The Very Best Pizza in the World, Ranked

From New York to Tokyo to São Paulo, the best pizza in the world is scattered across the globe.Seu PizzaIf you were tasked with finding the best pizza in the world, educated guessing would certainly land you a couple of spots on the Family Feud board. There's of course the very birthplace of pizza, Italy, where some of the best pizzaiolos in the world still live and train in hubs ranging from Rome to Caserta. Naturally, your mind might wander to New York City, the city that put the culinary export on the map, thanks to the waves of Italian immigrant communities who arrived in the early 20th century. Today, you can hardly throw a stone in New York without hitting one of the over 2,000 spots slinging slices and serving pies across all five of its boroughs. But who among us would've offered São Paulo, or Tokyo, even, as the amazing pizza cities they are?Setting out to find the cream of the crop when it comes to the very best pizza in the world is the tall task that the international guide 50 Top Pizza sets out to tackle each year. Leaving no pizza stone unturned, the results usually shake out as a healthy mix of the usual suspects and the odd dark horse, with the number one spot on the 2026 list snatched by a first-time world champion in West London. For these celebrated and the sleeper hits, both nonna-approved authenticity and boundary-pushing experimentation, below is the 2026 list of the best pizza in the entire world, according to the pros at 50 Top Pizza.London's Napoli on the Road was named the best pizza in the world, according to the team at 50 Top Pizza. Napoli on the Road1. Napoli on the Road — London, UKThe golden standard for what pizza should be is generally set at the classic Neapolitan style—a puffy, leopard-spotted crust filled with pockets of warm air and topped with simple ingredients that sing with freshness. At this London pizzeria, that platonic ideal gets a remix for the better, and according to the panel at 50 Top Pizza, Napoli on the Road serves as a “reference point for those looking for a modern interpretation of Neapolitan tradition, built with talent, ambition, and vision.” There are now three locations—in Chiswick, Richmond, and Soho—throughout the city, and all offer the same dynamic approach to pizza-making that chef Michele Pascarella sought to craft. For a taste of their best riffing, try the Wild Marinara that pairs semi-dry cherry tomatoes with taggiasche olives, Cetara anchovy filets, and wild garlic pesto. Bring your vegan friends too, as this shop offers four plant-based pies, including a version of the zucchini pizza with vegan stracciatella and fried mint.New York City's Una Pizza Napoletana is the result of chef Anthony Mangieri’s "decades-long pursuit of pizza.” Una Pizza Napoletana2. Una Pizza Napoletana — New York, New YorkLearning the lore behind this Lower East Side pizza spot will only deepen your appreciation for their meticulously crafted pies. The saga begins 30 years ago in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, and ventures over the years to the East Village and San Francisco before finally landing at the restaurant's current home in the LES, the one and only “expression of Anthony Mangieri’s decades-long pursuit of pizza.” The payoff of those 30 years spent experimenting, playing with ingredient permutations, and cultivating an international following is the dedicated pizzaiolo's delightfully airy where the devil is in the dough. Should you land one of their coveted reservations, make sure to choose wisely and savor well—the restaurant reserves exactly one pie for each guest present at the reservation. The menu is minimal, with just six pizzas to choose from: the Marinara, the Margherita, the Bianca, the Filetti, the Cosacca, and a rotating special. Having taken home the top spot on the 50 Top Pizza list three years in a row and coming in a respectable second place in this edition, Una Pizza Napoletana defends its aptonym well.In Milan, the pizza menu comes with cocktail and wine pairings. Confine3. Confine — Milan, ItalyIt’s not often that you come across a pizza restaurant that offers tasting menus with wine and cocktail pairings, yet Confine promises just that (along with à la carte options for those feeling a little less peckish). The wine list is 500-bottles strong, focusing on whites from Campania, and there are some great alcohol-free options, too, including cider and kombucha. A glass-fronted open-plan kitchen allows diners to watch the pizzaiolo hard at work, expertly twirling and topping pizzas such as Popeye, a favorite made with spinach sautéed in Normandy butter, Parmesan, marinated egg yolk, steak tartare, and black truffle. The restaurant is housed in a former ironmongery in Le Cinque Vie, a delightful district that lies southwest of the Duomo, where quirky stores and family-run restaurants sit snugly beside art galleries. —Kiki Deere, contributing writer4. I Masanielli – Francesco Martucci — Caserta, ItalyNestled within the dreamy Campania region of Italy, the best of the best pizza in Caserta isn't your nonna's recipe. The restaurant's eponymous pizzaiolo made his name from gleefully redefining what the iconic dish can be. Maximalism is the name of the game here with creations like the Assoluto di Pomodoro, consisting of tomatoes seven different ways: roasted cherry tomato cream, sautéed piennolo tomato, sautéed yellow tomato, San Marzano PDO tomato mousse, dried piennolo cherry tomato, chips of red datterino, and Piennolo tomato jam. Every single pizza here is its own feast of bold flavor combinations, and there's no surprise that the first place that Martucci planted his flag outside of Italy was Miami's artsy Wynwood District. That restaurant, Francesco Martucci Miami, even made the regional list of the best pizza in the US.The modern approach of Seu Pizza means local products are used in nontraditional ways—and there's an ideal order to eat each pie in, too. Seu Pizza Illuminati5. Seu Pizza Illuminati — Rome, ItalyUpon stepping across the threshold, diners are struck by the sleek, modern design and colorful contemporary art lining the walls, realizing that Seu Pizza isn't your typical old-school pizzeria. It's no surprise that the chef and owner, Pier Daniele Seu, has been winning award after award for his amazing and creative work. The crowd—not overly boisterous but vocally enthusiastic—is hip, and serious about good pizza. Pizzas incorporate local products in nontraditional ways; even classics like marinara will surpass anything you've ever had. Keep an eye on the antipasti; the deep-fried spring rolls with artichoke and broad beans are delicious. For pizza fiends who want the full experience, Seu offers three different tasting menus that range from five to eight courses and feature his greatest hits. The staff is on point and worth every euro you'll leave as tip. Valeria, the chef's right-hand woman, will tell you the precisely perfect order for your pizzas—she's an artist, so be sure to listen to her. —Erica Firpo, contributing writerPizzeria Sei is known for Neapolitan-style pizza executed with Japanese precision, right in Los Angeles. Pizzeria Sei6. Pizzeria Sei — Los Angeles, CaliforniaFrom first impressions alone, Pizzeria Sei is deceptively simple: Just a counter, some stools, and probably the most beautiful pizza oven you've ever seen. The whole operation is right there in front of you, which immediately tells you they're not hiding anything. Owner William Joo, who trained at Providence and Ronan before opening his own place, delivers Neapolitan-style pizza executed with Japanese precision. The crust achieves that perfect balance of char and chew, and the toppings are minimal but impeccable. Don’t skip the antipasti, particularly the burrata or prosciutto. To drink, keep it Italian, with natural wines that won't compete with the delicate flavors you're building on. The beer selection is small but thoughtful, all choices that make sense with wood-fired pizza. You're coming for pizza that respects the craft. No Instagram gimmicks, no fusion nonsense, just the best version of something that sounds simple but isn't. —Celeste Moure, contributing writerTony's Pizza Napoletana is a San Francisco institution with a world of topping options. Tony's Pizza Napoletana7. Tony's Pizza Napoletana — San Francisco, CaliforniaTony's Pizza Napoletana has quickly established itself as one of San Francisco's most beloved pizza joints. With salads, classic Italian dishes, and an impressive number of pizza styles, it'll appease even the pickiest eater. Classic American, classic Italian, California, Romana, New York, "Grandma," Sicilian, coal-fired, Detroit, St. Louis: Tony's Pizza Napoletana delivers a heady variety of regional styles in addition to its namesake Neapolitan (chef-owner Tony Gemignani's Neapolitan Margherita helped jump-start his career). The menu might be overwhelming—some have called it an "amusement park" for pizza—but you really can't go wrong, as long as you make sure to save room for the coccoli: sea-salt fried dough dumplings, almost like savory doughnuts, which come with a selection of sides and dips. Come with a small group, get your name on the list early, and get ready to indulge. —Lexi Pandell, contributing writerLeggera Pizza Napoletana in São Paulo has both perfected classics, and adventurous new offerings. Leggera Pizza Napoletana6. Leggera Pizza Napoletana — São Paulo, BrazilSão Paulo's Jardim Paulista neighborhood is a residential area that embodies quiet luxury, with architecture designed by Lina Bo Bardi, tree-lined streets, and understated boutiques where the thrill of shopping is in the hunt. It's no surprise that perhaps the biggest sleeper hit on this list can be found in Jardim Paulista, then. The folks at 50 Top Pizza laud the signature classics at Leggera Pizza Napoletana like the Margherita Verace for “its balance and cleanliness” which zeroes in on tomato, buffalo mozzarella, and the dough, for a masterclass in keeping it simple. But for the adventurous eater hoping to challenge their palette, don't worry, there's plenty on the menu for you too. Find your match in a pizza like the Cacio e Ragù, which is finished with slow-cooked top round of Wagyu in San Marzano ragù, aged Caciocavallo, fresh bufala ricotta, Grana Padano, and EVOO.Tokyo's prowess on the pizza front shines at RistoPizza. RistoPizza by Napoli Sta Ca7. RistoPizza by Napoli Sta Ca — Tokyo, JapanWhen it comes to Italian cuisine, Japan is no stranger. There are over 1,500 Italian restaurants in Tokyo alone, and the cosmopolitan city has long perfected the craft of Italo-Japanese fusion. Find the fruits of the country's long-standing romance with Italian food at RistoPizza by Napoli Sta Ca. Owned and operated by chef Giuseppe “Peppe” Errichiello, who was born and raised in Naples before moving to Japan nearly two decades ago, the restaurant is built upon a foundation of authenticity and experience. The menu is no phonebook, and what has made the cut is well-justified. Highlights include the Napoli and Japan pizza which contrasts bright and citrusy sansho peppers with smoked provola cheese, and the Napoli Calls, Japan Answers pizza which lays down a base of creamy stracciatella cheese for plump Botan shrimp and sinus-clearing bites of wasabi to shine on.The pizzas at Baldoria in Madrid utilize a fresh bounty of ingredients from the Iberian peninsula. Baldoria8. Baldoria — Madrid, SpainFinding a fun night out in Madrid's Golden Mile isn't terribly difficult, and if it's dinner and a show you seek, look no further than Baldoria where the balmy weather perfect for pizza-eating pairs with live musical acts every night. Expect a full bounty of fresh ingredients straight from the Italian peninsula and the Iberian, from Abruzzo truffles to Joselito ham, and Andrian burrata to Vesuvian Pomo d'Oro cream. Diners are offered pizza two ways here: the classic Neapolitan and the Padellino style, a traditional, single-serving pan pizza that hails from Turin. The ambience is just as important as what comes out of the kitchen here, and the panel at 50 Top Pizza encourages patrons to partake in a tipple from the restaurant's famed cocktail program (hits include the Truffle Negroni and the house Sangria).9. The Pizza Bar on 38th — Tokyo, JapanLight floods through the floor-to-ceiling windows of The Pizza Bar on 38th, located inside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Nihonbashi. The Pizza Bar occupies the far-left corner of the space, with just eight seats surrounding an immaculate marble counter and the pizza oven. Daniele Cason created Pizza Bar with the idea of serving his elevated pies in the intimate, personal style of sushi or kaiseki. The distinctive bases are made to a ratio of 80 percent water to 20 percent flour, and then fermented for two days, resulting in an exceedingly crisp and airy baked crust. Lighter dough made with a blend of organic flour is used for tomato-based pizzas, while toasty whole-wheat-flour dough complements savory cheese varieties. The discs provide fittingly versatile canvases for seasonal produce. A pie topped with wild mushrooms and sliced wagyu beef showcases Cason's luxurious approach, while his summer specialty is layered with zucchini puree, housemade sausage, and zucchini blossoms. Now, the restaurant offers omakase tasting menus at both lunch and dinner, with the dinner menu featuring appetizers, dessert, and eight kinds of pizza. —Melinda Joe, contributing writerThe pizza at Razza in Jersey City is worth journeying beyond the Big Apple for. Razza10. Razza — Jersey City, New JerseyWhen tenured New York Times food critic Pete Wells anointed Jersey City's Razza as home to the best pizza in New York in 2017, the effect was something like throwing a Molotov cocktail at New York's long-reigning throne. Nearly a decade on, the incendiary take that launched a thousand reservations remains well-warranted. Naturally leavened, carefully wood-fired dough acts as the ideal canvas for chef Dan Richer's locavore toppings. While some establishments take a purist approach to their pies, seeking to come as close to the Neapolitan tradition as possible, Razza shines in all the distinctly New Jerseyan ways it deviates. We're talking sauce made from New Jersey heirlooms, hazelnuts sourced from Rutgers University's renowned hazelnut breeding program, and mozz ripened from local water buffalo milk. For pizza pilgrims and locals simply looking for a dinner spot that will wow out-of-towners, there's no better reason to hop over the Hudson.