Zeneli Pizzeria e cucina Napoletana

Not your typical New Haven-style pizza, but if you’re a pizza lover, this place is a must-try. We were so impressed that we visited twice in a 4-day span. Everything we ordered was delicious. On our first visit, we had the Diavolina pizza, which was outstanding. On the second day, we enjoyed the meatballs and the Dolce Salato, both of which were fabulous and hit the spot. The service was better on our second visit, but overall, we were pleased with how they managed the crowd.

Just incredible food. Authentic Italian, something everyone should experience. The people who work here are very nice and you can tell they have passion for what they do. I thought I knew what my favorite pizza spot was until I came here! I was so blown away! I can't believe I spent all these years in New Haven and never got around to trying this place until now. I will most definitely be returning and look forward to trying more menu items!!

Every time we visit New Haven, this place is a must on our list! It’s truly a gem with a diverse menu that has something for everyone. The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating, and there’s plenty of space to accommodate larger groups, especially in the lovely outdoor area. The open kitchen adds a fun touch—you can watch as they craft their delicious pizzas right before your eyes.

As for the food, there are a few must-tries: the Ricotta Bread as an appetizer is simply delightful, and you can’t leave without indulging in the Nutella Pizza for dessert. The Margherita pizza is another favorite—classic and delicious. Their pizzas are Neapolitan style, and we absolutely love it. Overall, it’s a fantastic spot to hang out with friends and family. Highly recommend!

OUTSTANDING!!! My daughter picks on me for always using "good" as a catch all description that kind of covers from about 4/10 to 7/10. This place was exceptional! 10/10 or even 5 stars doesn't do justice to our experience. It was a Friday evening, Wooster Street was bustling with foot traffic and hungry souls looking to be satisfied. We walked up and were seated very promptly. The staff and waiter were very busy, but appeared to be running like a well oiled machine. We got our drinks, following the recommendation, and then ordered our food. The Bufala Mozzarella was amazing. Who knew cheese could be so good?! Even though there were few empty seats, our food was brought with surprising swiftness. Even amongst the hype, I was surprised how fresh and flavorful the The Genovese pizza was. And in Anthony Bourdain style, their Cacio e Pepe "could be the greatest thing in the history of the world."

The only regret is not having a bigger appetite to order more of this delicious food. We will drive hours to come back here and recommend you do too!

World class pasta! Absolutely delicious sauce. Best Napolitano apizza; not the burnt New Haven style. This place is warm and inviting. You feel like you're at someone's home.

The best pizza ever!!!! Very nice staff. Excellent prices. The pizza was fresh and delicious. Meatballs and marinara were also great. Wife had some wine. I asked for a dirty martini but they only offer wine/beer. I ended up getting a sangria and it was delicious. I’m not a wine fan. I’m glad I tried it. Twice. Lol. Can’t wait to go back!!! Highly recommended!!!!

Excellent pizza! Definitely the best neapolitan-style pizza I've ever had.

My wife and I sat in for lunch - we loved how the dining room was decorated. The service was quick and attentive.

We ordered two pizzas: margherita and Dolce salata. The marg was excellent, but the specialty pie was worthy of the title. Fig, gorganzola, prosciutto...an excellent combo on their delightfully airy dough.

This is such a uniquely different pie for Wooster St., offering something that the neighborhood doesn't really have.

By the time we got in our car and we're ready to leave, the line was forming outside for dine-in. So, go early to beat the crowd.

Definitely one of my favorite neapolitan pizza spots to date. The inside had a cozy feel and was very authentic. The pizza itself was fabulous, I highly recommend the genovese for pesto lovers. Absolute gem of a pie. The margherita was perfect. This spot is a must visit amidst all the amazing new haven style pizza surrounding it.

New Haven is a city known for its pizza or apizza as it is known there, Wooster Street perhaps being one of the most pizza dense streets in the world. To compete on Wooster Street you need one of the best pies in the world, but on a street competing for the greatest New Haven style pizza Zaneli's stands out.

I am from Florida, lived in Connecticut for some time, and often visit family up in the Northeast. When visiting, I have to visit Wooster street for apizza. With world class pies from the likes of Sally's and Pepe's it is a must visit. That said, the New Haven style apizza is not necessarily my favorite style of pizza as I prefer both a classic New York slice and the Neapolitan pizza. This is where Zaneli's stands out for me as a pizza place sitting on one of the most pizza dense streets in the world, yet focusing on a style completely different to those around it.

I doubt there are many Neapolitan pizza places in the U.S. with as fierce local pizza competition, and I think it shows in the quality of Zaneli's. To start, the atmosphere of the restaurant is incredible. The interior has a neat and professional look with a fantastic open kitchen allowing you to see the entire process of making the pizzas. The staff are responsive and come off as genuine and grateful for your visit. I would say more than any other place on Wooster street, the overall experience is balanced as not just a pizzeria, but as a restaurant.

To start I got the meatball appetizer which came in a marinara sauce including two pieces of well sized bread. The meatballs were good, maybe a little small and dense compared to some of the northeastern Italian places I've been to, but the bread and the marinara were fantastic. The bread had a nice crust, crunchy similar to the pizza crust, with a nice and moist interior aided by a drizzle of oil. The bread was great for dipping into the marinara which was among some of the best marinara sauce I've ever had.

Following, I got a Margherita pizza, and of course this was the star of the show. Back to the point about competition, when you have to compete with the best while bringing a new style, it's clear you have to bring the best of that style. I have never had a Margherita pizza as good as the one at Zaneli's. The crust was thin with a solid crunch, the sauce was perfect, and the fresh mozzarella might be the best cheese available in New Haven. In fact, if there was one word I could use to describe the pizza it would be "fresh." The pizza is nice and light, could easily finish the one I had on my own, and still had room for dessert after both the appetizer and full pizza. When you take a bite with a nice basil leaf it tastes so fresh and light you could mistake it for a salad only for the crunch of the crust to bring you back to reality. There might not be a better Margherita pizza within the United States.

To finish off the meal I had a slice of lemon cake for dessert. It seems they have a constant in the Nutella pizza with another rotating dessert, and I felt this lemon cake was a great way to finish the meal. Maybe a little dense on the cake, but the flavor was great, it was presented well, and the fresh lemon taste worked well to contrast the tomato heavy courses previous.

Overall, while I love Sally's and Pepe's, I prefer the Neapolitan style which Zaneli's does as good if not better than any other place in the United States. If you could only try two pizzas on a trip to New Haven, I would pick any of the New Haven style places and Zaneli's as the other, worth tasting how good the competition of Wooster street can be as shown in another style.

The staff gentleman is really really nice! He gave me a taste of moscato cuz I really curious about it hahaha! 😍 The prosciutto and Nutella are pretty good!!!! The pizza salad is special, and I like the cheese on it!

I love this place. I enjoy going there with my husband for Italian pizza. Yes, not the US-style pizza. We also like the US style, but when you need something simple, Italian-style, with a good wine, go there. I didn’t appreciate the burrata salad; it was a small portion of burrata and it was expensive. I also love the Nutella pizza.

This place is absolutely amazing! The food is soooo good. Awesome staff! Great prices! I realize there are many different pizza spots nearby… but there’s something about Zenelis Pizza!!! What a wonderful place!!!! This time around we got a different appetizer(Stella) and a pasta dish(Spaghetti al Pomodoro)as well. We had a wonderful moscato wine that was superb! (I’m not a wine guy but this one was delicious)

The pizza tasted just like the one we had in Italy. Very light with fresh ingredients and totally delicious! We had both the Nutella pizza and the Limoncelli mascarpone cake, excellent!

Great pizza! Had the margherita and that was delicious. I also asked one of the employees to pick a pie, so we got the Dolce Salato and that was amazing.

Shared both the Dolce Salato and Margherita pie with my husband. Both were delicious but the Dolce Salato pie was outstanding!

Wow, I don’t know where to begin because of how incredible this place is! I loved everything from the food, the service, the wine, the atmosphere. We went with a larger group and sat outside in the enclosed heated area. It was so cozy and intimate while still receiving excellent service. Every dish that we tried was delicious from the meatballs, to the gnocchi and of course each pizza! Thank you for a great experience and an excellent meal!!

Next level! I can’t remember ever having pasta this good. The burrata was also phenomenal. Everything else we had was handmade/fresh. New favorite spot on Wooster St. outshining you know who.

Truly a Pizza Gem in New Haven CT. This wood fired pizza comes out faster than you can recite the national anthem. The ambiance, environment, service and attention to detail make this a must try pizza joint. You cant miss out!! They have a great wine selection as well. I love this place especially because they do not use soy in their dough recipe and for those will allergies or simply avoid soy products rest assured you will not be disappointed. I cant wait to go back and try their pastas.

A must go! Different crust than Pepe’s (I would skip Pepe’s) and Sally’s.

Super fresh ingredients, kind servers, and a great time! Many seating options, indoor, bar, or large outside areas.

I did not physically go to this location.
My work family brought me home dinner and that is what I'm basing my review on.

Spaghetti Al Pomodoro-$13.95, was very tasty. The seasoned sauce was really good. A very nice serving which will feed me for two meals.

I also had Homemade Italian Meatballs-$15, 3 come in an order and after cutting up one in bite size pieces, that was perfect for a serving of spaghetti.
Leftovers for the meatballs to go with the leftover spaghetti will be great to have tomorrow.

There were two slices of bread with the meatballs, lightly buttered and tasted really fresh.