:00 and 7:30 PM. Take Metro Line 2 or 3 to Xiaozhai Station and walk five minutes. You'll save yourself thirty minutes of traffic stress.

What tourists don't know: Stella sources its flour directly from a mill in Gansu Province, and the owner has talked openly about wanting to develop a Xi'an-specific pizza using local ingredients like Qianhe chili oil and free-range eggs from the Wei River valley. Keep an eye out for seasonal specials.

Connection to Xi'an: Yanta District is the intellectual heart of the city, home to Xi'an Jiaotong University and Northwestern Polytechnical University. Stella's creative, slightly experimental approach to pizza mirrors the innovative energy of the student and academic community that surrounds it.

4. Mike's Pizza (Lianhu District)

Address: 15 Lianhu Road (莲湖路15号), Lianhu District, near the North Suburbs Bus Terminal

Mike's Pizza is the kind of place you find by accident. I stumbled into it on a rainy Tuesday while waiting for a bus to the northern suburbs, and I've been back at least a dozen times since. The owner, Mike, is a Shandong native who learned pizza-making from a Sicilian chef in Qingdao before moving to Xi'an in 2016. The restaurant is a single large room with mismatched chairs, a chalkboard menu, and a wood-fired oven built by Mike himself using refractory bricks he sourced from a kiln in Lintong. The dough uses a blend of Italian 00 flour and domestic high-gluten flour, which gives the crust a chewier texture than pure Neapolitan but holds up better under heavy toppings.

The Vibe? Neighborhood hangout, unpretentious, with a regular crowd of locals who greet Mike by name.

The Bill? 50–80 RMB per person.

The Standout? The four-cheese pizza with mozzarella, gorgonzola, parmesan, and a local Shaanxi aged cow's milk cheese that Mike gets from a producer in Qian County. The local cheese adds a sharp, slightly funky note that balances the richness of the other three.

The Catch? Mike closes the restaurant for two weeks every January to visit family in Shandong. There's no set date, and he doesn't always announce it on social media. If you show up during Chinese New Year season, you might find the doors locked.

Best time to visit: Weekend lunches, around noon to 1:00 PM. Mike fires up the oven at 11:30, and the first batch of pies comes out around 11:45. Arrive early and you'll get the freshest, most perfectly blistered crust of the day.

Local tip: Mike makes a mean garlic knot that isn't on the printed menu. Just ask. They're 8 RMB for a order of six, and they come with a side of marinara that has a hint of Chinese black vinegar in it.

What tourists don't know: Lianhu District is far from the tourist center, about forty minutes by metro from the Bell Tower. Most visitors never come here. But the area around Mike's has some of the best morning markets in Xi'an, with vendors selling fresh youpo noodles and hand-steamed buns from 6:00 AM onward.

Connection to Xi'an: Lianhu District represents the everyday, non-touristy Xi'an that most visitors never see. Mike's Pizza thrives here not because of foot traffic or marketing, but because of word-of-mouth loyalty from neighbors who value honest food at fair prices.

5. 2 Ounces (Weiyang District)

Address: 32 Wenjing Road (文景路32号), Weiyang District, northern Xi'an

2 Ounces is a craft pizza and beer bar that opened in 2021 and quickly became one of the most talked-about local pizza spots Xi'an's northern suburbs have produced. The space is industrial-chic, with exposed concrete walls, a long bar, and a row of taps featuring craft beers from breweries in Chengdu, Beijing, and Xi'an itself. The pizza menu changes seasonally, but the core offering is a New York-style slice with a foldable, medium-thick crust that manages to be both crispy on the bottom and airy inside. The sauce is slightly sweet, the cheese is whole-milk mozzarella, and the toppings rotate based on what's available from local suppliers.

The Vibe? Social, loud on weekend nights, with a crowd that skews toward twenty-somethings and expats working in the nearby tech corridor.

The Bill? 60–100 RMB per person, with craft beers running 35–55 RMB per pint.

The Standout? The hot honey pizza, with Calabrian chili-infused honey drizzled over pepperoni and fresh mozzarella. It's become the signature item, and for good reason. The sweet-heat combination is addictive.

The Catch? The music volume on Friday and Saturday nights crosses the line from "energetic" to "you can't hear your dining companion." If you want a conversation-friendly meal, come on a weeknight.

Best time to visit: Thursday evenings. 2 Ounces runs a slice-and-a-pint deal on Thinksdays (their playful spelling) from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, with any single slice and a house beer for 45 RMB.

Local tip: The Weiyang District is Xi'an's emerging tech and startup hub. If you're working remotely, the daytime crowd at 2 Ounces is quiet and laptop-friendly, with reliable Wi-Fi and plenty of power outlets along the bar.

What tourists don't know: The owner previously ran a pop-up pizza operation at the Xi'an Craft Beer Festival for three years before opening this permanent location. Some of the festival regulars still show up and get recognized by name.

Connection to Xi'an: Weiyang District represents the city's outward expansion, a zone of new apartment complexes, tech parks, and a younger demographic that didn't grow up in the old city. 2 Ounces reflects this new Xi'an, global in its influences, confident in its own identity, and uninterested in replicating the past.

6. Gino's Pizza (Yanta District)

Address: 225 Yanta South Road (雁塔南路225号), Yanta District, south of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Gino's Pizza occupies a curious and wonderful niche in Xi'an's pizza landscape. It's a family-run operation started by an Italian-Chinese couple, Gino (Italian, from a small town near Perugia) and his wife Li Wei (from Xi'an's Chang'an District). The restaurant is on a quiet side street south of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, far enough from the main tourist drag that most visitors walk right past it. The interior is modest, with checkered tablecloths and a single television that usually plays Italian football matches. The pizza is authentically Italian in technique, with a 72-hour fermented dough, San Marzano DOP tomatoes, and fior di latte mozzarella imported from Campania.

The Vibe? Warm, familial, like eating in someone's dining room. Gino often comes out to chat with tables.

The Bill? 80–120 RMB per person, on the higher end for Xi'an pizza but justified by the imported ingredients.

The Standout? The Diavola, with spicy salami, smoked mozzarella, and a touch of chili oil that Gino makes himself using facing-heaven peppers from Shaanxi. It's a perfect marriage of Italian technique and local flavor.

The Catch? Gino's is cashless payment only, and they prefer WeChat Pay or Alipay. Foreign visitors without these apps set up should know that they do accept physical card taps, but the machine can be finicky. Have a backup payment method ready.

Best time to visit: Early evening on weekdays, around 5:30 PM. Gino fires the oven at 5:00, and the first hour of service is the most relaxed. Weekend dinners get busy with local families, and the small dining room fills up fast.

Local tip: Ask Gino about the off-menu quattro stagioni. He'll make it if he has the ingredients on hand, and it's a step above the standard menu versions because he takes extra care with the four separate topping sections.

What tourists don't know: The street Gino's is on, Yanta South Road, has a small park at the end that locals use for evening dancing and tai chi. After your meal, walk five minutes south and you'll see a side of Xi'an community life that no guidebook mentions.

Connection to Xi'an: Gino's embodies the kind of cross-cultural exchange that has defined Xi'an for centuries. A city that was the eastern terminus of the Silk Road has always absorbed foreign influences and made them its own. Gino's pizza, with its Shaanxi chili oil and Campanian mozzarella, is a modern chapter in that same story.

7. Slice House by Momo (Beilin District)

Address: 89 Xi'an West Road (西安西路89号), Beilin District, near the West Gate

Slice House by Momo is the brainchild of Momo Zhang, a Xi'an native who spent two years in New York working in a friend's slice shop before returning home in 2020. The concept is simple: New York-style pizza sold by the slice, with a rotating selection of pies on display behind a glass counter. The space is tiny, more of a grab-and-go operation than a sit-down restaurant, with a few stools along one wall and a standing counter by the window. The crust is thin but sturdy, with enough structural integrity to hold a full slice without flopping, and the cheese-to-sauce ratio leans cheese-heavy in the best possible way.

The Vibe? Quick, urban, no-frills. You order, you eat, you move on.

The Bill? 18–30 RMB per slice, with most people ordering two slices and a drink for around 50 RMB total.

The Standout? The white slice with ricotta, garlic oil, and fresh basil. It's not always available, but when it is, it's the best single slice in the city.

The Catch? There are only six seats. If you want to eat with a friend, you'll likely need to take your slices to the nearby West Gate square and eat on a bench. In summer this is pleasant. In January, not so much.

Best time to visit: Lunchtime, 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM, when the full slice selection is available. By 3:00 PM, the display case is often down to three or four options.

Local tip: Momo makes a special dipping sauce using Xi'an's local sweet vinegar and crushed garlic. It's not on the counter. You have to ask for it by name, "momo jiang" (momo sauce), and she'll bring it out from the back.

What tourists don't know: Slice House is only about 200 meters from the West Gate of the City Wall. If you're doing the wall cycling tour, this is the perfect refuel stop. Lock up your bike, grab two slices, and you're back on the wall in fifteen minutes.

Connection to Xi'an: The West Gate area has historically been a transit point, where goods and people entered the city from the west. Slice House channels that same energy of movement and exchange, offering a fast, affordable, globally influenced bite to people on their way somewhere else.

8. Bistro 36 (Xincheng District)

Address: 36 Zhujiang Road (珠江路36号), Xincheng District, near the Xi'an North Railway Station

Bistro 36 is the outlier on this list. It's not a pizza restaurant per se. It's a European-style bistro that happens to serve one of the best wood-fired pizzas in the city. The restaurant sits in a converted ground-floor apartment near the North Railway Station, with a small garden terrace that fills up the moment the weather turns warm. The pizza menu is short, only six options, but each one is executed with a precision that suggests the kitchen takes the dough as seriously as the steak frites. The crust is a hybrid style, thinner than Neapolitan but with more puff and chew, and the toppings are seasonal and locally sourced whenever possible.

The Vibe? Relaxed, slightly upscale, popular with business travelers staying at the nearby hotels and locals celebrating small occasions.

The Bill? 100–150 RMB per person, making it the most expensive entry on this list.

The Standout? The truffle pizza, made with black truffle cream, wild mushrooms foraged from the Qinling Mountains, and a single quail egg cracked into the center. It's 128 RMB and serves one person generously or two as a shared starter.

The Catch? The garden terrace is first-come-first-served and unshaded. In July and August, sitting outside between noon and 4:00 PM is genuinely uncomfortable, even with the misting fans they've installed. Book indoor seating or come after 6:00 PM.

Best time to visit: Weekend brunch, 10:00 AM to noon. Bistro 36 runs a brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays that includes a pizza-of-the-day alongside eggs, pastries, and good coffee. The crowd is light, the garden is pleasant, and the pace is unhurried.

Local tip: The Qinling mountain mushrooms on the truffle pizza are foraged seasonally, typically from September through November. Outside of those months, the kitchen substitutes with cultivated shiitake and oyster mushrooms. The difference is noticeable. If you're visiting in autumn, order this pizza.

What tourists don't know: Bistro 36 shares a building with a small independent bookstore that operates on the second floor. After your meal, head upstairs and browse. Most of the books are in Chinese, but there's a small English-language section focused on Shaanxi history and culture.

Connection to Xi'an: Xincheng District is the area surrounding Xi'an's North Railway Station, the high-speed gateway that connects this ancient city to Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and beyond. Bistro 36, with its European bistro format and local ingredient sourcing, represents the way Xi'an sits at the intersection of tradition and modernity, local and global, ancient and new.

When to Go and What to Know

Xi'an's pizza scene doesn't follow the same seasonal rhythm as its traditional food culture. Roujiamo stalls peak in winter, lamb hot pot rules the cold months, but pizza is a year-round affair here. That said, the best time to explore these local pizza spots Xi'an has to offer is autumn, September through November, when the weather is dry and cool enough to enjoy a wood-fired pie without sweating through your shirt. Spring is a close second, though March and April bring occasional sandstorms from the north that can make outdoor dining at places like Bistro 36's terrace unpleasant.

Most of these restaurants accept WeChat Pay and Alipay. Cash is accepted at the smaller spots like Pizza Factory and Mike's, but you'll get a puzzled look if you try to pay with anything larger than a 100 RMB note. International credit cards work at Bistro 36 and 2 Ounces, but don't count on them at Gino's or Slice House.

If you're planning a pizza crawl across the city, group your visits by geography. Day one could cover the Beilin District cluster (Rembrandt, Pizza Factory, Slice House), all within a thirty-minute walk of each other. Day two could hit the Yanta District spots (Stella, Gino's), which are about twenty minutes apart by taxi. Day three takes you north to Mike's and 2 Ounces, and day four wraps up with Bistro 36 near the train station.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the one must-try local specialty food or drink that Xi'an is famous for?

Yangrou Paomo (crumbled flatbread in mutton soup) is the dish most locals will point you to first. You'll find it at restaurants across the city, with the most traditional versions served near the Bell Tower and Dongmutoushi Street. A full bowl costs between 25 and 45 RMB depending on the restaurant, and the experience of tearing your own flatbread into small pieces before the kitchen adds the broth is something you won't find anywhere else in China.

How easy is it to find pure vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based dining options in Xi'an?

Vegetarian restaurants are common due to the city's significant Buddhist population, with over 30 dedicated vegetarian establishments listed on Dianping as of 2024. However, vegan-specific options at pizza joints are limited. Most of the places on this list can make a pizza without cheese, but cross-contamination with meat products in the oven is standard. For strict vegan dining, seek out the Buddhist vegetarian restaurants near the City Wall's South Gate rather than relying on pizza shops.

Is the tap water in Xi'an to drink, or should travelers strictly rely on filtered water options?

Xi'an's tap water is treated and technically safe by municipal standards, but most residents and all restaurants use filtered or bottled water for drinking and cooking. You should do the same. A 500 ml bottle of water costs 2 to 4 RMB at any convenience store, and most restaurants serve filtered water for free. Boiling water is available free of charge at virtually every dining establishment in the city.

Is Xi'an expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers?

A mid-tier daily budget in Xi'an runs approximately 400 to 600 RMB per person, excluding accommodation. This covers three meals (80 to 150 RMB for food), metro or taxi transport (30 to 60 RMB), and one attraction entry fee (50 to 120 RMB). A mid-range hotel room costs 250 to 400 RMB per night. Pizza dinners at the spots listed here will run 50 to 120 RMB per person, placing them squarely in the mid-range dining category.

Are there any specific dress codes or cultural etiquettes to keep in mind when visiting local spots in Xi'an?

There are no formal dress codes at any restaurant in Xi'an, including the more upscale bistros. However, when dining at small, family-run local pizza spots Xi'an residents frequent, such as Mike's or Pizza Factory, it helps to greet the owner or staff with a simple "ni hao" upon arrival. Tipping is not expected or practiced in Xi'an. Leaving money on the table will typically result in someone chasing you down to return it.