Best Pizza Places in Sousse: Where to Go for a Proper Slice
Words by
Mehdi Chaieb
The Best Pizza Places in Sousse: Where to Go for a Proper Slice
I have been eating pizza in Sousse for the better part of fifteen years, long before the city became the go-to coastal escape for Tunisians from the capital and Europeans chasing affordable Mediterranean sun. The pizza scene here has grown from a handful of forgettable hotel restaurants into something genuinely exciting, a mix of old-school Italian-run trattorias, Tunisian-owned spots that have figured out how to marry local ingredients with Neapolitan technique, and a few newer places that are pushing boundaries without losing sight of what makes a good slice work. If you are looking for the best pizza places in Sousse, this guide is the one I wish someone had handed me when I first arrived. Every spot listed below I have visited multiple times, ordered from more than once, and in some cases, I know the owner by first name. Sousse is not Naples, and it is not Rome, but the pizza here has its own identity, shaped by Tunisian olive oil, local harissa, and a Mediterranean pace that means nobody is rushing you out the door.
1. La Piazza, Avenue Taieb Mhiri
Avenue Taieb Mhiri is the main commercial artery of central Sousse, and La Piazza has been holding down a spot here for years, serving what many locals consider the benchmark for a proper thin-crust pizza in the city. The place is run by an Italian-Tunisian family who source their mozzarella from a dairy supplier in the Sahel region, and you can taste the difference. Their Margherita is the one to order, simple and unpretentious, with a charred crust that has just the right amount of chew. I have also had their Diavola, which uses a spicy salami that leans more toward the Tunisian merguez flavor profile than anything you would find in southern Italy, and it works surprisingly well.
What to Order: The Margherita with a drizzle of local Sousse olive oil, which the staff will bring to the table without being asked if you mention you know what you are doing.
Best Time: Weekday evenings around 7:30 PM, before the after-work crowd from the nearby office buildings fills every table. Friday and Saturday nights are packed and you will wait at least thirty minutes for a seat.
The Vibe: Family-run warmth with a slightly chaotic energy during peak hours. The outdoor terrace on Avenue Taieb Mhiri is pleasant in spring and autumn but gets uncomfortably warm in July and August, even with the overhead fans.
Insider Detail: If you sit at the counter near the kitchen, you can watch the pizzaiolo stretch the dough by hand. He has been doing it for over a decade and does not use a rolling pin, ever. Ask for the house chili oil, which is made in-house from local Baklouti peppers, not the generic stuff.
Local Tip: Parking on Avenue Taieb Mhiri is a nightmare after 6 PM. Walk or take a petit taxi and ask the driver to drop you at the intersection near the post office, which is a two-minute walk away.
2. Il Pizzaiolo, Rue de Paris
Rue de Paris runs parallel to the eastern edge of the medina and is one of those streets that feels like it belongs to a different, quieter version of Sousse. Il Pizzaiolo sits halfway down, easy to miss if you are not looking for it, with a modest awning and a wood-burning oven visible from the sidewalk. This is the place I take visitors who say they have had enough of Tunisian food for a few days and want something familiar but done right. The owner trained in Sicily before moving to Sousse, and his dough has a fermentation process that takes a full 48 hours, which gives it a depth of flavor that the quicker places cannot replicate.
What to Order: The Quattro Formaggi, which uses a blend that includes a local Tunisian fresh cheese alongside the usual suspects. It is rich, almost too rich, but that is the point.
Best Time: Lunch, between 12:30 and 1:30 PM, when the oven is at its hottest and the crust comes out with the best char. Dinner service exists but the kitchen is slower and the wait times stretch.
The Vibe: Intimate and low-lit, with maybe eight tables total. It feels like eating in someone's home, which is both the appeal and the limitation, since large groups are out of the question.
Insider Detail: The restaurant does not have a printed menu. The owner recites what is available each day based on what came from the market that morning. If he mentions a special with artichokes, order it immediately. Artichoke season in the Sahel is short and he only makes it a few weeks a year.
Local Tip: The street is one-way and poorly signposted. If you are driving, approach from the south via Rue de Kairouan, not from the medina side, or you will end up doing a frustrating loop.
3. Pizza Roma, Boulevard 7 Novembre
Boulevard 7 Novembre is the seaside boulevard that runs along Sousse's waterfront, and Pizza Roma has been a fixture here for as long as I can remember. It is not the most refined pizza you will find in the city, but it has a consistency and a location that keep people coming back. The place caters heavily to tourists and Tunisian families on weekend outings, so the menu is broad, covering everything from classic Italian toppings to Tunisian-inspired options with tuna, olives, and harissa. The crust here is thicker than what you would get at La Piazza or Il Pizzaiolo, closer to a Roman-style base, and it holds up well under heavier toppings.
What to Order: The Tunisie Special, which is their house pizza topped with canned tuna, black olives, capers, and a spread of harissa under the cheese. It sounds odd if you have never had it, but this combination is everywhere in Tunisian cuisine and it translates perfectly to pizza.
Best Time: Early evening, around 6 PM, before the boulevard gets crowded with strolling families. The outdoor seating has a direct view of the sea, and catching the sunset from here is one of the underrated pleasures of eating in Sousse.
The Vibe: Loud, family-friendly, and unapologetically tourist-oriented. The service can be slow during the summer high season when the place is staffed with seasonal workers who are still learning the menu.
Insider Detail: There is a back room that most tourists never find. It is quieter, air-conditioned, and has a separate entrance from the side street. If the main dining area is full, ask the host if the back room is open. It usually is on weekdays.
Local Tip: The boulevard is pedestrianized in sections during summer evenings, so plan your approach on foot if you are visiting between June and September.
4. Chez Mario, Rue de Sidi Bou Mendel
Rue de Sidi Bou Mendel is in the older part of the city, close to the port area, and it has a character that is rougher and more working-class than the polished tourist zones. Chez Mario is a small, no-frills pizzeria that has been here for years, serving the dock workers, fishermen, and residents of the neighborhood. The pizza is not going to win any awards for presentation, but the flavors are honest and the prices are the lowest you will find for a sit-down pizza anywhere in Sousse. The owner, whose actual name is not Mario, is a Tunisian from Sfax who learned to make pizza from an Italian colleague decades ago and has been doing it his own way ever since.
What to Order: The Merguez Pizza, which uses the spicy North African sausage that is a staple of Tunisian street food. It is greasy, filling, and exactly what you want after a long day of walking around the medina.
Best Time: Late afternoon, around 4 or 5 PM, when the place is quiet and you can take your time. It closes relatively early by Sousse standards, usually by 10 PM.
The Vibe: Barely decorated, fluorescent lighting, plastic chairs. This is not a place for a romantic dinner. It is a place for a honest meal at a fair price, and there is something refreshing about that in a city where some restaurants charge tourist premiums for mediocre food.
Insider Detail: The kitchen uses a gas oven, not wood-fired, which is unusual for a place that takes its pizza this seriously. The owner says the gas oven gives him more control over the temperature, and after eating here dozens of times, I am not going to argue with the results.
Local Tip: The neighborhood around Rue de Sidi Bou Mendel is safe during the day but can feel a bit desolate after dark. If you are walking back to the center, stick to the main roads and avoid the narrow side alleys.
5. La Dolce Vita, Avenue Hedi Chaker
Avenue Hedi Chaker is one of the more upscale streets in Sousse, lined with banks, travel agencies, and a handful of restaurants that cater to a slightly more affluent clientele. La Dolce Vita fits right in, with a clean, modern interior and a menu that goes well beyond pizza to include pasta, seafood, and grilled meats. But the pizza is the reason to come. They use a wood-burning oven imported from Italy, and the dough is made with a blend of Italian "00" flour and a small percentage of local semolina, which gives the crust a slightly golden color and a nutty flavor that I have not encountered at other places in the city.
What to Order: The Truffle Pizza, which uses a truffle cream rather than fresh truffle shavings. It is indulgent and not cheap by Sousse standards, but the portion is generous and the flavor is genuinely good.
Best Time: Dinner, any night of the week. This is one of the few pizza places in Sousse that takes reservations, and I would recommend making one, especially on weekends.
The Vibe: Polished and slightly formal, with white tablecloths and a wine list that is surprisingly decent for Tunisia. The air conditioning is strong, which is a genuine selling point in August.
Insider Detail: The restaurant has a small private dining area in the back that can seat about ten people. It is not listed on the menu or mentioned by the staff unless you ask. If you are traveling with a group, request it when you book.
Local Tip: There is a parking lot behind the building that is shared with the adjacent bank. It is free for restaurant patrons, but you need to validate your ticket with the host. Most people do not know this and end up paying for street parking.
6. Pizzeria Napoli, Rue de Kairouan
Rue de Kairouan is one of the main roads connecting the center of Sousse to the southern suburbs and the road to Kairouan itself. Pizzeria Napoli is located in the stretch closer to the medina, and it is a place that flies under the radar for most visitors, who tend to stick to the waterfront or the tourist-heavy zones. The pizza here is solidly Neapolitan in style, with a soft, puffy cornicione and a slightly wet center that is characteristic of the genre. The owner is a Neapolitan who moved to Sousse over twenty years ago and has stubbornly refused to adapt his recipe to local tastes, which I respect even if it means the pizzas here are not always to everyone's liking.
What to Order: The Marinara, which has no cheese, just tomato, garlic, oregano, and olive oil. It is the purest test of a pizzaiolo's skill, and here it is excellent.
Best Time: Anytime. This place has steady traffic throughout the day and rarely feels either empty or overcrowded. If you want a reliable meal without planning around peak hours, this is your spot.
The Vibe: Casual and unpretentious, with a few tables outside and a simple interior. The owner sometimes stands outside smoking and chatting with passersby, which gives the place a neighborhood feel that the more polished restaurants lack.
Insider Detail: The owner makes his own ricotta in-house, and on certain days he offers a special pizza with ricotta and anchovies that is not on the regular menu. There is no set schedule for when he makes it, so it is a matter of luck, but if you see it mentioned on the chalkboard when you walk in, do not hesitate.
Local Tip: The street can be congested during rush hour. If you are coming from the medina, it is faster to walk than to drive, as the distance is only about eight hundred meters.
7. Le Jardin, Hammam Sousse (Northern Suburb)
Hammam Sousse is the northern suburb that blends almost seamlessly into the main city, and Le Jardin is a restaurant that sits on a side street just off the main road, surrounded by a small garden that gives the place its name. It is primarily a general restaurant, but the pizza section of the menu is extensive and well-executed. What sets Le Jardin apart is the setting, eating pizza under olive trees with the sound of birds and the distant hum of the city is a completely different experience from the indoor, oven-heavy atmosphere of most pizzerias. The dough is made in-house, and while it is not as refined as what you would get at Il Pizzaiolo, it is more than serviceable, and the toppings are fresh and generous.
What to Order: The Vegetariana, which comes loaded with grilled vegetables including zucchini, eggplant, and peppers that are sourced from the weekly market in Hammam Sousse.
Best Time: Weekend lunch, particularly on Saturdays when the garden is at its best and the place has a relaxed, almost countryside feel. In winter, the garden is less appealing and the indoor seating is the better option.
The Vibe: Peaceful and green, a genuine escape from the noise of central Sousse. Families with children tend to dominate the weekend crowd, so if you want quiet, aim for a weekday.
Insider Detail: The garden has a small play area for kids, which the staff will point out if you have children with you. It is basic, just a swing and a small slide, but it keeps little ones occupied while adults eat.
Local Tip: Hammam Sousse is easily reached by louage (shared taxi) from the main station in Sousse. The ride takes about ten to fifteen minutes and costs less than a dollar. Ask the driver to drop you at the Hammam Sousse roundabout and walk from there.
8. Fast Food Pizza Spots Along Boulevard Maiza
I would be doing a disservice to the top pizza restaurants Sousse has to offer if I ignored the fast food pizza culture that thrives along Boulevard Maiza and the surrounding streets in the Chabat La Rabba area. These are not sit-down places. They are counter-service spots where you order, pay, and either take your pizza to go or eat it standing at a high table by the window. The quality varies wildly, but a few of them produce slices that are genuinely impressive for the price, which is usually between 3 and 5 Tunisian dinars for a personal-sized pizza. The style here is closer to what you would find in a Roman al taglio shop, with the pizza baked in large rectangular trays and sold by weight or by the slice.
What to Order: The pepperoni slice at the spot on the corner of Boulevard Maiza and Rue Ibn Jazzar. The pepperoni is local merguez sliced thin, and the cheese is a processed variety that melts into a gooey, satisfying layer that more artisanal places would never use but that works perfectly in this context.
Best Time: Late night, after 10 PM, when these places are at their busiest and the ovens are running nonstop. This is when the pizza is freshest, coming straight out of the oven rather than sitting under a heat lamp.
The Vibe: Fast, cheap, and social. These spots are where young people in Sousse go after a night out, and the energy is high, the music is loud, and nobody is thinking about whether the crust has the right level of char.
Insider Detail: Most of these places do not have names that are easy to find online. They are known by their location or by the owner's nickname. The best way to find the good ones is to ask a local taxi driver or a shopkeeper in the area. Tunisians are generally happy to point you toward their favorite spot.
Local Tip: Carry cash. Almost none of these fast food pizza places accept cards, and the nearest ATM may be a five-minute walk away.
Where to Eat Pizza Sousse: A Neighborhood Breakdown
Understanding the geography of Sousse helps make sense of where to eat pizza Sousse has scattered across its neighborhoods. The medina and its immediate surroundings, including Rue de Paris and Rue de Sidi Bou Mendel, tend to have the older, more established places with a local clientele. The waterfront along Boulevard 7 Novembre is where you find the tourist-oriented spots with sea views and higher prices. Avenue Hedi Chaker and Avenue Taieb Mhiri are the commercial centers, where the mid-range and upscale options cluster. Hammam Sousse and the northern suburbs offer a more relaxed, garden-oriented dining experience. And the fast food pizza culture thrives in the residential neighborhoods like Chabat La Rabba, where Boulevard Maiza serves as the main artery. Each area has its own rhythm, and the best approach is to match your mood to the neighborhood rather than trying to find one perfect spot that does everything.
When to Go and What to Know
Sousse is a year-round city, but the pizza experience shifts with the seasons. Summer, from June through September, brings an influx of tourists that drives up prices and wait times at the popular waterfront and medina-adjacent spots. If you are visiting during this period, book ahead where possible and consider the less touristy neighborhoods for a more relaxed meal. The shoulder seasons of April, May, October, and November are ideal, warm enough for outdoor seating but not so hot that the indoor air conditioning becomes a factor. Winter is quiet, and some of the garden restaurants like Le Jardin reduce their hours or close the outdoor seating entirely.
Tunisia is a predominantly Muslim country, and while Sousse is relatively liberal by national standards, it is worth being mindful of local customs. Most pizza places serve alcohol, but not all of them do, and the ones that do may not advertise it openly. If having a beer or a glass of wine with your pizza is important to you, call ahead or ask when you arrive. Tipping is not mandatory but is appreciated. Rounding up the bill or leaving 5 to 10 percent is standard practice, and the staff will remember you for it on your next visit.
The currency is the Tunisian dinar, and as of recent years, the exchange rate has fluctuated significantly. A personal pizza at a fast food spot costs between 3 and 5 dinars, while a sit-down restaurant pizza ranges from 12 to 25 dinars depending on the toppings and the venue. A meal for two at a mid-range place like La Piazza or La Dolce Vita, including drinks, will run you roughly 40 to 60 dinars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any specific dress codes or cultural etiquettes to keep in mind when visiting local spots in Sousse?
Sousse is a coastal tourist city and relatively relaxed compared to more conservative inland areas. Casual clothing is acceptable at virtually all pizza restaurants, including shorts and sandals at casual spots. At more upscale places like La Dolce Vita on Avenue Hedi Chaker, smart casual attire is appreciated but not strictly enforced. When visiting pizzerias near the medina or in working-class neighborhoods like Rue de Sidi Bou Mendel, dressing modestly, covering shoulders and knees, shows respect for the local community and is unlikely to cause issues but is a considerate practice.
Is the tap water in Sousse to drink, or should travelers strictly rely on filtered water options?
Tap water in Sousse is treated and generally considered safe by municipal standards, but most locals and long-term residents drink filtered or bottled water. The taste can be slightly chlorinated, and visitors with sensitive stomachs may experience mild discomfort during the first few days. Bottled water is inexpensive, usually around 0.5 to 1 Tunisian dinar for a 1.5-liter bottle, and available at every corner shop. Most restaurants serve bottled water by default if you ask for water.
How easy is it is to find pure vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based dining options in Sousse?
Vegetarian pizza is widely available at virtually every pizzeria in Sousse, with Margherita and vegetable-loaded options being standard menu items. Vegan options are more limited, as most pizza places use cheese as a default and may not carry vegan cheese alternatives. However, several spots, including Il Pizzaiolo and Le Jardin, will prepare a pizza without cheese if requested, and the Marinara at Pizzeria Napoli is naturally vegan. Outside of pizza, Tunisian cuisine is heavily vegetable-friendly, with dishes like ojja, lablabi, and brik available at most local restaurants.
Is Sousse expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers.
Sousse is significantly cheaper than most European destinations. A mid-tier traveler can expect to spend roughly 80 to 120 Tunisian dinars per day, which covers accommodation in a three-star hotel or guesthouse (40 to 60 dinars), two meals at mid-range restaurants including pizza (25 to 40 dinars), local transportation by taxi or louage (5 to 10 dinars), and incidentals like water, coffee, and snacks (10 to 15 dinars). A single pizza at a sit-down restaurant costs between 12 and 25 dinars, while a fast food slice runs 3 to 5 dinars.
What is the one must-try local specialty food or drink that Sousse is famous for?
Beyond pizza, the must-try local specialty in Sousse is brik, a thin pastry filled with egg, tuna, capers, and parsley, then deep-fried until crispy. It is available at virtually every local restaurant and street food stall in the city, usually costing between 2 and 5 dinars. For drinks, Tunisian mint tea served with pine nuts is the signature beverage, and trying it at a local café is an essential part of the Sousse experience. The combination of a freshly made brik and a glass of sweet mint tea is something I have never been able to replicate anywhere else.
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