Our Story
The Pizzaiolo
Marco De Luca grew up in a part of Naples where food is not a hobby or a career — it is the primary language of love, argument, and identity. His grandfather made pizza on Sundays; his grandmother made ragù that simmered from 7am. Marco learned to cook by watching, then by doing, then by being corrected, and then by doing it again.
At fourteen, he was accepted as an apprentice by Maestro Giovanni Esposito — a pizzaiolo of enormous reputation, limited patience, and an almost religious commitment to the Neapolitan method. The apprenticeship lasted four years. Marco describes it as "the best and most difficult thing I have ever done." He has not stopped thinking about dough fermentation since the first month.
After studying the Roman tradition in Rome for several years, Marco arrived in London in 2018. He spent six months eating pizza around the city. His conclusion was direct: the ingredients existed, the appetite existed, but the true Neapolitan method — the dough, the fire, the uncompromising respect for technique — was largely absent.
Fuoco Vivo opened in April 2019. The name means "living fire" — which is both what the oven does and what Marco believes a great pizzeria should feel like. The goal has never changed: a Neapolitan would recognise what we make here. That is the entire test.
Marco De Luca — Head Pizzaiolo & Founder
What We Believe
72 hours is not a marketing claim. It is the minimum time the dough needs to develop the flavour complexity, extensibility, and digestibility that defines a true Neapolitan base. We have never shortened it.
San Marzano DOP tomatoes grown in volcanic soil near Vesuvius. Fior di Latte pulled the same day in Campania. Tipo '00' flour stone-milled at a small mill outside Naples. Imported because it is correct, not because it is fashionable.
We do not use it as a tool. We work with it, understand it, and respect that it has its own personality — hot spots, seasons, quirks. Three hours to bring it to temperature. 90 seconds per pizza. No shortcut worth taking.
The Stagionale changes with the season. Wild garlic in spring, courgette flowers in summer, squash and truffle in autumn. Importing Italian staples is non-negotiable; loading them alongside seasonal British produce when it is excellent is a philosophy, not a compromise.
The People
Head Pizzaiolo & Founder
Marco has been making pizza since he could reach the worktop. Trained in Naples under Maestro Giovanni Esposito, he moved to London in 2018 with a single purpose: build the kind of pizzeria Naples would recognise. Fuoco Vivo opened in April 2019.
Sous Chef & Head of Dough
Luca runs the dough programme at Fuoco Vivo — he is the person who decides the exact hydration, the fermentation window, and the consistency across every service. Originally from Salerno, he has worked in Naples, Barcelona and now London.
General Manager & Head of Floor
Sofia runs the front of house with an instinct for hospitality that makes guests feel like regulars on their first visit. She joined Fuoco Vivo in 2020, surviving lockdown, and has been instrumental in building the culture and the team.
Sommelier & Beverage Lead
Elena curates a wine list built almost exclusively on Italian varieties — particularly the volcanic wines of Campania and Basilicata that were born to sit beside Neapolitan food. Her tasting notes, she insists, should make you want to open the bottle.
How We Got Here
2001
Marco (aged 8) makes his first pizza in his grandfather's kitchen in Naples. His grandfather is deeply unimpressed.
2007
At 14, Marco begins a formal apprenticeship under Maestro Giovanni Esposito — three Michelin stars, near-mythical reputation for Neapolitan orthodoxy. It is not easy.
2014
Marco moves to Rome to study the Roman tradition, understanding there is no shortcut to knowing the full history of the craft.
2018
Arrives in London. Spends six months eating his way around every pizza restaurant in the city. Concludes there is a significant gap to fill.
2019
Fuoco Vivo opens on Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, on 4 April. The oven, hand-built by Giuseppe Ferrante in Caserta, arrives three days before opening. The first service sells out.
2020
The world closes. Fuoco Vivo pivots to dough delivery boxes — raw dough balls, San Marzano sauce, Fior di Latte — so the neighbourhood can make their own. It is a lifeline. And it turns out people love making their own pizza.
2021
The patio opens. Elena Russo joins as Sommelier. The wine list doubles in depth and halves in pretension.
2022
Time Out London names Fuoco Vivo the best Neapolitan pizza in the city. Marco does not care about awards, but it is gratifying that the dough is getting the attention it deserves.
2023
Pizza-making experience evenings launch — guests learn to stretch, top, and fire their own pizza under Marco's instruction. Every session sells out within hours.
2024
Fuoco Vivo is five years old and still obsessing over every batch of dough. Nothing fundamental has changed. That is the point.
Read More
We write about our process, our ingredients, and the obsessive decisions that go into every pizza. Our journal covers fermentation science, seasonal ingredients, wine pairings, and behind-the-scenes oven stories.
Read the Journal →Come and see for yourself.
The oven is lit every day from noon. Your table is waiting.