Going Out | Restaurants Allow Exco Player content This content is provided by Exco Player and may use cookies or similar technologies. Please click 'Allow and Continue' below to load the content. London is a proper pizza city today. Until quite recently, there was only really Pizza Express. Now the capital offers Neapolitan pies and pizzas from New York, New Haven, Detroit, Chicago. Some believe London even has its own style now. Not really the case. But the last decade has seen a credible rise in pizza culture in the city, with new pizzerias opening every week. Here is a collection of the finest. L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele Flying in to Baker Street from Naples, this pizzeria — which, incidentally, was featured in Eat, Pray, Love with Julia Roberts — has been described as the best in the world, never mind London. The London branches are less scruffy (and far more expensive) than the Naples original, and the pizzas are slightly different, too — the bases are thicker for a start. That said, the full-flavoured tomato base, a signature, is present and correct, and there’s no doubting this is among the finest pizza in the capital. W1, NW1, anticapizzeriadamichele.co.uk 50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo Don't be fooled by the red and black Dennis the Menace-style décor — this place is a joy. Ingredients are rich and authentic — the mozzarella is flown in from Campania — and the pizzas come with generous helpings of tomato sauce, ideal for mopping up with leftover crust. This is pizza at its purest, though not just for the purists. Read the review here. 7 Northumberland Ave, WC2N 5BY, cirosalvo.it 081 is one of London’s finest Neapolitan pizzerias. It was established in 2021 by the Naples-born Andrea Asciuti, one of the founders of the cult Streatham pizza shop Bravi Regazzi, which features on this list below. In January, Asciuti secured a permanent site in Peckham after two years of residencies and pop-ups. It proved to be welcome news: at 081, pizzas are refined but fun, taking the best of Naples and transporting it happily, without too much fuss or nonsense, to one of the capital’s true culinary hotspots. See also: Ascuiti’s latest pizzeria, Connie’s, which serves NYC-style pies. 66 Peckham Rye, SE15 4JR, 081pizzeria.com Vincenzo’s has become one of London’s most famous pizzerias. Many are thankful Tom Vincent has opened a space in Shoreditch, a Manhattan-inspired slice shop opposite Dumbo (the smashburger joint). Vincent made his name at a small shop in Bushey, in the suburbs, attracting hundreds of diners every week and selling out daily. The pies? New York in style, and so Vincenzo’s is something of a homage: thin crusts, proper tomato sauce, classic toppings and Sopranos characters on the walls. 42 High Street, Bushey WD23 3HL, vincenzospizzas.com With restaurants in different corners of London, brothers James and Thom Eliot have come a long way since their days as street food traders. The Neapolitan-style pizzas here are soft and doughy with a plumped-up crust and a rich tomato base — try the ‘nduja variety if you’re feeling spicy. Various locations, pizzapilgrims.co.uk Pizza da Valter Pizza da Valter is, by all accounts, what some might call a “hidden gem”. Many haven’t heard of it. This ought to be rectified, and quickly, because Pizza da Valter is the best of neighbourhood dining: unassuming, affordable; brimming with charming staff and good food. The restaurant sits opposite Wandsworth Common and lends itself to being a takeaway spot. Order inside and enjoy it contented by the pond with the ducks. 7 Bellevue Road, SW17 7EG, pizzadavalter.co.uk The newest pizzeria to open in London is a New York-style operation in Soho. The second Breadstall site follows a debut in Clapham and is mostly about the takeaway hatch. There, quarters are sold at £7 each (so £3.50 a slice) and chilli flakes and parmesan sprinkles are an important part of the service. The pizza is thin and crispy a la New York, with American-style toppings, but the crusts eer more towards the chewy and billowing form of Neapolitan. What the pizza might be, it is extremely good. Battersea and Soho, breadstall.com Berbere started life in Bologna, Italy, and has expanded across the north of the country with fervour. In 2017, Matteo and Salvatore, two brothers from Calabria in the south, opened their first London outpost, then known as Radio Alice. The pair aligned the name of the restaurant group post-pandemic. Berbere isn’t Neapolitan, isn’t Roman, isn’t really anything; it’s a style of pizza unto itself, arguably most similar to the new types coming out of California: chewy sourdough made with whole grains, baked and loaded with all manner of exceptional Italian ingredients. Kanye West to perform first European concert in more than a decade More Olympic heartbreak for Team GB as Italy nick curling bronze Chef Pierre Minotti hired for Orrery as Evolv group pursues Michelin stars Choose the right education path for your child 67 Venn Street, SW4 0BD, berberepizzeria.co.uk Dough Hands is opening a second residency at the Nun’s Head in Peckham in February. It follows a wildly successful one at the Spurstowe Arms and we imagine Dough Hands will only continue to grow. Founder Hannah Drye has been selling pizza since 2020 and they are very new-age London: wonderfully light, crisp, quite New York in form but with some more modern toppings. They should be more famous than they are. The second site follows Drye’s existing spot at the Spurstowe Arms by London Fields and the menus will largely align: 12-inch pizzas topped with the likes of ‘nduja, hot honey and stracciatella; soy-roasted mushrooms, taleggio and tarragon; and pepperoni, jalapenos and parmesan, the “OG”. There’ll be Drye’s house-made hot sauce, too, and a few South London specials. The Spurstowe Arms, 68 Greenwood Road, E8 1AB, and another to come, @doughhandspizza Yard Sale Pizza Yard Sale Pizza started out how you might expect — in a yard. Founder Johnnie Tate began his dough-spinning journey cooking pies in a pizza oven in his Hackney back garden, but now the brand boasts multiple sites across London and has collaborated with the likes of foodie rapper Loyle Carner and, err, Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin. The proof of their success is in the pie: its holy pepperoni is topped with two types of pepperoni and nduja sausage, while more contemporary options include the TSB, topped with tenderstem broccoli, manchego and pine nuts. Various locations, yardsalepizza.com Sodo Pizza Café​ Sodo stands for sourdough. It’s something they take pretty seriously here. All the pizza dough is fermented for 48 hours and then baked at over 450°C so that its light and airy with plenty of that sourdough ‘tang’. With such great bases it makes sense to keep toppings simple, but special kudos must go to the brilliantly-named Jon Bon Chovy topped with anchovies, olives, capers, chilli and fresh parsley. Various locations, sodopizza.co.uk Pizzas that Neapolitans would hold dear to their hearts are served at this small Streatham spot, which is all about the base. Light and air-filled, it’s crisp on the outside but chewy and moist within. Simple but good quality toppings complete the package. One worth travelling for.

2a Sunnyhill Road, SW16 2UH, @braviragazzipizzeria Pizzeria Pellone Pizzeria Pellone, nestled between Clapham Junction and Battersea, was born in Naples in 1972. Three generations on, and Antonio Pellone is carving out something of an institution in South London, opening the first branch outside Italy and crafting delicate, careful pizzas using seasonal ingredients alongside quality Italian produce. It is a true connection between London and Naples, and at Pellone, chefs use caputo flour, fine buffalo mozzerella, divella tomatoes, and excellent cured meats all imported from their homeland. 42 Lavender Hill, SW11 5RL, pizzeriapellonelondon.co.uk By far London’s most hyped pizzeria, Crisp W6 is a brand built on social media, but has the product to back it up. Crisp W6 is a canny blend of New York pizza and Roman, with thin, crispy crusts, some extravagant toppings and, if you like, plenty of parmesan. There were five-hour queues when the restaurant opened at the Marlborough pub in Mayfair, a new location after the brand outgrew its Hammersmith home. 31-33 North Audley Street, Mayfair, W1K 6ZJ, @crisppizzaw6 New York-style slices from the company that own Angus Steakhouse? Not the most enticing premise. What does a budget(ish) steakhouse group know about pizza? Quite a lot, as it turns out, because Alley Cats sings. Begin with pork and beef meatballs in a typical “red sauce” — the type they bathe in over the pond — and then get the vodka pizza, a doughy riff on one of London’s most in-favour dishes. 22 Paddington Street, W1U 5QY, alleycatspizza.co.uk Napoli on the Road Napoli on the Road is every bit an award-winning Neapolitan joint, a place where the crusts are chewy and blistered and the tomato sauce is sweet. The brand was conceived by the Napoli native Michele Pascarella, who started out trundling about in his Ape Piaggio, selling pizzas to whomever was hungry. Their popularity preceded his bricks and mortar sites, which have proven popular in themselves. His latest, a huge restaurant in Soho, is soon to open. 9A Devonshire Road, Chiswick, W4 2EU, napoliontheroad.co.uk The Bona boys have been crafting sourdough pizza in Forest Hill since 2015. The brand has never really reached prime time because, well, it’s deep south east, but that doesn’t mean the pizza isn’t top tier: “Slightly chewy and lightly charred”. Much like the big names, Bona uses fine ingredients sourced in Italy, as well as local produce in the UK. Also a good spot for a decent parmigiana. 25 Dartmouth Road, SE23 3HN, bonapizzeria.co.uk The proliferation of Neapolitan pizzerias in London is real. After PizzaExpress brought decent Roman-style pies to the capital, it was a natural evolution, steered in part by Franco Manca. Today, there are New York style pizzas too, but limited options when it comes to those born in Chicago and Detroit. In Soho, diners will soon find Japes, a Chicago-style pizzeria serving deep dish classics — as yet, it is unproven. In Spitalfields is Detroit Pizza, bringing rectangular dishes filled to the brim with meat and cheese. 75 Commercial Street, E1 6BD, detroitpizzalondon.com This Hackney Central restaurant churns out superlative crisp-based pizzas from its shiny mirror-clad oven, which also acts as a focal point in the industrial-style space. British-made charcuterie is another high-point, so why not combine the two – try a pizza topped with anise pepperoni, mozzarella and rocket. 197-205 Richmond Road, E8 3NJ; lardo.co.uk If authentic Neapolitan pizza is your thing, then you’ll struggle to find a better spot than Santa Maria this side of an EasyJet flight. It’s run by Neapolitans Angelo and Pasquale who are so fanatical about their pizza that they’ve been known to turn away those who just order salad — but why would you do that? Stretchy pizza bases are pleasingly chewy and laden with fine Italian produce. Try the Santa Bufalina topped with tomato, buffalo mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil – a fine example of less is more. Sister site Sacro Cuore in Kensal Green is just as good. Various locations, santamariapizzeria London’s quest for the authentic is often taxing beyond compare. If there is a truly authentic Neapolitan experience to be found here, Quartieri would be in with a shout. On Kilburn High Road are pizzas and unusual wines in a casual, energetic spot, using produce shipped from Italy on a weekly basis. 300 Kilburn High Road, NW6 2DB, quartieri.co.uk A hefty proportion of the clientele always seems to be Italian at this old-school Clerkenwell local, and that’s got to be a good sign. The signature order is pizza by the metre, made with varying toppings along the stretch — you might want to bring a couple of friends to help polish it off though. For something different try the i panuozzi, a ‘pizza sandwich’ that has the same toppings but double the dough. 59-61 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QL, santorerestaurant.london Ace Pizza specialises in long-fermented dough baked for a crisp finish, and pies are topped with modern combinations without tipping into gimmickry — chilli honey and ‘nduja are signatures. What started as a pop-up has grown into a cult favourite, particularly among east London regulars. There’s a strong natural wine list, too. 126–128 Lauriston Road, E9 7LH, thisisacepizza.com Paulie’s is one of the clearest expressions of New York slice culture in London, serving big, foldable slices with a proper bite in the crust and minimal fuss. Expect classic toppings done well, fast service and a room that feels closer to a Lower East Side pizzeria than a polished London restaurant. Best eaten hot, standing up, obviously. 144–146 Commercial Street, London E1 6NU, paulieslondon.com Bad Boy Pizza Society Bad Boy Pizza Society has grown quickly from student pop-ups to a multiple site enterprise, fuelled, mostly, by oversized New York-style pies. The focus is on big flavours, generous portions and slices sold by the quarter. For the best example of Bad Boy pizza, head to the shop in Bethnal Green. That’s where it feels New York in style and vibe. 419 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 0AN, badboypizzasoc.com Short Road Pizza Short Road Pizza operates from inside the Three Colts Tavern pub, producing ultra-thin, crisp-based pizzas that owe more to Roman technique than any other tradition. Recently crowned Britain’s best pizza at the National Pizza Awards, it is known for restrained toppings, precise baking and limited weekly service that rewards planning ahead. Three Colts Tavern, 199 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 0EL, shortroadpizza.com Spring Street Pizza These are New York-style whole pies and slices to a railway arch near Borough Market, led by chef Tom Kemble who switched fine dining for more mainstream fare in 2024. The dough is fermented for flavour and structure, resulting in pizzas that balance chew with char, while toppings stay classic. Arch 32, Southwark Quarter, Southwark Street, London SE1 1TE, springstpizza.com Carmela's Pizzeria Carmela’s Pizzeria is a relatively new addition to Upper Street’s dining scene, founded by pizza commentators and operators behind Bite Twice with inspiration drawn from Italian-American and New York East Coast pizza traditions. Pizzas are intentionally crisp at the edge yet still foldable, built on a concise menu that includes classic cheese, tomato and white pies along with customised toppings. Interiors are designed to evoke mid-century NYC. 149A Upper Street, London N1 1RA, carmelaspizzeria.co.uk