It’s pretty much everyone’s dream to be rolling in dough.
So, without further ado, we’ve only gone and helped you in said quest by compiling a list of the very best pizza spots in London…
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We’ll start here so you can briefly salivate, then scroll past to the places you haven’t heard of. Crisp is probably one of the most hyped pizza spots in London right now – but that hype is entirely deserved. They’ve got the T-shirt merch, they’ve got the heavyweight chef collabs, but most importantly they’ve got the goods – San Marzano toms, Calabrian ‘Nduja, buffalo mozzarella, all tossed onto sweetly charred dough. For now, you’ll need to reserve a pizza ahead of time, but an expansion beyond their pub home can’t be far off.
Details: The Chancellors, 25 Crisp Road, W6 9RL | Pre-order here (Wed-Sun)
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A raucous pizzeria in Marylebone, and now Chelsea, that has led the charge for London’s love affair for retro Italo-American dining. Expect vinyl red chequered tablecloths; projections of Italian-American classics; a party atmosphere; and most importantly, expect to be well-fed. The pizzas come in 14″ servings, with options including a vodka tomato base; creamy stracciatella & smoked garlic; fiery jalapeño, smoked pepperoni & honey, and more. Plus smoky BBQ dips, ranch sauce and green aioli to see off the crusts.
Details: 22 Paddington Street, London W1U 5QY | 342 King’s Rd, London SW3 5UR | No bookings, open daily
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L’Oro Di Napoli literally means “the gold of Naples”, and this is one of those rare cases where the metaphorical gold isn’t something lame like ‘friendship’ or ‘knowledge’, but in in fact something even better… Pizza. And when it comes to Neapolitan style pizza in West London, this place is the gold standard.
It’s not too surprising, considering that the place is run actual ex-pat Neapolitans, who do everything exactly as they did back in their former city. You’ll find the restaurant itself sitting on a quiet junction a couple of streets over from Gunnersbury Park, where it’s been a local mainstay since 2014. And the pizzas? Puffy, mottled sourdough bases topped with creamy mozzarella, Neapolitan sausage, aubergine and more – and the fried calzone’s worth its weight in gold.
Details: The Quadrant, Little Ealing Lane, W5 4EE | No bookings
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Santa Maria | Fulham, Ealing, Brentford, Islington, Fitzrovia
Once you’ve discovered this West London pizza empire, you’ll be going religiously. Santa Maria’s since expanded more centrally, but their Brentford pizzeria remains the most unusual place to enjoy a slice in London – overlooking a fleet of classic cars at Duke’s garage. The pizzas themselves come straight from the Neapolitan school: puffy crusts and seriously generous toppings, all of which are named after the saints. San Rocco? He’s a roasted aubergine and rocket guy, obviously. Santa Caterina? Famously couldn’t resist Neapolitan salami and fior di latte cheese. Get the ‘nduja cream for the crusts.
Details: See locations and book here
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Award-winning chef Michele Pascarella took his dough on the road when he toured London with his pizza-slinging Ape van. Now, thankfully, he’s parked up in West London with two bricks-and-mortar spots dressed in vibrant Mediterranean tiles and abundant trellises of plastic lemons. The pizzas are the real deal, though – wood-fired and topped with both classic and signature Pascarella toppings like Cetaran tuna with crumbled black olives.
Details: 12 Red Lion Street, Richmond TW9 1RW | 9a Devonshire Road, Chiswick, W4 2EU | Book here
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The Dusty Knuckle on Green Lanes does everything its Dalston counterpart can – life-changing focaccia, doorstopper-thick sarnies and stellar coffee – with the additional perk that the bakery stays open for evenings later in the week for ‘pizza night’. The dough masters know exactly how to grapple that sourdough, and top it with combos like gorgonzola & king oyster mushroom and anchovies with salt-cured egg yolk. The deep-fried dough with thyme honey and Spenwood cheese is a particular treat.
Details: 429 Green Lanes, N4 1HA | Book here
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Vicoli di Napoli’s named after the city’s alleyways, but this is no backstreet joint. It’s a real slice of authentic Neapolitan pizza, fired up in a wood-fuelled oven and adorned with just a handful of old-school toppings like Marinara and Diavolo. They’re huge (frequently bigger than the plate they’re served on), immensely satisfying, and arrive on your table in minutes.
Details: 125 Stoke Newington Church St, London N16 0UH | Book here
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400 Rabbits is named after the god of fermentation in Aztec folklore, who’s also provided the inspiration for their sourdough, proved for at least 72 hours before it gets rolled into one of their pizzas. Despite their growing empire across South-East London, they remain entirely family-owned – and that labour of love is evident in every bite of their generously topped pizzas.
Details: See locations and book here
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Lardo | London Fields
Back fat: ordinarily the two least appetising words in the English language. But everything sounds better in Italian, including Lardo (named after the cured meat taken from the back of a pig). This industrially-styled restaurant in London Fields turns out some of the best pizza in London, delicately treading the line between authenticity and innovation with combos like taleggio cheese, chestnuts & wild mushrooms; potatoes, anchovies & rosemary; and Cobble Lane pepperoni with smoky scamorza cheese.
Details: 197-201 Richmond Road, E8 3NJ | Book here
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Homeslice | The City, Oxford Circus, Covent Garden
A haven of good life decisions, Homeslice serves up some of the more experimental pizza flavours in town. You can expect 20” pizzas with toppings ranging from the classic salami, rocket & parmesan right through to cauliflower shawarma, tahini, pomegranate & chickpea. And very considerately, if you’re struggling to choose between two, you can also split the toppings 50/50.
Details: 69-71 Queen Street, EC4R 1EE | 50 James Street, W1U 1HB | 13 Neal’s Yard, WC2H 9DP | Book here
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The perfect summer spot to sit with a group canal-side, sipping jugs of cold beer from the on-site brewery and eating fresh stone-baked pizzas. CRATE offers a couple of simpler options, such as the Spicy Salami and good old fashioned margherita, alongside a few more experimental ones, like their sweet potato & stilton, and their marinated Middle Eastern lamb, all layered onto a thin, crispy base.
Details: Unit 7, Queens Yard, Hackney Wick, E9 5EN | No bookings
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Borne from a pizza pilgrimage around Italy back in 2011, the Pizza Pilgrims (James and Thom Elliot) have come a long way since their humble beginnings serving pizza out of a small van. They now have over 15 sites across London, and even more dotted around the UK. Each one serves their crowd-pleasing line-up of Neapolitan pizzas, proved for 48 hours before cooking at 500°C to give a chewy dough topped with everything from classic pepperoni to hot dogs and french fries. But only their Kingly Court pizzeria has a takeaway hatch hawking Nutella pizza rings…
Details: See locations and book here
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Theo’s | Camberwell and Elephant & Castle
Effortlessly delicious, thick, doughy, wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas. Theo’s sources all of their ingredients locally – their ‘Nduja, for example, is bought from their neighbours down the road at The Camberwell Arms, who make it themselves from scratch – and you can style out your dough with any number of extra toppings (as long as you leave room for a Neapolitan ice cream sandwich to finish).
Details: 2 Grove Lane, Camberwell, SE5 8SY | 17-18 Elephant & Castle, SE1 6TH | Book for 5+ only here
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Having started off as a bit of an experiment in a Walthamstow back… yard; they’ve clearly gotten the hang of things. You’ll find their stone-baked pizzas in ten different locations across North and South-East London, with whisper-thin and crispy bases and toppings like ‘Guindillas in the Mist’ (guindilla chilli peppers and red onion) and The Full House (pepperoni, fennel sausage & ground beef). They frequently collaborate with other restaurants and pop-ups, so don’t be surprised to find a curry mash-up on the menu. And it’s worth knowing that these pizzas travel well, too.
Details: See locations and book here
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One bite and you’ll be a believer. This forward-thinking spot by Cambridge Heath plates up entirely meat-free pizzas, made with sustainably farmed heritage grain dough, and topped with jazzy additions like kimchi & Cacklebean egg; garlic roast cauliflower & tahini; and sweet pickled beetroot & chilli. Organic wines are poured from 20l kegs (reducing their carbon footprint by 30%), and absolutely nothing goes to landfill. Well, once you’ve started your pizza you won’t want to leave any on the plate, either.
Details: 286-290 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 9DA | Book here
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@goodbrewinc
Gordo’s started out as a post-lockdown pizzeria in Dalston, won a legion of fans, and was promptly evicted by its landlord… who then opened a pizzeria. Called Gordo’s. So now the original’s tacked on ‘world famous’ to its name, and it feels like a fair prediction: their molten, NYC-style pies are some of the most wickedly satisfying slices you can find on this side of the pond. After a residency at TT Liquor they’ve now got a stall at Netil Market slinging ziti (it’s pasta pizza!), bubbling pepperoni, and more.
Details: 13-23 Westgate St, London E8 3RL | Open Wed-Sun
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The kind of pizza you’ll get the yen to travel for. This award-winning pizza outfit has embellished a couple of Greenwich pubs over the years, and now it’s taken up residence in one of our favourites, The Pelton Arms. Slow-fermented sourdough, a blistering hot wood-fired oven and quality ingredients (like San Marzano tomatoes) come together to create pizzas with thick, chewy crusts and tomato-bathed centres that threaten to give into the laws of gravity (but never do). And on Mondays, you can BOGOF.
Details: The Pelton Arms, 23-25 Pelton Road, SE10 9PQ | Book on 02088580572
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Dinner for One Hundred | Telegraph Hill, Bloomsbury, Nunhead
In 2020, Jake and Jacob decided to quit their jobs as pizza chef and bus tour guide, and pool their talents. Sadly, they haven’t created the pizza bus of everyone’s dreams, but they’ve done the next best thing – launch a (stationary) empire that now comprises a pizza stall on Telegraph Hill, a pub residency in Bloomsbury and their very own bar in Nunhead. The toppings are generous, the crusts springy (even the gluten-free one), and the spritzes will only set you back a fiver.
Details: 143 Evelina Road SE15 3HB | Book here
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Sodo | East London… and Hammersmith
Sodo got its start (and starter) in a bakery, which explains why the base here – a chewy, long-fermented sourdough made with heritage grains – is so exceptional. Several years later the place has expanded to six bricks-and-mortar pizzerias, pairing toppings like anchovies & capers and artichoke & gorgonzola with craft beers and natural wines. And on weekends, their Walthamstow and Deptford branches rustle up brunch pizzas and Bloody Maries.
Details: See locations and book here
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If pizza is 90% dough, then having a dough specialist at the helm certainly doesn’t hurt. And Nancy Silverton is the dough specialist. Her litany of awards is too many to list, but suffice to say, her Marylebone pizza joint is one of the best in town. The mood is fun, the pizza is absolutely first-class, with perfectly structured sourdough crusts, and the side dishes/desserts are almost worth the trip alone – speaking of, Nancy’s Chopped Salad is delicious, but gigantic, and her Banana Gelato Pie is worth trying to cram in regardless of how full you feel.
Details: 14-15 Langham Place, Oxford Circus, W1B 2QS | Book here
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After schlepping around the UK in a Land Rover with a wood-fired oven in tow, spreading their good word/pizza; it was only a matter of time before Made of Dough’s 60-hour fermented pizzas found themselves a home. Their Peckham site is a beautifully airy space, with marble dining counters and a little garden for those sunnier days. You can expect a small simple menu, with 6 pizzas done very, very well. So well, in fact, that they were even voted the best pizza in London twice over the last 5 years.
Details: 182 Bellenden Road, Peckham, SE15 4BW | Book here
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Franco Manca | Across London
Deserving a spot not only in this list, but also in pretty much every London borough; Franco Manca are clearly onto a good thing. Their pizza dough is freshly made daily with an 18th century starter (with the option to go gluten-free) and they only use seasonal ingredients from small suppliers in the UK and Italy. The pizzas here are also exceptionally affordable, starting at a cool £6.25 – leaving you a little pocket money to spend on that Colton Bassett stilton dip.
Details: See locations and book here
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Voodoo Ray’s Dalston haunt keeps its doors open until 2am on a Friday and Saturday night (which is good to know if you’ve just spent the evening downstairs with the drag queens at Karaoke Hole). Order by the slice, New York-style, or get a whole 22″ pie groaning with Cumberland sausage & stilton; artichokes and sunblush tomatoes; vegan chorizo & mozzarella, and more. Mondays are slice nights with special deals, while Peckham rounds off the week with a little live jazz on Sunday evenings.
Details: 95 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB | 285 Rye Lane, SE15 4UA| Book here
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Another late-night pizzeria worth keeping in your back pocket, staying open till 3am on Friday and Saturday nights. That said, it’s just as good a call before a night out, with negronis on tap and DJ sets every day from 4-7pm. Toppings ahem, cover all the bases, with classic options like Quattro Stagioni, Parma Ham and Marinara (which, yes, you can still order at 2am, with a jug of Aperol Spritz). This is no greasy dive bar, though – as a Soho House offshoot the place’s elegant retro interiors add a touch of glamour to your late-night bacchanal.
Details: 19-21 Old Compton Street, W1D 5JJ | Book here
Hungry for more? Grab a slice of our favourite Italian restaurants in London