Scopa Pizzeria: Authentic Italian pizza

Grounded in classic Italian style, Scopa Pizzeria stays true to its roots while allowing a modern twist.

Owned and run by the Bresolin brothers Leonardo and Lorenzo, Scopa on Cuba Street has old-school charm aplenty. All pizzas are made in their wood-fired ovens, with fresh high-quality toppings on light crunchy bases.

The menu features classics like Margherita, pepperoni, funghi, and patate. There’s also a weekly special, where seasonal produce and interesting flavour combinations get a chance to shine. If pizza isn’t your thing you’ll find fried chicken, cannelloni, and melanzane al forno (baked eggplant). There are also delicious salad and vegetable offerings. Scopa also has a great selection of local beer, along with local and Italian wine. For many locals Scopa is famous for its hot chocolate. They’re so thick you can eat them with a spoon.

In warm weather, Scopa flings open its vast sliding glass doors. Diners eat al fresco, with a front-row seat to bustling Cuba Street outside.

Three people sit at a table enjoying pizza and salad at Scopa, an Italian restaurant on Cuba Street in Te Aro, Wellington.

Pizza, drinks and other dishes served at Scopa

A person wearing a black top enjoys a coffee at Scopa, an Italian restaurant in Te Aro, Wellington.

Inside Scopa, an Italian restaurant in Te Aro, Wellington. People are eating at the tables and an open pizza kitchen in the middle of the space.

Established in 2006 Scopa’s hospitality roots go back to the 1970s. The brother’s father, Remiro Bresolin, introduced Wellingtonians to real Italian flavours. His restaurant Il Casino on Tory Street opened at a time when olive oil could only be purchased from a pharmacy. Il Casino was a hotspot throughout the 1980s, introducing Wellingtonians to pizza as it was meant to be consumed. Thin crusts, simple flavours and no tinned spaghetti in sight. Brothers Leonardo and Lorenzo grew up in the hospitality industry so it’s no wonder they have continued the tradition. They have several past food ventures under their belts — all with plenty of charm, Italian flavours, and hospitality.

Cuba Street is this village where we are all members.

Lorenzo Bresolin, Scopa owner

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