[slider_pro id=”19″]
My top 10 pizzas in London list reflects a global renaissance in the appreciation of Neapolitan pizza. The difference this time is that the feeling is genuine.
Naples shared its love for pizza and dry pasta with the world many years ago but something got lost in translation. Rather than eat pasta al dente and pizza soft, in the Neapolitan way, foreigners learned to do the opposite. Non-Italians at last discovered the pleasures of al dente pasta in the late 20th Century. But only recently have hard-core devotees in the pizza diaspora acquired a soft spot for pizza with a pliable crust.
In regulations set by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana a pizza must be soft, easy to manipulate, bendy.
New followers of the Neapolitan pizza fold have been setting up pizzerias in New York and Tokyo, San Francisco and Sydney, LA and London. Their pizzas are not literally made in Naples, but most are baked in Neapolitan wood-fried brick pizza ovens. When true to its roots the pizza’s puffed cornicione (rim) is airy, dry and cooked through, not bready and gummy.
For the sake of comparison I’ve limited my consideration of London pizzas to the classic Margherita. If you have to judge pizza on a single variety it has to be the elemental tricolour of green, white and red – basil, mozzarella and tomato.
The omission of more elaborate, less familiar pizza varieties has had two distinct drawbacks: First, some pizzerias made the cut even though not all of the toppings on all of their pizzas are of the highest quality. Secondly, this list passes over a good number of praiseworthy pizzas, from the lardo, egg and spinach pizza at Lardo to the Nduja pizza at Pizza Pilgrims to the Charlie Jones pizza at Story Deli to the rotated specials at Home Slice Pizza.
Slow food is a good thing, especially when it comes to pizza dough. The best are prepared with the smallest amount of yeast and therefore require fermentation lasting 24 hours or longer. What I cannot tolerate is slow eating of pizza. It must be consumed hot.
Top 10 Pizzas in London
10. Franco Manca
Upon arriving for the first time at the original Franco Manca I was so excited I asked a waitress to pinch me. She said I would have to queue like everyone else. Happily the pizzeria beneath the Brixton Market arcades and its then sub-£5 (now £5.90) Margherita were no dream.  I soon discovered if there was any reality pinching to be done it should be of the fluffy, chewy, char-spotted cornicione that frames its pliable crust. Conscientious sourcing is central to the story line created by Giuseppe Mascoli but he overreached in choosing a mozzarella blend from a Somerset producer. The British cheese solidifies in fast-drying patches over the Margherita, marring the interplay with what has become an absurdly thin layer of tomato spread over the sourdough platform. The concern with Franco Manco’s expansion is that not every new pizzaiolo at every new location will be up to the challenge inherent in slow fermentation and fast cooking.  Even so, Franco Manco’s rapid growth must be viewed as a plus, bringing good pizza at a good price closer to more and more Londoners.
Franco Manca Brixton, Unit 4, Market Row, Brixton, S9 – 020 7738 3021
Franco Manca Chiswick, 144 Chiswick High Street, Chiswick, W4 – 020 8747 4822
Franco Manco Stratford, Westfield Stratford, E20 – 020 8522 6669
Franco Manca Northcote, 16 Northcote Rd, Battersea, SW11 – 020 7924 3110
Franco Manca Tottenham Court, 98 Tottenham Court Rd, Fitzrovia, W1T – 020 7580 1913
Franco Manca Balham, 53 Bedford Hill, Balham, SW12 – 020 8772 0489
Franco Manca Southfields, 277 Wimbledon Park Road, SW11 – 020 8780 1048
Franco Manca Broadway Market, 52 Broadway Market, Hackney, E8 – 020 7254 7249
9. Ruben’s Bakehouse Refettorio
In Twickenham Monday and Tuesday are the loneliest nights of the week. That’s when Refettorio, the pizzeria-restaurant connected to Ruben’s bread bakery, is closed. The idea is to give both the sourdough and Daniele the pizzaiolo sufficient time to rest. Daniele is from Puglia and owner Igor Occhiali (his son’s name is Ruben) is from Tuscany, which may explain why the crust is crisper than any Neapolitan would allow. The sourdough base is much stiffer than Franco Manca’s but happily there is nothing cardboardy about a sourdough base that’s thin as a debit card in the middle yet bubbly and charred in all the right places. The fior di latte (cow’s milk mozzarella) is superbly oozy, drippy and stringy and, in a single word, dangerous.
52 Heath Road, Twickenham, TW1, 020 8892 9513
8. Addommè
I can’t imagine what circumstances led Nadia Leonetti and Stefano Casanova of Addommè to leave the glamourous island of Capri to set up shop in Streatham. But if I were the official in charge of bringing tourism to that South London district I’d put their pictures at the top my home page, together with a photo of their Margherita, if only to show more famous pizzerias in posh London districts how fresh, hand-cut fior di latte should behave atop a pizza. Forget the polkadot aesthetic: On this pizza canvas the white and red elements flow freely into one another to form a pink surface. 
Naples native Peppe Silvestro is a gifted pizzaiollo: His pizzas are blackened and blistered yet the mozza stays pure white and the crispness is just enough to make a noise when you break into it. Reasonable people may disagree about which Streatham pizzeria is superior, Addommè or Bravi Ragazzi. If I were the official in charge Streatham tourism I’d organise comparison tastings.
17-21 Sternhold Ave, Streatham Hill, SW2, 020 8678 8496
7. Pizza Metro Pizza
The first edition of Gambero Rosso guide to the pizzerias of Italy included seven foreign addresses: two in Paris, two in New York and three in Battersea. A single area of South London merited more pages than all of Venice or Trieste. Sadly, one of those eateries, A Fenestella, has closed, leaving locals to choose between two authentic Neapolitans: the admirable if inconsistent Donna Margherita and the outstanding Pizza Metro. Every millimetre of Pizza Metro’s wall space is covered with Naples-themed movie posters, murals and kitsch when all you really want to see is a pizzaiolo pull his puffy-rimmed, lightly charred, gently crisp, metre-long pizzas from the wood oven. The trouble with long pizzas, however, is they’re nearly impossible to rotate in the oven for even cooking. One end might be a little dark and charred; the other, pale and underbaked. I prefer the round ones.
Pizza Metro Battersea, 64 Battersea Rise, Battersea, SW11 – 020 7228 3812
Pizza Metro Notting Hill, 147-149 Notting Hill Gate, 020 7727 8827
6. Santoré
Forget Tower Bridge and Trafalgar Square: The essential London attraction for Southern Italian tourists was Spaccanapoli in Soho, probably because its pizza’s puffy, chewy, smoky-flavoured cornicione was so similar to what they can get at home. When that great pizzeria was evicted by the Crossrail construction project its owner, Mimmo Savarese, sent his most loyal customers as well as Nicola, his best pizzaiolo, to Santoré, Spacccanapoli’s sibling restaurant in Clerkenwell. Nicola’s Margherita is eminently foldable, its toppings reliably juicy in the best possible way.
59-61 Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell, EC1 – 020 7812 1488
5. Sacro Cuore
A mural of Naples, its cartoon monochrome an amusing departure from the kitschy landscapes of pizzerias past, may reveal Sacro Cuore’s origins. But you discover its the Margherita pizza that points you in the direction of Naples with greater speed and accuracy than the most advanced GPS navigation. The tomato sauce and fior di latte float over a wonderfully light, elastic, charred crust. Bend a triangular slice and the loose toppings will collect in the middle and, upon first bite, shoot flavours throughout your mouth. Sacro Cuore is the proud sibling of Santa Maria and lacks only the consistency of the mother ship.
45 Chamberlayne Rd, London NW10 3NB (see map), 020 8960 8558
4. Saporitalia
If you want to understand my desire for a molten mozzarella hurry to Saporitalia and see how the islets of fior di latte melt into one another, keeping soft and fluid even minutes after the pizza has been pulled from the wood-fired oven. Lift the pizza up from one end and the cheese slowly slides to the other, loyal to its substratum of rich plum tomatoes but not stuck to it. If I speak of this Margherita less as an inanimate object than a living thing that’s because it is. Pizzaiolo Ciro Sinese’s is crust is softer than most pizzas yet on the crisp side for a true Neapolitan. Its sure break in the mouth is a special chew sensation.
22 Portobello Road, London W11 1LJ (see map), 020 7243 3257
3. Bravi Ragazzi
The crust of a Bravi Ragazzi Margherita can be so light it’s a wonder it doesn’t collapse under the pressure of their moist toppings. But weightlessness in a Neapolitan-style pizza is a reflection of strength, from the way the dough is formed and rested to the manner it which it is stretched. By this measure Michele, the top Bravi Ragazzi pizzaiolo, is one powerful dude. The pizza is hardly flawless, but rustic imperfection is one of its charms. The dark spots and air pockets have an old-world authentic about them. The fior di latte goes into the wood-crackling oven as a solid and exits as a liquid.  If you want to know where Neapolitan pizza is headed head to Bravi Ragazzi.
2A Sunnyhill Road, Streathham, SW16 – 020 8769 4966
2. Santa Maria Pizzeria
The January 2015 facelift of Santa Maria featured new lighting fixtures, a new kitchen, a new Carrera marble counter and, most crucially, a new pizza oven hand-built by a Neapolitan craftsman with biscotto di Sorrento clay bricks and finished with black matte mosaic. But one thing has not changed: You can still see the reflection of the divine in the Margherita’s shimmering pools of milky, oozy and, yes, salty fior di latte floating over its surface.  This pizza, like its demanding co-owners Pasquale Chionchio and Angelo Ambrosio, is Neapolitan to the core, its soft, delicate yet resilient crust holding up to pressure, from the beautiful tomato sauce as well as your eager fingers.
15 St Mary’s Road, London W5 5RA (see map), 020 8579 1462
1. L’Antica Pizzeria
I salted my Margherita with tears when I heard Antonio, L’Antica’s star pizzaiolo, would be leaving the Hampstead pizzeria and moving to Tenerife. The response of the co-owners, Luca de Vita and Alessandro Betti, was more productive. They nurtured a replacement with ambitions as great as his hands, Giacomo Guido, and slowly – very slowly – improved their dough through longer fermentation at ambient temperature. The result has been an incredibly light dough, as is the fashion in Naples.  It’s as if Giacomo had inflated his cornicione with helium and not air. The only thing keeping the weightless Margherita from levitating above the table are its layers of tomato sauce and dreamy fior di latte, which Giacomo now cuts by hand. Now, if Antonio tried to return to Britain and reclaim his place at what is now London’s best pizzeria I would advise UK Visas and Immigration to stop him at the border and, if necessary, revoke his passport.
6 Heath Street, Hampstead, NW3 (see map) – 020 7431 8516
wow. Now that’s what I call research.
Excellent guide to capital pizza. Have plotted these on my map for my next pizza crawl…
Good research! There’s nothing worse than a bad pizza… Have you tried the pizzas at The Gowlett in Peckham? Lovely crispy base. What’s not to like about pizza and good beer in a local pub?!
TGC – I’ve not tried the pizza at The Gowlett and hope you’ll forgive that oversight. I love the pizza-and-ale experience when and only when the pub pizza is good on its own (Margherita), with no extras to cover up its shortcomings. Does The Gowlett use a gas-fired stone pizza oven like the one at The Lauriston or a wood-fired one like at The Oak?
Franco Manca is said to be the worst kept secret in Brixton but try to walk few steps further into the market and discover their less known product sourdough cafone bread sold in nearby cafe. You won’t regret.
Franco Manca is just hype – their Pizzas are small, tasteless and expensive.
Same goes for Pizza Pilgrims – the sweet Peppers are not fresh, at least twice they had a Pickled vinegary Taste.
Which are the two addresses in Paris for pizza according to the Gambero Rosso guide?
Just read Time Out’s feature on the best pizzas in London. Wondered what you thought of it. Have you tried their winner – Santa Maria in Ealing?
Il Mirto, East Dulwich – best pizza I’ve ever eaten (I’m Italiam)
i must say you should try the pizza in camden. at CHICCOS great pizza..?
pizzas at pappagone in finsbury are truly awful just caked in cheese with no real flavour
Had a very unusual and fantastic smoked mackerel pizza at Rocket the other day. They come up with unusual concoctions but they are always pretty good.
the above is merely a list of pizza places that should have been named, like Spacca Naplo, Made in Italy, Trattoria Sapori in newington green and others, I mean you have Pizza East on the list and thats more like American New York style not Italian, thats why we have misunderstood the Italian pizza here as we have been influenced by big chains coming from the USA Dominoes, Pizza Hut, all frozen dough balls, and all american.
And for reference the best an only flour one should use for the authentic pizza self rising is not the one in your picture thats for sure.
come on lets search better and get the facts right before we publicize stuff like this.
Pizza Lover
Jonny – Sadly Spaccanapoli is permanently closed due to construction of the Crossrail Project. Owner Domenico Savarese and Nicola, his best pizzaiollo, can be found at Santore, which is on my list.
I still like the basic Pizza Express marguerita & their club is a good deal too but only cooked in certain of their restaurants.
Any chance of a top 10 pizzas in Manchester?
Paul – Unfortunately not be this London-based pizza lover.
Daniel went to Santore and you are right, great pizza. I also went recently to Trattoria Sapori in newington green and they do great ones as well, have you been? My next one is to go to Franco Manca
Hello there
Would be interested in a bit more info on the tomato sauce used in these pizzas. I use Gennaro Contaldo’s ultra-simple uncooked tinned toms plus salt & pepper, and people LOVE my pizzas.
Just read this post whilst eating a bowl of Bircher Muesli for breakfast, Am now deeply unsatisfied, massively hungry and craving pizza for elevenses… Great post – although I’ve had mixed results eating pizza at Rossopomodoro I guess it could depend on the brand – will definitely have to try the few I’ve not yet been too!
Love you top 10s!
Have you tried donna margarita in battersea. Absolutely stunning! Tried it for the first time a couple of months ago even though its existed for aaaages and was VERY impressed.
Sofia – I’ve tried and liked the pizza at Donna Margheria. Despite the name I actually preferred its salsiccia e friarielli to the slightly dry and lifeless Margherita pizza.
Why on earth isn’t Santa Maria in Ealing in this list?
Best pizzas in London!
Claire – I’ve visited Santa Maria only once and while impressed one of the two pizzas I tried was not cooked and both were pale. Based on recommendations, including yours, I realise must return soon to see was a recurrent concern or a one-off aberration.
I went to Trattoria Sapori, they are located on newington green, now I have never been here before but an Italian friend told me about this place, and he was right, they make their dough up to 30 hours before preparing them to eat, they use frior di latte that arrives from salerno in italy twice a week, their toppings are fresh from their deli area.
check it out.
Jason – I have tried the pizza at Trattoria Sapori and did not find it to be exceptional. For truly great pizza in Stoke Newington I would recommend Datte Foco.
Hey Daniel,
Have you tried Homeslice yet? Their toppings are incredibly good and the base is a satisfying mixture of Roman and Neopolitan styles. Definitely recommended if you havn’t been able to catch them yet.
Thanks for reco, Poke. Must try it.
Whilst you are having other recommendations (sporadically at least), how about The Libertine in Borough? As a non-expert, it has been the only place to beat Rosso Pomodoro for me (although I haven’t been to any of the other nine on your list).
I particularly like their Funghi, mainly for the truffle-y smell.
Two notable omissions here Dan! If you haven’t been to either you must.
Firstly: Al Volo. Great pizza. Great pasta too – Ely’s Yard in the Old Truman Brewery, E1
Secondly: Due Sardi (a take away but have a restaurant now open immediately next door – Amici Miei – haven’t been but hear it’s exactly the same) – Both on the Kingsland Road, E2
Both Italian owned and run with Italians in the kitchen. Cook pizza the way it should be cooked… have to go to Naples to find it done better.
Pizza East – disappointing for me. And far too cool for school too!
Ed – I had Al Volo on the top 10 list at first. I rate their pizza as good but unremarkable.
Thanks for the list, as someone who has travelled to Naples just for a pie, its nice to see some good ratings. Have used it as a bit of a to do list for pizza in London. Been to many of the above, the oak didn’t wow me but the only one I don’t agree with is Story Deli as I wouldn’t consider it Pizza, more a bread and topping creation. What I would like to see is a seperate list of good slices, which are even harder to find in London. Only two I’ve had that I’d go back for are Arancia in Notting Hill and Princi on Wardour St. (only the margarita or salami when they are seconds out of the oven). Any favourites for slices?
Mike – Tough to compile a long list of great slices in London. My favourite is Datte Foco in Stoke Newington.
Pizza is not really bad for you because it has grain,cheese and tomato sauce. these are normal healthy things but depends what kind of pizza it is.
There’s no way Datte Foco should be on the list at all. Have you guys actually eaten there?! All sounds good on paper. Yes the guy has a bit of Italian biography (supposedly). Yes the decor is cool. But they reheat slices of large pre-baked pizza slabs to order in a table top oven. No better than those awful tourist places in Camden and the West End. By the time the slices have been twice-cooked the crust is incredibly hard and chewy. My jaw was aching so much after a single slice I had to stop eating. Il Bacio, the long-standing Italian restaurant opposite, does much better pizza to eat in and take away – as does their sister smaller place Il Bacio Express down the road. Also, there’s nothing Roman about their pizza in Datte Foco. The style in Rome is for very thin crispy pizza which shatters in the mouth. These have heavy doughy bases.
Sean – Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Datte Foco and Il Bacio. I am sorry you didn’t like Datte Foco as much as I did.
Your comment failed to make a distinction for Roman-style pizza al taglio. The Datte Foco prepares a very good and genuine interpretation of pizza al taglio. It is baked in rectangular trays, as it is in Rome, not in the round, thin-crusted format with which you a familiar.
Ah, fair enough on the distinction. Such a shame though mine was reheated not fresh. Any idea where I CAN find the crispy round pizzas I love so much?! Ideally in north/east London? I dream of them. I am looking forward to trying some of your other top ten. Have thoroughly enjoyed visits to Pizza East but none of the others.
Hi Daniel, if your list ever needs updating I think you need to pay Soho Joes on Dean Street a visit – bargain, tasty and lit by candle light (the informal restaurant, not the pizza!) H
I have tried a few of the places mentioned on the top 10 list and would ten to agree with rating and commentary.
The one which didn’t make the cut which is our favourite is Due Sardi on kingsland road. It is a take away only place but the owners have recently opened a restaurant next door which has a different name and which shares the same wood fire oven. I thought it is a definite contestant for the top 10 pizzerias in London, which is in fact backed up by a couple of Italian friends of mine.
Tried them all and agree pizza metro is very good.
As a regular(ish) vistor to Naples, your readers might be interested to hear a recommendation from the city of pizza.
Having eaten out in a fair few pizza resturants in the city, I wholly recommend: http://www.ciroamergellina.it/ to your readers for a true Naples pizza.
How does it compare to Pizza Metro? .. well that would be spoiling the surprise….
You should put Fabrizios in highgate on the list, best pizza I have had outside of Italy
Dan – I’ve had the pleasure of trying the pizza at Fabrizio on Highgate Hill. It was good but not, in my view, a top tenner.
In terms of Roman-style pizza, Maletti in Soho does it better than Datte Focco. It’s one of the few places that I’ll bother queuing 20 minutes in the rain for.
Lee-Ann – I’m sure many agree with you but I am not one of them. The quality of ingredients at Maletti is far inferior.
Thank you so much. I love good pizza and this post will be so useful to me when pizza eating in town. I do dream about a wood fired pizza oven in my garden because I make a great dough but my oven can’t blast the heat high enough.
Laura – Try cooking your homemade pizza on a Weber-style charcoal grill. The results will astound you. In a good way!
I suggest you to add Olivia Pizza to your list.its too good
You’re not serious, are you, Olivia?
Dan
I have to disagree about progress if , 8 and 9 make it into your top 10 we are in big trouble.
The topings at 8 are especially bad whilst 9 was average at best during it’s first 14 days whilst now poor to awful and there is no way the Mozzarela di Buffala Campana DOP is £the best money can buy 🙂
Dino – Always delighted to see and read your comments, especially when we disagree.
There was nothing average about Pizza East pizza in its first days. If you didn’t much care for its genre, style or format that would be understandable. Many shared that view. But average? Those early pizzas were credible copies of the sourdough pizzas at LA’s Pizzeria Mozza. Their preparation was overseen by Bryant Ng, a veteran of Mozza and one of the best young chefs in the USA.
If you give the Pizza East portion of the post a second look you will see I did not describe its mozzarella di bufala as the very best, only as a good example of the best appellation £s can buy.
The pizza at sartori is utterly tasteless!far better is pizza pilgrims on berwick street.Not a restaurant but shpuld be! Would live to try franco manca.
Dan I agree with you list but have to report that Datte is on the slippery slope. The last few times I’ve been in their pizza table (only available for those drinking their drinks deal) was full and their take out cabinet limited. Booze may make more money but its not going to keep your reputation – I’m hoping they realise this and revert back!
Sara – Thanks for bringing this distressing development to our – and hopefully Datte Foco’s attention. I learned of its drinks offer at a recent late afternoon visit but was not aware of its extent.
Much as it upsets me (and compels me to reconsider its ranking on the list) I can’t say as I blame Datte Foco’s owners for trying so misguided a policy. Surely it came more out of frustration than anything else: If Londoners had supported Datte Foco one quarter to the extent its fine pizza al taglio merited promotional gimmicks of any kind would not have been necessary.
I’d just like to set the record straight about Due Sardi and Amici Miei on Kinglsand Rd – whilst the owners are indeed relatives and located next door to each other, they do not share the same pizza oven and their pizzas are different. Each have their own ovens and each serve different styles and with different toppings. Both are pretty good though.
Of the ones I’ve visited on this list, I’d firmly agree with all except two: Story Deli, which for me, serves dry, thin, sparsely topped and unremarkable pizza at absolute rip-off prices, and Pizza East – whose LA-style sourdough pizzas just aren’t to my taste.
Meter on the ground floor of what used to be CAMP near Old St roundabout does a good Neapolitan-style marghertita and is well worth checking out, too.
I’d also stick up for Pizza Express, because I was pretty much brought up on their pizzas back in the day when there was very little else around other than the truly dreadful likes of Pizza Hut, and I think that, for a chain of their size, quality is usually pretty consistent.
Nick – Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Your arguments against Story Deli and Pizza East and for Pizza Express are the right ones and can’t easily be dismissed. I’ve tried Meter and thought it was pretty good. I’d go back. I loved their pizzelle fritti – pizza doughnuts.
Interesting. We leave right between Santa Maria and the Franco Manca in Chiswick and keep switching allegiances. Of late we’ve favoured Franco Manca due to their consistency. When Santa Maria gets it right, they get it oh so right, but recently we’ve had a few that didn’t quite hit the mark (but being pretty picky admittedly). I think what could be said for both is that the simper pizzas are better, particularly meat-free options. The santa bufalina at Santa Maria (when on a good day) being pick of the bunch.
Saporitalia restaurant …. Simply the best!!
Chiccos pizza, 42 Camden High Street has been over looked. Fantastic pizza, friendly atmosphere, amazing service, great prices. It deserves to be amongst the best. Please review. M
Thanks for the tip, Michael. How many of those on the list have you tried?
Santa Maria is one of the best. But want the best in the world, it’s Pizza Bianco on Phoenix, Arizona. He has done the joint venture with Jamie Oliver on Union Jack. Forget that however, his own restaurant in the states is reputed to be the best in the world and, as a pizza freak, I can say it is…..amazing. Also I rate Di Fara in Brooklyn, legendary, both the pizza and the man. Forget Keste and Co Pane.
Neither of my 2 favourite pizza places are on the list. Please try them. They are better than most and have a great atmosphere. After years I know the owners of both, great people.
Soho Joe
22-25 Dean Street
Soho
London
W1D 3RY
Pizza@Home
350 Old Brompton Road
Earls Court
London
SW5 9JU
Given the distance I would say that you get better food quality and service at the Portobello Pizzaria that Pizza Metro.
From my experience the service there is pretty abysmal too. But that’s just my opinion. I think the French make better pizza’s that Italians these days anyway.
@Lorenzo – When I lived in Fulham a few years ago I had pizza@home delivered a good few times – I personally found it very greasy/oily. I don’t think it’s been overlooked I think it’s not good enough.
Worth adding the kentish town address to pizza east – I wasn’t disappointed when I went there, in fact I loved it.
Sodo, Clapton Road should definitely be listed on here. Amazing sour dough pizza
You *have* to try Pizza Pazza, it’s a new pizzeria and italian restaurant in South Lambeth Road (145 South Lambeth Road, London SW8 1XN), this place is so good (trust an italian!!), the food is high quality, the atmosphere, the service, the owner and everything is really great. Sorry, not everything is great, everything but the prices!
Give it a try if you’re looking for a REAL italian restaurant but you don’t want to spend a lot of money 😉
Hey – u should also try the new Del Mercato in Borough Market (next to Brew Wharf). Their pizzas were fab! yum yum yum!
I was looking for some articles online and found this very interesting website, If I can give my opinion, Made in Italy still makes the best Pizza in london, I always go in their Kings Road branch and Notting hill from time to time, and I have always had one of the best pizza I eve ever eaten in my life.
Try this: http://www.viacaracciolopizzeria.co.uk/menu.pdf
Only for Pizza Lovers, at 42 Lavender Hill SW11 5RL
Hello Everyone,
we are the the proud supplier of Buffalo Mozzarella and Fior di Latte for 8 out 10 of the above mentioned Pizzerie.
Our dedication over the last 5 years has led to an incredible rise in standards of quality regarding mozzarella.
We deliver to this pizzerie an incredibly fresh and directly shipped from italy product, twice a week, to make sure you guys eat the pizza as fresh as you were right in the centre of Naples.
A big shout to all the incredible pizza chefs in and around London for supporting us…
WE LOVE YOU
Keep Eating Pizza
Andrea & Andrea
Bianca La Bufala founders
I live in streatham and visit brixton market on a regular occurrence usually for Franco manca I believe there pizzas to be best in the city they take sourcing there ingredients as serious as there pizzas which to me is the most important thing ( I have been a chef for 16years ) and the fact your not in an expensive restaurant but in a market in the cold paying six pounds just sums it all up!
I have recently found a place round the corner from me which I have to say is very very close to Franco please check it out
Bravi raggazi streatham
Daniel,
I am presuming you have eaten pizza in Naples and at stalwarts such as Da Michele’s? If so I am a little phased at your choice of no.1. There is no real depth of flavour in the dough at saporitalia. Favour not only comes from the fermentation but the amount of yeast used, the age of the oven and the type of wood. Though Santa Maria/Sacro Curoe can sometimes be a little wet in the middle the dough is flavoursome which will only improve as the oven ages. All the other ingredients they use produce an authentic Neopolitan pizza as good as you will find in most pizzerias anywhere in Naples. Still some great places to eat pizza in London. Keep up the good work!
David,
Thank you for your comment. As you know some pizzas doughs require no yeast at all, relying instead on long, natural rising.
The next time I am at Saporitalia I will pay more attention to the crust and its depth of flavour. You may have a point.
Since you seem to know Naples I am surprised to hear you refer to a wet middle as if it were a minor matter. Neapolitans despise pizza that’s not cooked through, as they should. It pains them just to hear about it, much less eat it.
Finally, you mention yeast, wood, oven and ingredients but neglect the mano – the hand of the pizzaiolo. Many pizza experts in London make the same omission.
Best,
Daniel
Best pizza in London by far is Soda in Clapton Hackney…. Yep you heard right, better than pizza east, great staff, great service, an oasis in what is a pretty run down area, people in the know are packing this little gem out every night….
Hi Dan,
A fairly new pizza place that has opened is called HOMESLICE in covent garden! The pizza are huge and reasonable! they mix up the topping and flavoring on regular basis and they never fail to disappoint with flavor or originality . I would say that this 100% deserves a spot in the top ten when you update maybe? If you haven’t already go cause its banging!
http://www.homeslicepizza.co.uk/
Enjoy amigos!
Great list, I’m sure it will help a lot in discovering new favourites! For what I am concerned, Made in Italy on Kings Road is surely in London’s top 10. And I agree with Daniel: Al Volo is good but nothing to write home about.
Visiting Notting Hill from New Haven, CT (look up our pizza credentials) in the US. Been to Italy 9 times and studied there for a year. Also, tried great pizza in NYC, SF bay area, and Minneapolis (yes, there’s excellent Neopolitan & New Haven style pizza there). Read about the London pizza trend & thanks to this list I tried East which is interesting but over priced and mediocre. Saporitalia is worlds better, and love that they serve traditional breaded anchovies, which I only ever found at my girlfriend’s mom’s kitchen! BTW, Otto & Homeslice deserve a visit bc they’re so unique.
Joe – Great to get a West London pizza perspective from a native of one of the world’s pizza meccas. I’ve been to Otto and Home Slice as well as Frank Pepe’s and Sally’s Apizza. In Notting Hill I would also recommend Pizza Metro.
cannot believe you listed sartori in the top ten pizzas. Apart for the fact that its crust is NOTHING like authentic italian pizzas, the veg on top of my vegetarian were just chunks of cubed veg that looked and tasted like it was out of a freezer bag. Place like franco manca put that place to shame. What’s worst is that its run by all Italians, so they should know!
I’d highly recommend BrewDog Camden’s pizza. It’s divine, neapolitan style base, gooey tasty cheese and – if you want – you can add any additional toppings for no extra cost!
Try Poco Pizza in West Hampstead. In my humble opinion is one of the best pizzas in town. (and i tried all of them on this list). Source: i’m italian.
Check out Pappagone in Finsbury Park. I’ve not personally been but a Neapolitan friend of mine rates it above some of those on your list.
Gavin – Your Neapolitan friend’s tip is a good one: I’ve been to Pappagone several times and have always enjoyed its pizza. It used to be featured on this list but a few pizzerias I like better have opened since.
Just to let you know, many things changed in Saporitalia since your last visit, the first and main important thing is that the pizza chef , Valentino, is not there anymore !!! I found out on my last visit and I was very disappointed as pizza is not as good as it used to be!!!
I agree with #1. I haven’t been to #2, must go soon.
I believe Sartori are better than their “cousin” Santoré.
I also think Addomme (very close to Bravi Ragazzi) deserves a place in your list. I can easily do without Franco Manca, who repeatedly disappointed me. Funny thing, just this morning I tweeted my top 5: https://twitter.com/enzoru/status/469765317305311232
Franco manna????? Please the only pizza in London is the one in Santa Maria .
Missed out Voodoo Ray’s
Missed out ecco’s
Poor list
No Home Slice???
Hands down the best for me
L’antica all the time for me! if this is what Naples is really like I want to live there. The pizza’s (especially the truffled up one) and the aperitivo (plus the snacks that come with them) are marvellous – a complete joy; with a walk over the heath being cheaper than even a budget flight too!
Top service – top ambience at far from top heavy prices – it’s the best
As you have taken Story Deli off the list and no-one complained…life is not worth living any more. Chowzter rated this the tastiest pizza on earth in 2013 and foodies from all over the world have flocked in and raved about. Ok..so it is strange…and expensive. If you can’t afford it, go once and take a picture. It is a pizza of innovative genius and we should all hail Lee who makes each and every one of them.
Interestingly enough, I find Sacro Cuore to be more consistent than Santa Maria. My very first visit to Santa Maria was very underwhelming, and even though further visits have made me realise how good their pizza is, I still can’t shake that first impression. Sacro Cuore, on the other hand, has never let me down, and the overall dining experience is better (much less cramped floor and much shorter queues than Santa Maria).
It’s also not the first time I hear great things about Santoré, which makes me glad to have made plans to visit it in a few weeks. I also feel I need to plan visits to the other places I’m missing out on – as a native Italian, I couldn’t be happier to have found this list!
Hi Daniel,
Long time no speak! Can I recommend you check out the pizza at Hana Maria on Stroud Green road, Finsbury Park.
Kind regards
I’ve been to Santoré a few times and find it good but not exceptional. It’s certainly not a patch on the margherita from Homeslice which is superb (although their combinations of toppings are ridiculous). Have you been there or La Saporita near Finsbury Park, which does very nice thin crust pizzas?
Ben – I really like Home Slice but not so much their Margherita. I tried it twice this summer and was disappointed on both occasions. The tomato and cheese were dried out and patchy: There were bald spots on the surface of the pizza. I guess we will just have to disagree on this one.
Ah that’s interesting, I had it yesterday and it was probably the best I’ve had in London, the tomato was incredibly sweet and there was excellent coverage of tomato and mozzarella. Maybe I was just very lucky. Did you order a whole pizza or just a slice? The table next to me were ordering slices and they didn’t look nearly as good…
It’s true, Ben, that I was having slices, not whole pies, and that their whole pies are generally superior, especially in terms of not being dryed out. But I did look around and noticed that the whole pies around me had patchy coverage. Regardless, based on your experience I guess I will have to give them another go.
Have you tried Sarracino in West Hampstead? I haven’t done a like for like comparison with Margheritas like above, but it’s the consistently best pizza I’ve had in London.
Not yet, Gurpreet. I will have to get over there soon. Thanks for the tip.
Thanks!!!!! See you!!
L’antica pizzeria:the Best pizza made in Italy To London!
Pop down to A Casa Mia in Herne Bay in Kent if you want Neapolitan Pizza in the provinces. The only place to have been accredited by the Naples Pizza association – indeed the owner is now the UK rep for said association. And he agrees with your #1 in London when I spoke to him about his London favourites, but rates his higher! I’ve not had a better pizza in London than the one I had at A Casa Mia
The title is disingenious.
These are the top 10 *neapolitan* pizzas in London.
I find the contrived “passion” and conspicuous airs of “authenticity” surrounding the new wave of neapolitan pizza to be exceedingly dull. It is testament to an age where the spirit of sharing, breaking bread, and sense of community takes a back seat to the throne of self-indulgent individualism.
Have you tried Saponara in Islington? Tiny place but it’s been run by an Italian family for the last 20 years and serving delicious pizza. Was surprised it wasn’t a tenner – where would you rate it?
If you want an authentic Neapolitan pizza, pop down to Donna Margherita in Clapham (Lavender Hill). Run by a passionate owner from Napoli for the past 13 years. Their pizza is unbelievable……………..
Good call, Frederic: I’ve been to Donna Margherita twice for pizza and like it both times. Lovely place. But in my view its pizza is not as good as the Neapolitan-style pizzas on this list. The exception might be Franco Manca, which as slipped of late and will soon be replaced.
Hi Daniel Valentino Ferro ex pizza chef of saporitalia and pizzametropizza would like to invite you to the grand opening of his new pizzeria on sunday 26th june at Sorrento in, 1168 london rd sw16 4dp. Hope to see you there and kind regards.
Love the post Daniel. Have you tried Seven Sourdough in Harrow-on-the-hill? It’s a newbie but better than Franca Mancas in my opinion… worth a try