Where To Eat The Best Pizza In London Right Now

Vincenzo’s New York- slices are so glorious that they politely give the middle finger to anyone who’s ever dared to say “there’s a ceiling on how good pizza can be”. They’re thin enough to foldlong enough that a cute little pizza tongue hangs over the edge of the white paper platesand the sharporegano-spiked simplicity of the tomato slice will have meat feast loyalists ghosting pepperoni. It’s a classy Shoreditch sweat box and a total scene—please see: the iconic portrait of Paulie Walnutsthe thumping Stones and Springsteen soundtrackan overflow of thin-crust converts on the pavement vying for a deck chair. We’re also big fans of the pies at the original Vincenzo’s in Bushey.

Crisp Pizza’s moody basement lair under The Marlborough in Mayfair is a slick upgrade from its chaotic Hammersmith pub origins—no dough pre-ordersno messaging strangers on WhatsApp to beg for a slice—but don’t think you can just stroll in. Without a hard-to-snag reservationthere’s always a waitbut it’s worth it. The Vecna grandma pie—thickbouncydripping with burrataand topped with halal pepperoni and hot honey—is our favourite thing here. Although the NYC- pizzaswhich they’re known forare also excellent.

At Alley Cats Pizzaan NYC- pizza spot in Maryleboneexposed brick and chequered tablecloths transport you to the streets of Williamsburg. Come eveningthis place is a real scene—when the industrial-looking room is busy with dates and matesdimly lit table lamps throw shadowsand a projector plays The Sopranos. The pizzas are thin and crispycovered in a rich tomato sauceand have quality toppings like vodka sauce or vegan ‘nduja. Crusts are nice and chewyand you probably won’t have any left over if you get the scotch bonnet dipping sauce. They’ve got a secondequally as good Chelsea location if you’re further west.

London pizzalike usis at its charismatic best at the pub. Pending a scientific study on whether crusts bake better alongside the hum of six screens playing Sky Sports and a chorus of IPA orderswe’re happy to blindly accept that loudproud Leyton boozer William The Fourth is home to exceptional slices. Courtesy of Short Road Pizzathese pies merge Romana (crispy thin crusts) with punchy American flavours—think fiery house garlic puréecooling blobs of whipped ricottaand hypnotic chimichurri spirals that can put a saucy spell on our Saturday nights anytime.

Every neighbourhood has restaurants that locals get a little doe-eyed and soft aboutand Theo’s makes the list for the lucky folks who live around SE1 or SE5. Their Camberwell originalwith its little garden out backwhite marble-ish interiorand lunchtime panuozzosis still the proverbial One for us. And the Neapolitan pizzas never disappointespecially with their essential homemade chilli oil. The tiramisu for pud ain’t too shabby either.

The Spurstowe Arms—an unofficially Ganni-sponsored Hackney pub—serves excellent pizzas courtesy of Dough Hands. They fall somewhere between classic New York- and Neapolitan. The toppings—tomato pie with stracciatellaor ‘nduja with hot honey—lean NYCwhile the charred pillowy crusts and flop factor can lean slightly Neapolitan. Our favourite is the tomato piefollowed closely by the citrussyspicy tuna. They also serve the samegreat pies from The Old Nun’s Head pub in Nunhead.

This pizzeria is on Hackney’s Columbia Roadbut squint a littlesip a glass of vinoand you’re in the Springsteen and pie heartland of New York. Chewyproudly thinwith a fire-kissedpuffy crust that dips and peaks like the Dolomitesthe pizzas at Lauretta’s go toe-to-toe with some of the finest slices we’ve tried on the other side of the Atlantic. The vodka margherita doesn’t have the meatyburrata-crowned pizzazz of the Calabrian Supreme and the Double Pepperonibut it’s easily the best pizza here—no egojust a pitch-perfect creaminess matched with a zingy tomato tang.

In Lenny’s ApizzaLondon has its first New Haven obsessive. This is thin and crispywith a particular focus on a scalded burnt crust. The tiny kitchen inside this north London pub does an excellent interpretation. You’ll find it inside The Bedford Armsan unpretentiousdark but airy boozer on Seven Sisters Road that serves lager-sinking regulars as well as it does pizza-lovers. If you’re after a real taste of New Havenget the potato pie. It’s a cheese and rosemarycarb-on-carb delight.

A car dealership in East Finchley is where you’ll find 67 Sourdough serving great thin-crustNew York- pies. The main dining area looks out onto gleaming classic Porschesand come eveningtables are filled with locals in the know. The excellent pizzas are a good distraction from falling in love with a car you’ll never be able to buy. The crisp sourdough bases and crunchy crusts with a pleasing chew are greatand toppings well-balanced: the pepperoni with hot honeyand ‘nduja and burrata are standouts.

This spot on Commercial Street is filled with American paraphernalia and serves our favourite Detroit- pizza in the city. It’s an in-and-out kind of placewith a handful of high tables and stools where you can perchmaking this Spitalfields spot a great place to hit up for a quick weekday lunch. They also have a roomier Islington location if you’re rolling with a group. A single slice of their Red Stripe is enough to fill you up—the dough is so chewy and fluffywith a layer of cheese and a river of rich marinara on topbut we're willing to bet you'll want a whole pie.

Breadstall sells Neapolitan pizza by the quarterhalf sliceor whole pie. And this Soho spot's biga dough (twice-bakedslow-fermented) is to thank for the fluffyairy textureand bases that remain crisp. We like the sweet vodka sauce and richhalal beef raguand the spicy ‘nduja mayo is a must for crust-dredging purposes. Grab a slice from the takeaway hatch or make full use of the inside seats and frozen marg machine.

Tucked away in Notting HillRia’s is a wine bar-meets-Detroit slice spot that’ll make you want to settle in for hours. The baby blue room glows softlypét-nat glasses catching the light as trays of squarepillowy pizza hit the counter. Order by the slice if you mustbut once you get a taste of the saucy house pie—with ricotta and basil drizzle on top—ordering a whole pizza is the move. Try a slice of the garlic wild mushroom too. We’re big fans of Frank’s hot butter drizzle for a little tangand their second Soho location.

On a corner of Burleigh Street in Covent GardenItalian restaurant Vasiniko makes Neapolitan- pizzaswith the doughiestcharred crusts that would convert even a no-crusts kind of person. Don’t get distracted by specials like the creamy truffle-based tartufinabecause the richbasil-infused tomato sauce means that you absolutely cannot leave without trying the straightforward margherita. Enjoy it in Vasiniko’s bright and airy holiday-feel dining roomwith cosy booths for groups that are going to regret agreeing to share their pizza.

This big NYC-eat-in and pizza delivery spot is all over Londonfrom Hackney to Balhamall the way up to Walthamstow and down to Crystal Palace. You should always order their ginormous 18-inch pizzas whether it’s for one person or for four. The crusts are crispierthe slices more satisfyingand that way you’ll have some in the fridge to eat the next morning. Also know that the best thing you can order is actually their cheese and Marmite garlic bread. A truly gorgeousgooey umami-filled delight.

Bar D4100 is the pizza party of our dreams. Specifically the dream where we have a pink-tiled kitchen in Nunhead and nearly-melted candles flickering on tables loaded with pizza and friends. This good-times pizzeria is the de facto meeting point for locals craving chewy crustscreative toppingsand £5 spritzes. The Macgyver is the most-ordered pizza for good reason—we’re big fans of how well the creamy whipped feta and spicy hot honey and chorizo play together. If you’re not localit’s worth battling with a Thameslink train to dunk a charred slice in their incredible aioli.

18-inch pizzascrimson-red marinaraand a good time are what you’ll find at this laid-back Southwark pizza spot. On the tables out frontgroups catch up over pints while splitting a behemoth-sized margherita. Insidestaff pull crispy-based pies out of the ovendistributing spoonfuls of burrataand drizzling hot honey. It’s the thickbright marinara that makes these pizzas so good. If 18 inches sounds intimidatingknow that you can order by the half or quarter pizza. But who ever said no to pizza leftovers?

If it’s good enough for Julia Roberts in Eat Pray Lovethen it’s good enough for us. This Soho restaurant is one of two London branches of the famous pizza shop in Naplesand serves tasty Neapolitan pizzas with the perfect ratio of marinara to cheese. You can get them topped with whole balls of burrata or salsicciabut our favourite is the margherita with buffalo cheese. The pizzas are simplewith lightly charred crusts and a puddle of tomato sauce in the middle.

Old-school Pizzeria Pappagone is big and shoutyfull of staff buzzing aroundand chefs rhythmically wielding pizza peels in and out of the oven like a team of Vikings rowing a boat. The Finsbury Park institution has been around since the late ‘90s and once you try one of their faultless wood-fired pizzas—we’re partial to a Hawaiianjust FYI—you’ll understand why.

Zia Lucia is probably Islington’s best-known pizzeria—for good reason. Your classic margherita is just over a tennerand the rest just a bit more. The Holloway Road restaurant is rarely without a hungry customer outsideespecially on match days when Arsenal fans are looking for their fix of charcoal dough topped with buffalo mozzarella. The choice of doughs (charcoalwholemealgluten-freeor traditional) aren’t something you see every day and make a midweek Neapolitan pizza feel a little bit special.