Risto Pizza in Azabudai, Minato City, Tokyo
Bringing you first-hand knowledge of pizza in Tokyo, we present this review of Risto Pizza in Azabudai Hills Tower Plaza in Minato City, Tokyo.
Tokyo’s Risto Pizza is in Azabudai, on the border of Azabudai Hills Central Green, relatively close to both Roppongi-Itchome Station and Kamiyachō Station. Risto is one of three Tokyo restaurants by Giuseppe Errichiello; he likes to call himself “Peppe.” The Azabudai Pizzeria da Peppe Napoli Sta’ Ca” (which we have not reviewed) is a separate restaurant; in the same neighborhood, a seven minute-walk from from Risto Pizza. We wrote a review of Pizzeria Napoli Sta Ca in Setagaya City (the third restaurant) in early 2026.
If you’re on your way to Risto Pizza for the first time (and we’re not recommending you go), allow a little extra time to find the restaurant… it’s located on the third floor of a large shopping mall, and you might need 10 or 15 minutes to wander through the mall to find it.
It might be nice to say that I liked Risto, but you won’t read that in this review. I don’t like Risto, and I think the pizza is basically “so so.” Not my kind of place, not at all, but I can tell you why I went:
As we were doing some research for the Setagaya store review, we came across a “list of the best pizzas in Asia” (we won’t mention that list by name, it’s not worth knowing). We have seen that list before, and eaten at many of the pizza restaurants we saw on that list. Risto Pizza was recently listed by that group as the “#1 Pizza in Asia” (which is quite a claim). They are ranked just ahead of Tokyo’s Pizza Bar on 38th (which is not even the best pizza in Tokyo, but is an infinitely better experience than Risto).
Reading that (nonsensical) list of “top pizzas in Asia,” there are some truly excellent pizzas like Marumo Pizza in Ebisu that are not included, while some very mediocre pizzas like Pizzeria da Tigre in Osaka (which is a low-quality experience top to bottom) make the list.
Taking the question seriously for a moment: Do we think Risto is the top ranking pizza in Tokyo??
When I visited Peppe’s “Napoli Sta Ca” in Setagaya a few weeks earlier, I was after a taste of his star-shaped, stuffed-crust Don Salvo pizza (I wrote about it in that review). That was a decent pizza, but only that. The overall experience of that night was disappointing (I compared it to a kebob shop). In that review I wrote that I knew I would never go back.
Having done some research, having had a lot of conversations about the best pizza restaurants in Tokyo, we can say that from all of our experience exploring the very excellent Tokyo pizzas shops… nobody talks about Risto Pizza. Nobody cares.
Could it be Risto is the number one pizza in the East, but somehow remains “undiscovered?” In part to take another pass at assessing that “great pizza list,” we thought we would give Risto a try.
I dropped by Risto Pizza in Minato City one evening a little before six PM. Hoping to get a seat, I arrived about 20 min before they opened for dinner and I waited in line. There was a family of three in front of the line (maybe German). Then me. By the time they opened, maybe 10 people had lined up (most with reservations). The staff asked if I had a reservation; I did not, their system would not let me make a reservation for one. He said I was “lucky,” he had a place for me.
Great. At that moment, I did indeed feel lucky. He gave me a seat at the counter.
There is an old expression, “show, don’t tell.” I am a man of far too many words, but we can let the pictures begin to set the scene.
Gold forks. Sometimes, gold indicates luxury. Sometimes it means pawing after the image of luxury. In another time, a restaurant like Risto would have let that gold fork (or something more tasteful) rest on a white table cloth. From my position at the counter, Risto’s gold plating and black granite reminded me of bottle of cheap perfume.
Let’s take a look at what’s on the pizza menu at Risto.
Risto Pizza offers a full menu, with pasta and more, but as for pizza; one page of six red sauce pizza on his Pizza Rosse page; and another five, mostly-creamy pizzas on his Pizza Bianche page.
There was also one additional pizza on his “special” menu:
My First Memory of Gourmet Pizza: Cream of Leeks and Potatos, Fior di Latte Mozzarella Cheese from Naples, Lemon-Marinaded Crab, Caviar, and Fried Leeks
— From the specials menu at Risto Pizza
While his menu includes a few surprises (both a Broccoli Cream and a Pumpkin Cream pizza), his pizza menu has fewer choices, and is not as interesting as other nearby choices such as PST Rippongi or Pizza Strada or Savoy DomiLA. This being my second time at one of Peppe’s spots, I still think his “star shaped” pizza is the most interesting item on the menu.
On this occasion, I wanted to try something new, so I choose:
La Signora Marinara Pizza: Blended Tomato Sauce with Garlic Aromas, Baked Semi-dried Tomatoes, Pitted Taggiasca Olives, Anchovy Fillets, Fresh Oregano, Garlic-scented EVO oil
— From the Risto Pizza pizza menu
That night at the counter, I ended up seated next to another guy that was on his own; a young, interesting guy from England. As we had both ordered, I wondered if he was a regular, and we began a conversation that became my favorite part of the experience that night.
My English friend had not been to Risto before; he was visiting Tokyo and had also been sucked in by the rumors of exceptional pizza. As the conversation developed, our pizzas were out of the oven and delivered to our seats.
What does it look like? Well… “Brown” is rarely a color I use to describe a pizza, but, as you can see, not particularly appealing. The way a pizza looks is not (necessarily) an indication of the taste, but I was off to an unenthusiastic start.
First bite: sweet. And that was true of every other bite, as well. If you look at the ingredients; it is rare to have so much emphasis on tomatoes. In this case, his blended tomato sauce, and then, baked tomatoes, both. Why? That was the flavor; an enduring sweet-tomato taste. If there were anchovies, it was impossible to notice. The olives? I assume they were on the pizza but not in a way that added to the taste. Just overwhelming sweet tomato; like tomato paste on a long simmer.
When I visited his Setagaya Pizzeria da Peppe Napoli Sta’ Ca” Komozawa store, the pizza I had that night was also “tomato-y.” But on that Don Salvo pizza, the basil and ricotta and salami provide some contrast. Peppe’s La Signora Marinara Pizza is a tomato slog, a pizza in the style of sauteed ketchup.
“It’s a marinara, right? Shouldn’t it taste like tomatoes?” While marinaras are not my favorite, I have had some truly exceptional examples. The marinara at Da Massimo (in Sapporo) is extraordinary; a masterful combination of sauce, shaved garlic, and some of the best crust in the country. Stubbornly simple, every bite is a statement. At Risto… not quite at that level.
Risto Pizza’s La Signora is a needlessly overcomplicated marinara. It is not distinct, it’s monotonous.
The crust, too, unremarkable. But, it is something you can pick up.
My interesting neighbor ordered the Don Salvo. I was too involved in our conversation to remember to ask him what he thought, but I remember feeling a pang of jealousy as I realized he’d made the better choice.
Would his Broccoli Cream Pizza be better? I doubt it. How about his 4500 JPY crab-caviar “look at me!!!” pizza? I would trust Marumo to do something exquisite with those ingredients, but in no way do I think Peppe le Pew is ready to play with ideas like that.
Is Risto Pizza the best pizza in Asia? Clearly not. It’s not even the best pizza spot in this neighborhood. Risto is not even in the top 50% of pizzas in Tokyo. In contrast to the Peppe’s narcissism-meets-mediocrity, local spots like Kevelos Pizza and Frey’s Famous Pizzera provide better quality, without the melodrama.
Oh, I almost forgot: If you would like some water to help wash away the tomato taste at Risto Pizza, you’ll have to pay for that level of “luxury.” Gouging his customers for an additional 700 JPY for water is yet another reason to roll your eyes.
But wait, wait… there’s more.
The also have a 550 JPY cover charge. And as if you needed more proof there is nothing charming or cool about this shop, if you want to take something home – “Fuhgeddaboudit.” No box for you.
There is a theme at Risto, and it is mostly that Peppe’s business decisions are insultingly inhospitable to the customer. His bad judgment makes the completely-average quality of his food even more obnoxious.
Risto Pizza is try-hard elegant; forced, an over-dressed shop tucked in next to the elevators. Peppe was in the shop on the night I visited; covered with tattoos (which in another context I might like) and loud (which I didn’t like); he was a bull in a over-priced, China shop of his own making. Not actually high-end, nor grounded and real, the look he has created does not suit him.
Risto is like the Las Vegas of pizza; an experience that uses “gold forks” to present itself as something better and more elite than it is. Peppe should drop the pretense, and open up a simple rock-n-roll pizza shop, maybe serve pepperoni slices and PBR (you can get a PBR at Pizzanista for less than what ‘Pep charges for water). As it is, he is pushing his recipes well past their own potential. Risto Pizza, the most comically overblown pizza restaurant in Asia, is like an airport restaurant trying to intimidate you into thinking something “four star” is about to happen.
As for that company that produces the “Best Pizzas in the World” list: their eagerness to sell themselves out with the Risto endorsement is a self-inflicted wound that is bleeding out any presumed credibility; they look completely illegitimate. Maybe it should be obvious they are not a serious source of selection, but pretending Risto is anything to get excited about exposes that list for what it is… and we’re not saying there is any proof… it’s not like we can provide actual receipts… but, y’ know, based on appearances alone…
That list looks to be what we call “pay to play.” Maybe (just maybe, nobody can be certain here) we should assume Peppe has ponied up an appropriate fee for “promotional consideration” to be included on that list (and for the list’s black-framed, branded “participation trophy” which he has hanging on the wall of his shop).
As the saying going, “you shall know them by their fruit.”
(If “The List” has some other, more credible reason for putting a second-rate shop like Risto at the top of the rankings, the can contact us to say more. If they can convince me I have misunderstood, I would considering writing something more about their actual criteria – but the verdict on Risto stands: “BAHHHHHHH.” Bad choice.)
Scanning that list for signs of authenticity, I can back them up on at least one of their “top 50” choices; the inclusion of Massimottavio (in Suginami City, Tokyo) is a credible inclusion (Massimotavio is fantastic). Since their list is supposedly for all of the Asia-Pacific region (and includes Australia and New Zealand), if they want to increase their credibility there, they might check out Regina al Pizzeria in Sydney (one of the most remarkable pizzerias on the planet).
For now, that list proves itself to what the kids call “sus” (suspect, as in “easy to doubt”), and an irrelevant source for the best pizza in Tokyo, or in Japan, or anywhere else.
For one spot of light in a very dark and disapproving review… good cake.
Reaching for desert (especially at a place I wasn’t really enjoying) isn’t usually my style, but the server recommended the chocolate cake and I allowed myself to be influenced; and it was excellent. I would not go back to Risto, but if I did… maybe I’d just have the cake (I know I can get better pizza almost anywhere else).
Risto is the kind of place you only go to once, and as such… maybe he can suck tourists in to keep his seats full before they leave town. For people that live in Tokyo (or are here often), I can’t imagine choosing Risto when you have so many brilliant pizzas to choose from in this most “suberashi” city.
You certainly have better choices than this place; not recommended.
For more Tokyo Pizza see:
— Pizza Marumo in Ebisu, Tokyo
— Tokyo’s Pizza Bar on 38th at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel
— Excellent Neapolitan pizza at PST Rippongi in Minato City, Tokyo
— Massimotavio Pizza in Suginami City, Tokyo
— Sabasu Pizza in Akasaka, Tokyo
— Savoy Pizza Domi-LA in Asabujuban, in Minato City, Tokyo
— Deep-dish Detroit pizza at Pizzakaya in Rippongi, Tokyo
— Pinsa at Bonta Italia in Sarugakucho, Shibuya, Tokyo
— Napoletana pizza at Pizza Strada in Azabujuban, Minato City, Tokyo
— Devil Craft Pizza in Kanda, in Chuo City, and also the DevilCraft Gotanda, in Shinagawa, Tokyo
— Shibuya pizza at Kevelos, in Tokyo
— Frey’s Famous Pizza in Rippongi, Tokyo
— Seirinkan Pizza in Meguro, Tokyo
— Pizzeria da Peppe Napoli Sta’ Ca” in Setagaya City, Tokyo
— Chicago pizza at Butcher Republic in Ebisu, Tokyo
Pizza Slices in Tokyo
— Rocco’s Pizza in Ojihoncho, Kita City, Tokyo
— Some of the best pizza slices in Japan at New York Pizza Tonyz Tokyo in Koto City, Tokyo
— NY-style pizza slices at Nim’s Pizza in Azabujuban, Tokyo
— Tokyo’s Pizza Slice Cat Street is mostly a disappointment