On the hunt for the best pizza in New York City

Last Updated on May 30, 2022

As you get older, you ‘grow into’ certain foods – like my new love of artichokes or a preference for goat’s cheese and brie over bright orange cheddar.

But there are some foods you never ‘grow out of’.

In my case, this is pizza.You might remember me and Jess wandering around on the hunt for the best pizza in Buenos Aires – a place that outsiders might not realize has its very own specific style of pizza. We make a point of eating pizza everywhere we go. The thing is, in a city like New York, your pizza palate can really enjoy a range of styles, from basic slices to, well, artichokes and goats cheese (but maybe not together).

So what’s the best pizza in New York City, you ask?

I set off to find out. With two months housesitting in Brooklyn, I assumed there was plenty of time to start checking places off my list. The pizza addict that I am, I began my research and found about fifteen places that people were raving about, and claiming that they had the best pizza in New York City – I narrowed them down to these ten:

1. Grimaldi’s in Brooklyn – tried, see verdict below
2. Patsy’s in Harlem – tried, see verdict below
3. John’s of Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village – tried
   
4. Kesté in the Financial District – tried, see verdict below
5. Bleecker Street Pizza – tried
6. Lombardi’s on the Lower East Side – tried, see verdict below
7. Artichoke Basille’s – tried, see verdict below
8. Di Fara in Brooklyn – tried, see below
   
9. Roberta’s Pizza in Brooklyn – tried, see verdict below
10. Totonno’s Pizza at Coney Island – tried, see verdict below

Over the years, I’ve added more NYC pizzerias, including:

1. Joe’s Pizza – thumbs up!
2. Don Antonio’s – solid pizza
3. Best Pizza – amazing
4. 089 – very good
5. Fornino’s – good pizza
6. Underground Pizza – solid slice
7. Ribalta – (only) okay

I was determined to try them all.

My favorite New York City pizza places

After eating my way around New York City’s pizza places for two years, I feel like it’s time that I share my top five pizza places in New York with you. For more detailed reviews and opinions, see below, but if you’re only interested in finding out which places are the very best ones to grab a slice (or a pie), I’ll save you the time and share my top 5 pizza places with you now:

1. Roberta’s
2. L’industrie
3. Best Pizza
4. Keste
5. Paulie Gee’s (the pizzeria, not the slice shop)
   

New additions to my NYC must-eat pizza list:

1. Luzzo’s – yet to try
2. Juliana’s – tried, see verdict below
3. Speedy Romeo’s – excellent Neapolitan-style wood-fired pies
   
4. Lucali’s – tried. solid pizza but I wasn’t too impressed.
5. L&B Spumoni Gardens – tried, loved it!
6. Table 87 – tried, it was okay.
7. L’Industrie – amazing slices
8. Mamma’s Too – fantastic slices with unique toppings
9. Williamsburg Pizza – nothing special
10. Scarr’s Pizza – great cheese slice
11. NYC Pizza Suprema – awesome slices and great selection
12. Baby Luc’s – not impressed
    

Because it’s New York City, we have to talk about the $1 slice, so let’s get that out of the way first.

The $1 slice

The first slice of New York pizza we had was actually from a $1 pizza place. It is impossible to resist the smell of fresh pizza and the price… But I quickly learned that the irresistible smell and price tag doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s good (it also depends on your level of drunkenness, to be fair). It’s hit or miss with a $1 slice, and to be sure, when in need of a $1 slice I go to 2 Bros Pizza, which is the best cheap slice chain in NYC, in my opinion.

Address: There are Dollar Pizza parlors all across New York.

Verdict: Good value for money if you really can’t fork out a couple more bucks for a decent slice.

Grimaldi’s

Grimaldi’s is one of the most famous coal brick-oven pizzerias in the city and was just a five-minute walk from our Brooklyn Heights housesit. I’d seen the crowds outside the restaurant on my runs, as there seem to be people waiting in front of Grimaldi’s as soon as they open and pretty much non-stop until they close, and one day we finally joined the long line of people waiting out front. Tourists flock here, so I wanted to see if the hype is worth it.

Brick ovens like the one at Grimaldi’s can reach 1200 degrees Fahrenheit, which results in especially crispy and flavorful pizzas. As any good pizza would do, we opted for the classic mozzarella and cheese to absorb and compare the true flavor quality… The truth is, I expected a bit more considering the massive hype. If the line isn’t too long and you happen to be in Brooklyn, stop in for some pretty good pizza – but it’s not the best.Tip: Patsy Grimaldi, the founder of Grimaldi’s, sold his pizzeria in 1998. In 2012, he actually opened a new pizzeria right next to the famous original – his new venture is called Juliana’s. Not only does Juliana’s have better pizza than Grimaldi’s, but the atmosphere in the restaurant is also nicer (Grimaldi’s serves the pies with throwaway plates and plastic knives and forks…) See below for more details.

Address: 1 Front Street, New York, NY 11201

Verdict: If the line isn’t too long and you happen to be in Brooklyn, stop in for some pretty good pizza – but it’s not the best.

Juliana’s

As mentioned above, Patsy Grimaldi opened a new pizzeria right next door to Grimaldi’s which he sold in 1998. While the word about Juliana’s wasn’t out in 2013 when we lived five minutes from Grimaldi’s, it definitely was out in 2014, when there was always a line out the door at Juliana’s. I had a pie of the classic Margherita ($16, enough to split between two hungry or three not-so-hungry people) a couple of times and it always delivered. Definitely a notch up from Grimaldi’s – so if you find the line at Grimaldi’s too long, why not try Juliana’s instead (it’s cheaper, too!)? Tip: If you want to skip the line, you can just order a pizza for pick-up and eat it in Brooklyn Bridge Park right down the road, that’s what I usually do. Nothing tastes like a New York slice like a slice with the view of the Manhattan skyline, trust me!

Address: 19 Old Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Verdict: Definitely one of the best pizzas I’ve had in New York City. It’s worth the wait, and better than Grimaldi’s next door.

Paulie Gee’s

Paulie Gee’s wasn’t even on our list but when we made plans to meet a friend there for dinner and saw the menu, we were immediately intrigued. Unfortunately that day the wait was over 40 minutes so we skipped it, but we headed back to Greenpoint for a second go when another foodie friend was in town.

And Paulie Gee’s is so worth the trip to Greenpoint! This isn’t ‘New York Style’ pizza – here you get innovative pizza creations that might sound strange at first, like the Cherry Jones – with cherries, gorgonzola, prosciutto and honey, there was one with fennel and anise, or vegan sausages with grapes. Paulie Gee’s gets extra points for awesome pizza names like Arugula Shmoogula, A Whiter Shade Of Kale or Ricotta Be Kiddin’ Me!Tip: Paulie Gee’s also has a wide range of vegan pizzas! Check out their menu here.

Address: 60 Greenpoint Ave, New York, NY 11222

Verdict: Absolutely delicious and if you’re into trying unusual pizzas, make your way to Paulie Gee’s!

Speeding up the hunt: Going on a pizza tour

While researching things to do for a quick three-day stay in New York one year, I stumbled upon a pizza tour. Less than 48 hours later, we were signed up for a pizza tour through four different neighborhoods with Scott, the biggest pizza aficionado we have ever met. Seriously.

I was already happy when I read that the meeting point for Scott’s Pizza Tour was Lombardi’s, another pizzeria high on my list.

Lombardi’s

When you roll with Scott’s Pizza Tours, Scott gets you access that you could never otherwise get. For example, the first thing we did at Lombardi’s was peek into the kitchen at the incredible pizza oven. It was lunch time and it had just opened, but the brick oven has been on continuously for years – they only put the coals out entirely when they do routine maintenance every decade or so. Once you really start to pay attention to the difference between flavors of a brick oven vs a regular gas oven, you’ll opt for brick oven every time.

Lombardi’s was one of the first pizzerias in the U.S., established in 1905 by Italian immigrants. It is indirectly responsible for the foundation of some of the best pizza places in New York: Anthony Pero of Totonno’s, Patsy Lancieri of Patsy’s and John Sasso of John’s Pizza all learned under Gennaro Lombardi, the founder of Lombardi’s. We sat down at three tables set up just for us and tried the first of four pizza slices on the tour. It was fun to see Scott geek out over the fact that you could see the brick marks in the bottom of the crust. The pizza style is similar to Grimaldi’s, with melted slices of part-skim mozzarella covering the slice only partially. The sauce and cheese were better than Grimaldi’s, no question.

Tip: Come right at noon when they open to skip the line. We arrived just when they opened and it was still fairly quiet when we left 30 minutes later.

Address: 32 Spring St., New York, NY 10012

Verdict: Decent New York-style pizza, worthy of hype.

Patsy’s Pizza

We had been told by a few New York locals that Patsy’s in East Harlem was a must, so I was happy to discover that Scott’s Pizza Tour would include Patsy’s that day and I could check another pizzeria off my list. Patsy’s is another one of the original Neapolitan style coal fired oven pizzerias. Different from Lombardi’s or Grimaldi’s though, the mozzarella cheese here covers the entire pie which makes the pizza super cheesy (and delicious!).

Tip: Every year in mid-August, Patsy’s celebrates its anniversary with Great Depression–era pricing: coal-oven pizzas for 60¢, 12-ounce steaks for 90¢ and sodas for 10¢.

Address: 2287 First Avenue, New York NY 10035

Verdict: Well worth the trip up to East Harlem and possibly our favorite pizza on the tour.

Roberta’s

Roberta’s is one of my favorite pizzas in New York. Even though it is housed in what looks like a ramshackle building from the outside and is far out in Brooklyn, in Bushwick, it is so worth going there! (And go to the original one in Bushwick if you can – the vibe at their new location on the Williamsburg waterfront is not the same). I totally understand why Beyonce and Jay-Z eat here regularly – I’d eat here every week, if I could. Absolutely scrumptious!

Tip: If you want to skip the lines, come here for lunch. If you don’t want to make the trip out to Bushwick (even though it is so worth it!) and you happen to find yourself in New York in May or September, you’re lucky. Roberta’s usually has a stall at the month-long Madison Sq Eats food festival in Madison Square (right in front of the Flatiron Building).

Address: 261 Moore St, Brooklyn, NY 11206

Verdict: If you’re looking for a great Neapolitan-style pizza, make a beeline for Roberta’s. And order the bread and butter, too.

Artichoke Basille

Artichoke Basille is another favorite of mine, especially their artichoke pizza. On this pizza, you basically have an artichoke spinach dip instead of a tomato-based pizza sauce, but if this sounds weird to you, hear me out: it is absolutely amazing. Seriously one of the best pizza inventions out there! They have a number of other pizzas (Margarita, Vodka, etc), and because they all look fantastic, I find myself ordering some of the other slices here every now and again, as well. Stick to the artichoke pizza though, this is their signature pizza and it’s killer.

Tip: There are several branches in New York. The East Village location is more like a hole-in-the-wall pick-up-a-slice place, while the Chelsea location is a full sit-down restaurant. Because of its location (right by the Highline Park and one block from Chelsea Market), the Chelsea location can get busy, but prepared for lines in the Greenwich Village and East Village branches, too. My favorite Artichoke location is in Bushwick (18 Wyckoff Ave).

Address: East Village -328 East 14th Street; West Village – 111 MacDougal Street; Chelsea – 114 10th Avenue

Verdict: The artichoke pizza is drool-worthy and one of my top ten slices in New York.

Joe’s Pizza

Joe’s Pizza is a Greenwich Village institution, and perfectly located in midst of all the Village bars to lure you in after a drunken night out, to soak up some of that booze before you go to bed. Even though this is a 24-hour pizza slice parlor, it’s much more than a cure-your-hangover pizza place, it is probably the best slice you can get in the village. At $3.50 the margherita is slightly more expensive than a $1 slice, but so worth it. The cheese-sauce ratio is perfect – not too cheesy and not too saucy, and if you want a really really good slice, splurge on the $4 slice with fresh mozzarella. You’ll thank me later.

Tip: Don’t miss a slice of Joe’s on a trip to New York! It’s the quintessential New York slice, IMHO.

Address: 7 Carmine St, New York, NY10014

Verdict: I can’t think of a better cheese slice in New York City!

Bleecker Street Pizza

Bleecker Street Pizza would be my #2 slice in the West Village, but has been named ‘Best pizza in New York’ by the Food Network three years in the row. Since it’s only a 3-minute walk to Joe’s Bleecker Street location, you might as well try both and decide for yourself. Both have a long list of celebrity fans. I love the huge selection at Bleecker Street’s, making it always hard for me to decide which one to go for (or ending up with a slice more than I wanted!), but starting at $3.50, they’re more expensive than Joe’s and I am not sure that the higher price tag is justified.

Tip: Combine a visit to Bleecker Street Pizza with a visit to Joe’s and compare!

Address: 9 7th Ave S, New York, NY 10014

Verdict: One of New York’s best slices.

Otto Zero Nove (089)

When I planned a trip to the ‘true’ Little Italy of New York – in the Bronx, not on the Lower East Side, where the touristy Manhattan Little Italy is located – I started researching the best pizza place in the Arthur Avenue area right away. If there are true Italian restaurants here, there must be a true Naples-style pizza somewhere. My research led me to 089 – pronounced the Italian way: Otto Zero Nove – and it didn’t disappoint. I opted for an unusual pizza choice: Pizza La Cirilo ($16.95), with butternut squash puree instead of a tomato-based pizza sauce, and topped with fresh mushrooms and fresh mozzarella, with truffle oil drizzled on top of everything. The pizza was absolutely divine!

Tip: A solid choice if you are visiting the Bronx’ Little Italy. Many unusual pizzas on the menu (with potato, butternut squash puree, etc), and all ingredients are imported from Italy.

Address: 2357 Arthur Ave, Bronx, NY10458

Verdict: Who would’ve thought that the pizza had such good Italian-style pizza? Definitely worth visiting, would eat there again.

Fornino’s

Fornino’s makes a decent Neapolitan-style pie and they are in an amazing location on Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, offering amazing views over the skyline of Lower Manhattan. Their other location is in Greenpoint, but if you find yourself in Greenpoint, you should obviously go to Paulie Gee’s, no question. Fornino’s Margherita pizza is very tasty – I keep going back for it, even though I’ve been keen on trying the ricotta eggplant pizza.

Tip: Fornino’s Pier 6 location is only open during the warmer months – check if they are open before you head there.

Address: Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 and Greenpoint – 849 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222

Verdict: A decent Italian-style pizza and the lunch special is a fantastic bargain – I mean, look at the size of the pizza!

Best Pizza

To call your pizzeria simply ‘Best’ when you’re way out on the edges of a city famous for its pizza – now that’s daring. Here, in the capital of pizza, Best Pizza is still much more ‘underground’ than Underground Pizza mentioned below, that’s for sure. This well-kept secret opened in 2010, and is located a couple of blocks up from popular Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg.

It wasn’t just the adorable décor that impressed us – although we loved the white paper pizza plates, designed by customers, hanging all over the walls and ceiling. Best Pizza was actually able to win us over on a white pizza – which we usually aren’t the biggest fans of – and we scarfed down slices with ricotta, shaved parmesan and caramelized onions with a sesame seed crust that made this pizza so so delicious.

Tip: Try their grandma slice. After eating my way through New York’s pizzerias for ten years now, this is by far my favorite grandma slice in NYC.

Address: 33 Havemeyer Street, Brooklyn NY 11211 (between North 7th/North 8th streets)

Verdict: Was it the best pizza in New York? We’ll let you decide – but definitely a must for pizza peeps who like more than just a classic cheese slice.

Kesté Pizza & Vino

This Italian-style pizzeria used to be in the middle of Greenwich Village, right on Bleecker Street (and in the vicinity of John’s Pizza and Bleecker Str Pizza!), and opened a second branch in the Financial District a few years ago. The Greenwich Village branch disappeared at some point (a Covid fatality? I am not sure..) but luckily, the FiDi branch is still around. Kesté’s oven was handmade from the lava clay of Vesuvius volcano near Naples, or so the story goes. The Pizza del Papa (with butternut squash cream, smoked mozzarella, red and yellow peppers, and zucchini) sounds like the perfect autumn dish, and the wood-fired Margherita ($13) which hit the spot.

Tip: Keste makes for a lovely date night – there are a lot of specialty pizzas that are a bit pricier than your usual pizza – worth it though, in my opinion. No slices, only full pies.

Address: 66 Gold Street, New York, NY 10014

Verdict: A wonderful Neapolitan-style pizza in New York! Perfect.

Totonno’s

Totonno’s is a Coney Island institution, having served pizza on Neptune Avenue since 1924. This is another one of New York’s iconic coal fired brick oven pizzerias. Antonio “Totonno” Pero, the founder, worked at Lombardi’s first and once he had perfected his pizza-making skills, he decided to open his own place in Coney Island. Totonno’s hasn’t changed their recipe since 1924 and is supposed to be one of the most quintessential New York pizzas, and hey, who doesn’t want to take the occasional trip out to Coney Island, anyway?

Tip: Don’t ask for the menu – you can see all available pizzas on the board. Totonno’s only does full-size pies, no slices.

Address: 1524 Neptune Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11224 (between West 15th and West 16th streets)

Verdict: I must admit that I had expected more. It was a bit of a let-down, like the other much-hyped and Totonno-related Grimaldi’s, so I wouldn’t make the way all the way out to Coney Island just to eat at Totonno’s. If you’re planning to visit Coney Island anyway, for the amusement park or some beach time, then it’s well worth stopping here for a pizza.

Don Antonio’s

Don Antonio’s is right in the Theater District, just down the road from Times Square actually. I was skeptical. Could a place right in the middle of the tourist center of Manhattan be any good? It was surprisingly good. Not amazingly good, and the dough was a little too gooey for me, but the rest of the pizza was convincing and definitely authentic Neapolitan-style pizza. When I looked into who is behind Don Antonio’s, I found out that it was a joint venture of Roberto Caporuscio of Kesté Pizza & Vino (one of my favorites!), and his maestro, Antonio Starita, of one of Naples’ oldest and most revered pizzerias, Pizzeria Starita a Materdei – so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the pizza here is excellent.

Tip: Make sure to come early if you are planning to dine here because it gets packed at night – you are in the Theater District after all.

Address:309 W 50th St, New York, NY 10019

Verdict: It’s solid enough to be included in this list, and I’ve heard other people rave about it, plus it has very good reviews all over the interwebs. If you are not as much of a pizza snob as I am, you’ll probably enjoy it more than I did (to clarify: I did enjoy it, but it wouldn’t make my Top Ten list).

Di Fara’s

I wasn’t sure if I could justify $5 for a slice of pizza, but since there are lines out the door at Di Fara’s (with waiting times of up to 1 – 2 hours) despite the price tag and the out-of-the-way location in Midwood, Brooklyn, I had to see if these slices lived up to the hype. Anthony Bourdain claims it’s the ‘best of the best’ and Di Fara’s keeps winning ‘Best Pizza in NYC’ awards by several food publications, year after year. Domenico DiMarco, who opened the no-frills pizzeria in 1959, takes pride in using only imported ingredients from Italy. Side note: The iconic pizza maker passed away in March 2022 at the age of 85.

I finally made it to Di Fara’s in 2016, and nearly died of hunger while waiting in line for about an hour for my slice. Had I known that I’d be waiting that long, I would’ve ordered five slices. We tried the Sicilian style (thick crust, baked in a pan) as well as the regular pizza, and I thought both were perfect, but my friend found the Sicilian-style pizza too oily.

Tip: Di Fara’s was voted ‘Best Pizza in New York’ several times, by the likes of Zagat, Frommer’s, Anthony Bourdain and former Mayor Bill DeBlasio. This pizza is worth the trek out to Midwood if you’re a true pizza lover!

Address: 1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn NY 11230

Verdict: Loved it! But I wouldn’t wait an hour again for a slice here. Unless I happen to be in the area maybe.

Underground Pizza

I admit, this place is nowhere to be found on any of the ‘best slices in NYC’ lists, but if you are in the Financial District around Wall Street, in Battery Park or just returning from the Staten Island Ferry, Underground Pizza place is well worth a visit.

We had the eggplant parmigiana pizza on a couple of occasions, and it is so delicious. The classic Margarita style is also good, slices are start at $2.75, and you can even get a breakfast slice with cheese, eggs and either bacon or sausage if you like – but we haven’t made it down there early enough to try that just yet.

Tip: Because this is in the Financial District, skip lunch hours or you’ll get stuck in long lines.

Address: 3 Hanover Square, New York, NY 10004

Verdict: The eggplant parmigiana pizza hits the spot.