It is said that the Margherita, the first classic pizza, was created by Raffaele Esposito of Pietro il Pizzaiolo pizzeria, now known as Pizzeria Brandi. In 1889, while King Umberto and Queen Margherita of Savoy were visiting Naples, Esposito was invited to the palace to create three pizzas, one of which became the queen's favorite.

Its creative use of ingredients — red tomatoes, white mozzarella cheese, and green basil were combined to resemble the Italian flag. As a result of this visit, Pizza Margherita, named after the queen, became the classic pizza of Naples.