Best pizza restaurants in New York.

Unlike Neapolitans or Chicagoans, New Yorkers embrace all kinds of pizza. From Roman-style pies with a cracker-thin crust to chewy, Sicilian slices, New York’s pizza restaurants serve whatever kind of pizza you want.

They’ve been making pizza here since the turn of the century with hand-tossed dough, light on the sauce. The classic New York pizza is baked in a coal-fired oven, which gives it a slightly smoky flavor.

You should fold your slice and avoid utensils. But however you eat it, it will likely be one of the best pizzas you‘ve ever tasted. Don’t leave the city until you try at least one slice.

Here’s our list of the best pizza restaurants in New York City.

Di Fara Pizza Margherita

Di Fara’s Pizza is worth the trip to Brooklyn. Owner Dominick DeMarco was born outside Naples and he imports many of his ingredients, including San Marzano tomatoes, from Campania. He creates each pie by hand, as he has for 50 year now. He makes his own sauce using both canned and ripe tomatoes, and it might be the best in the city. He stretches the dough, adds slices of buffalo mozzarella and other pizza toppings, places it on a paddle and pops it in the oven. When it comes out, he grates on some Grana Padana and Parimigiano-Reggiano cheese, adds some fresh herbs, and drizzles some olive oil on top. Expect a long wait.

Another Brooklyn favorite, Franny’s is run by a married couple who are committed to using locally sourced ingredients, many of which are organic. Sources are listed on the menu. If you’re looking for a California pizza, this is the closest you’ll find in New York. Their crust is thinner and crispier than most, and the pizzas emerge from the wood-fired brick oven lightly charred. But what really sets these pizzas apart are the toppings. The sausages are house cured. The vegetables are seasonal and fresh from the market — if artichokes are available, get them. If you love clams, the little neck clam, chile, and parsley pizza is about as good as it gets. Franny’s also serves a dozen appetizers and a couple of pasta dishes each night.

Grimaldi’s Pizza

Rumor has it that when Frank Sinatra wanted a pizza, Grimaldi’s was his go-to place. The pizzas here are baked old-school style in a coal oven. This results in a thin, crispy crust that’s blistered and charred around the edges, and a distinctive, smoky taste. They make their mozzarella and ricotta on site, roast their own peppers, and simmer their own sauce. Antipasto, salads, and calzones are also available. The Old Fulton Street location has great views of the Brooklyn Bridge, which is nice since there’s usually a long wait.

Formerly of Sullivan Street Bakery, Jim Lahey, owner of Co. (pronounced “company”), takes a hands-off approach to his crust. He barely mixes the dough, and then lets it rise without ever kneading it. Their tag line “Our pies are not always round,” is a statement of fact. Most of the time, they’re amorphous blobs of deliciousness. The light, airy crust is topped with crushed San Marzano tomatoes or béchamel, veal meatballs, caramelized onions, quail eggs, guanciale, or roasted cauliflower. If you don’t want pizza, order a plate of wonderful artisanal cheeses and salumi.

A Staten Island tavern that’s been owned by the same family since 1937, Denino’s Pizzeria is famous for its crust. In fact, their motto is “In crust, we trust.” While most pizzerias use cornmeal to slide the pie on and off the peel, Denino’s uses bread crumbs. After being cooked in a brick oven, the crust is thick and chewy on the inside, crunchy on the outside. The most popular pizzas here are the MOR (meatball, onion, and ricotta), and the Garbage Pie with sausage, meatballs, pepperoni, mushrooms, and onions.

In business since 1929, John’s is a New York legend. Every serious pizza lover, which is to say every New Yorker, has had a pie from John’s. And most have come back for more. Everyone from Jack Black to Regis Philbin is a fan. Their pizzas are coal-fired with a crisp crust and tasty toppings like fresh garlic, fennel sausage, and ricotta. Calzones, a couple of pastas, a side salad, and meatball subs round out the menu. John’s doesn’t accept credit cards and it doesn’t sell slices, just whole pies.

If you’re looking for an authentic Neapolitan pizza, come to Kesté on Bleeker Street. The owner, Roberto Caporuscio, is the president of the Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani, which means he learned pizza making in Naples and follows the precise guidelines of the organization. The oven is made with mud imported from Campania and it produces a charred, blistered crust with high sides that are lighter than air. The balance of mozzarella to San Marzano tomatoes is perfect. And his Pizza Margherita is the best you’ll find this side of Italy. Although it’s not traditional, the butternut squash puree, smoked mozzarella, and artichoke pizza is sensational.

The first licensed pizzeria in New York, Lombardi’s is the place to try authentic New York-style pizza. They’ve been in business since 1905, and they’re still making pizzas the way they did then — in a coal-fired oven. The pizza toppings here include sliced, homemade meatballs, sautéed spinach, Citterio pancetta, Rosa Grande pepperoni, imported anchovies, wild mushrooms, house-smoked peppers, and San Marzano tomatoes. The white pizza with three cheeses is delicious, and the calzones are excellent.

Find more recommended pizza restaurants.

1) Di Fara’s Pizzeria
2) Franny’s
3) Grimaldi’s Pizza
4) Co.
5) Denino’
6) John’s
7) Keste
8) Lombardi’s Pizza

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Di Fara Pizza Marggherita Image Flickr: SpecialKRB
Grimaldi’s Pizza Image Flickr: brianholsclaw

Tagged as: Neapolitan pizza, pizza restaurant, Pizza Restaurants, Pizza toppings, pizzerias