First established in 1738 as a stand for peddlers, Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba was opened in 1830 in the town center at Via Port'Alba 18. The restaurant replaced street vendors who would make pizza in wood-fired ovens and bring it onto the street, keeping it warm in small tin stoves they balanced on their head.

In 1830, Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba was opened in Naples. Most historians consider this to be the world's first pizzeria. It became a meeting place for artists, students or others with little money so, in most cases, the pizza was simple.

While it has come to be a famous dish all over the world, some say its story began in a narrow alley in Naples. According to the popular legend, the pizza Margherita was invented in 1889 by Raffaele Esposito, chef at Pizzeria Brandi.

The first Italian pizza restaurant, Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba, began baking pizzas in 1738 as the dish grew in popularity, especially with tourists visiting Naples. Then, in 1889, modern pizza was born when pizzamaker Raffaele Esposito created the “Pizza Margherita” for the Queen consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy.