New York City is the culinary capital of the United States, offering authentic eats from all around the globe. While it's hard to get a bad meal in New York, it can be overwhelming in trying to find the best of the best. One dish everyone wants when they visit The Big Apple is famous New York City pizza.
It might be surprising to see so many pizza shops in every borough. How do you choose? Save this list for your next trip to New York, featuring the 10 best spots for 'za in NYC.
10 Best Classic Slice: J&V Pizzeria
Bensonhurst, Brooklyn is a neighborhood largely consisting of Italian immigrants. In New York, visiting Bensonhurst is the quickest way to transform directly to Italy.
Locals still speak in Italian, handmade pasta shops sit next to pork stores, and bakeries serving up Sicilian pastries are plentiful.
In the sea of the Italian haven that is Bensonhurst, on the corner of 18th Ave and 64th Street, lies the humble eatery of J&V Pizzeria. Established in 1950, J&V is one of the first places in New York to serve pizza by the slice.
This no-frills establishment has all the classic findings of a typical pizza shop; a few tables in the back, a few bar stools in the front, a simplified menu offering the basics, and an Italian man handling the oven.
If you're looking for a classic slice in New York, making the trek down to Bensonhurst solely to try J&V Pizzeria is well worth your time. This humble little slice doesn't need bells and whistles, the quality ingredients and love put into making it simply speaks for itself.
Website: J&V Pizzeria
Address: 6322 18th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11204
9 Best Funky Slice: Burrapizza From Unregular Pizza
During the peak of the pandemic, many people turned to the hobby of making homemade sourdough bread. Gabriele Lamonaca, however, started making pizza at home and posted the pictures and videos of his process and results on an Instagram account entitled @unregularpizza.
He incorporated unusual ingredients, always let the dough mature for 72 hours, and created typical Roman style pizzas. People started to ask him for the pizza to be delivered, so he created an exchange program with friends.
What originally started as a "barter" with friends for other food eventually turned into bartering for dental products, guitar lessons, horseback riding, hotel nights, art, drawings, to nearly anything else you can think of, totaling more than 450 barters.
Lamonaca and business partner, Salvatore Gagliardo, organized an event in October 2021 in Times Square where everyone on their mailing list was invited, showcasing the famous pizza from their popular Instagram account. This event would not have been possible without the organization done by Paolo Sinisgalli, who currently runs all of their marketing.
Luckily for the general population, Unregular Pizza now has a storefront in Manhattan's Union Square neighborhood. Bartering is still the backbone of Unregular Pizza, and they offer barters for pizza to this day.
If you're going to barter for any slice from Unregular, you'd be remiss to not get their famous burrapizza cafonata, a typical square Roman-style slice topped with premium pepperoni, tomato sauce, 'nduja, hot honey, and a whole burrata.
If you're not in the mood for pizza, try a sandwich on their homemade bread, or frittatina, a Neapolitan tradition of frying leftover pasta.
If your mouth is currently watering, but you don't live in New York, you can order from anywhere in the USA directly on their site. Whatever you choose at Unregular Pizza, be prepared to have your mind blown.
Website: Unregular Pizza
Address: 135 4th Ave, New York, NY 10003
8 Best Modern Slice: Cacio e Pepe Slice From Mama’s Too
If you find yourself on The Upper West Side, strolling through Central Park, and you hear your stomach grumbling, then don't walk, but run to Mama's Too. Their menu rotates frequently, sometimes featuring slices topped with poached pears and gorgonzola, sometimes featuring an elote slice.
While they are certainly innovative, creative, and do every slice to perfection, a standout is the cacio e pepe slice, creamy from the whipped mascorpone, sharp from the parmigianno reggiano, and fully rounded out with a hefty crack of black pepper.
They offer a modern take on classic Italian ingredients, like in their Rustica slice, topped with rosemary and potatoes, or their Angry Nonna, topped with both hot honey and calabrian chili oil.
They even give a nod to 18th Avenue, the famous street that cuts through Brooklyn's Italian neighborhood of Bensonhurst, topped with sausage, peppers, and ricotta.
Slices are only available in store, and if you order takeout or delivery, you'll have the option for a round or square pie.
Website: Mama’s Too
Address: 2750 Broadway, New York, NY 10025
7 Best Pizze Fritte: Montanara From Don Antonio
Tucked away off of Manhattan's chaotic 8th Avenue on 50th Street, an unsurprising red awning with just two words in white font is all that separates New York from the streets of Naples: Don Antonio.
Chef and owner Giorgia Caporuscio comes from the small town of Terracina, Italy. Arriving in New York at age 19, Giorgia was unsure of which direction to head in life, but found herself making pizza.
She was told by men she worked alongside that she was incapable, too slow, that she didn't know what she was doing, that she'd have to give up eventually to start a family. Giorgia had a vision to change the game for young female pizza-makers, and with her current success at Don Antonio, it's safe to say those men are certainly eating their words.
Though it's been tough as a female chef, she says it's gotten much better in recent years. Her passion for pizza shines in its food, and as she says, "My business card is my pizza."
The dining room fills with tourists and locals alike as soon as doors swing open at 11:30am, hungry for a taste of one of the 40 pizzas on the menu. The pizza Don Antonio is perhaps most famous for is their Montanara, a deep-fried dough topped with smoked mozzarella, tomato sauce, torn basil, and finished off in an oven.
Giorgia dances with the pizza as she burns off the excessive oil in the oven for just a few seconds, ensuring a non-greasy, crispy, yet still light and airy fried pizza. She uses double 0 flour, fresh yeast, salt, and water, and the dough always ferments for 24 hours.
80% of the ingredients come directly from Italy. Pair their exquisite pizza with one of their innovative cocktails, such as The Amalfi Sour with gin, pineapple, lime and limoncello.
One thing's for sure, whatever you order at Don Antonio, you're going to leave full and happy, pining for your next return.
Website: Don Antonio
Location: 309 W 50th St, New York, NY 10019
6 Best Sicilian Slice: Pistachio Slice From Bar Pasquale
If you're looking for an upscale slice in a sit-down setting, look no further than newly opened Sicilian restaurant, Bar Pasquale. Their menu boasts of dishes comprised of Sicilian ingredients, such as uni, pistachios, pigeon, caciocavallo, to name a few.
While it's difficult to pinpoint a star of the menu, a near requirement for every diner that visits Bar Pasquale is to order at least one of their famous Sicilian square pizzas.
Toppings range from 'nduja and burrata to pistachios and prosciutto. The pistachio slice is piled high with prosciutto, cut ever-so-thinly and neatly stacked, with streams of pistachios filling the crevices. Each pizza is served on top of a book that served as inspiration for the owners.
They had traveled to Sicily and fell in love with the cookbooks, and consequently, their menu is inspired by books that engage the senses. To honor the inspiration behind the cuisine, each pizza, in place of a traditional pizza stand, is served on top of a Sicilian book.
Other menu highlights include their lumache pasta, laced with morsels of pancetta and a rich pistachio sauce, and of course, the famous cannoli, a Sicilian-based dessert.
Whatever you get, make sure to pair with one of their many offerings of wine local to the Mount Etna region of Sicily.
Website: Bar Pasquale
Address: 98 Kenmare St, New York, NY 10012
5 Best Non-New York Slice: Mustard Slice At Lions And Tigers And Squares
You might wonder, what's the point of eating pizza in New York if you're not going to get some classic New York-style pizza? Well, Lions and Tigers and Squares makes that argument a bit more difficult with the introduction of their dinosaur-sized Detroit-style slices.
They have a variety of flavors, all with a signature cheddar-style crust. The most popular slice is either the classic or the pepperoni, however, if you want something controversial, try the mustard slice. It has the traditional caramelized cheddar-crust atop layers of corned beef and sauerkraut, and, of course, a thick slathering of spicy brown mustard.
When this slice was first introduced back in 2018, it was dividing Twitter, a claim to fame Lions and Tigers and Squares proudly boasts in their window with a printout of an article highlighting the controversy, taped above the mustard slice in the pizza-display case.
Lions and Tigers and Squares is open until 4AM, so if you're having trouble mustering up the motive to try the mustard slice, you can always pop in for a late night snack after a few beverages for that extra dose of drunk courage.
Website: Lions And Tigers And Squares
Address: 268 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011
4 Best Plain Slice: Bleecker St Pizza
In the bustling neighborhood of Greenwich Village, on-the-go grub is accessible, and dining options are plentiful. If you're in the mood for some 'za, your best bet not only for the neighborhood, but for the city itself, is Bleecker St Pizza.
While you really can't go wrong with any of their toppings, whether a buffalo chicken slice, a chicken bacon ranch slice, or even a mushroom slice, Bleecker St Pizza makes a fine plain cheese slice.
Piping hot pizza is put in the oven by the slice as you order, guaranteeing you a fresh, high-quality product. The counter is full of condiments such as garlic powder, red chili flakes, Parmesan, hot sauce, salt, and pepper.
Dress your pizza up with some chili and hot sauce, add a sprinkle of garlic powder while it's still piping hot and let it melt into the cheese, or, as they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, and dive right in.
Bleecker St Pizza is open until 5AM on weekends, so whether you're just getting off of a late night shift or you indulged in a few cocktails at one of the nearby bars, Bleecker St Pizza is here to curb your hunger.
Website: Bleecker St Pizza
Address: 69 Seventh Avenue South, New York, NY 10014
3 Best Wood-Fired Pie: Mona Lisa From Manetta’s
Manhattan and Brooklyn aren't the only ones to get love on this list. While wood-fired pizza options in New York are plentiful, the place that does it best is Manetta's in Long Island City, Queens.
Tucked ever so conspicuously under the Pulaski Bridge, Manetta's is a charming eatery run by true and tried Italians.
Inside, you have the option to purchase fresh cheese and unique pasta shapes more commonly found in Italy than the US.
Manetta's claims that though their customers love all of their pizzas, the one they keep raving about and coming back for more is the Mona Lisa pie, topped with fontina cheese, porcini mushrooms, arugula, shaved parmigiano, and finished with a drizzle of truffle oil.
If 'shrooms and truffle oil aren't your thing, check out their daily menu which offers a rotating special pizza.
Other fan-favorites include their quattro formaggi with sopressatta and hot honey, and their quattro formaggi with figs, speck, and walnuts.
A night out at Manetta's makes for a memorable experience, but if you find yourself in Long Island City during the day, try their lunch special, where you can create your own platter, choosing from caponata, spicy calabrian peppers, Italian tuna salad, and more.
Website: Manetta’s
Address: 10-76 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101
2 Best Times Square Pie: Margherita From John’s Pizzeria
Ask any New Yorker what area of the city they'd like to avoid for eternity, and the answer will be Times Square.
It's always crowded with slow walkers, tourist scams are left and right, grown men in Cookie Monster suits are harassing you for both a photo and a tip, and the worst part? The food is often overpriced and mediocre, at best.
However, that's not to say that all food in Times Square is subpar, a statement firmly proven by John's Pizzeria.
Conveniently located on 44th Street, John's Pizzeria makes for a great dining option for either before or after seeing a Broadway show. All pizzas are made fresh to order, and with a simple menu highlighting a few signature pies, you really can't go wrong in your choosing, though New Yorkers might judge you if you opt for the Hawaiian pizza.
For a perfect New York pie, order the margherita, topped with basil, mozzarella, and a tomato sauce.
If you're with a few people, try one of their famous monstrous calzones, meant to be split between 3 and 4 people, though, it would be understandable if you find it so irresistible that you eat the whole thing yourself.
Website: John’s Pizzeria
Address: 260 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036
1 Best Pie Overall: Sicilian Pie From L&B Spumoni Gardens
Choosing the MVP of all pizzas in the city of New York is a daunting task, but if there can only be one real winner, it's hands-down L&B Spumoni Gardens.
Deep in the trenches of Brooklyn, L&B Spumoni Gardens is a full-fledged restaurant, serving up old-school Italian dishes such as pasta with sausage and brocolli rabe, rice balls, shrimp oreganata, veal marsala, chicken parmigiana, and more.
While you can easily make a meal off of their shrimp cocktail and veal Sorrento, and leave happy as a clam, you'd certainly be missing out if you didn't order the Sicilian Pie.
Flaunted on their menu as "The World Famous L&B Sicilian Pie," at $29.00 you can order the massive pie and share it with your friends and family.
If you're dining alone or in a smaller group, you can order by the slice, but if you're going to trek all the way down to Bensonhurst, you might as well get enough to take home leftovers, if you can resist wiping the plate clean.
The world-famous pie from L&B uniquely has the cheese layered first, followed by the sauce, followed by pecorino-romano, followed by a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The cheese being melted directly onto the dough creates a pillowy soft bite that will keep you coming back for more.
The L&B pie is a thing of pizza dreams, and in a city full of thousands of pizzerias, L&B Spumoni Gardens just knocks them all out of the water.
Website: L&B Spumoni Gardens
Address: 2725 86th St, Brooklyn, NY 11223