If you were to dig deep below New York City’s streets, past the subway tunnels, you might expect to find thick layers of schist, gneiss and marble. But what you’d actually find is pizza, the cultural and emotional bedrock of a city that can’t even coalesce around a single baseball team. Here, finding a decent slice is as easy as jaywalking. But finding a great slice, one that’s worth eating down to that last bite of crust, is much harder.
So we set out to do the “hard work,” sampling 50 of the city’s most popular and beloved pizzerias and landing on the 25 best. They offer a variety of styles — Sicilian, Neapolitan, New York and others that haven’t even been classified yet — but they’re all well worth the miles of subway (and ferry) travel. NIKITA RICHARDSON
Andrew Bellucci’s Pizzeria
Astoria
Just as there was a gulf of difference between Alfredo’s Pizza Cafe and Pizza by Alfredo on “The Office,” there is a gulf of difference between Bellucci Pizza and Andrew Bellucci’s Pizza. The first was where the chef Andrew Bellucci, who died in 2023 at 59, was able to finally establish his footing in the wide world of New York City pizza. He opened the second spot when things didn’t work out, and that’s where any discerning diner should go for one of the clam pizzas that made Mr. Bellucci famous — fresh clams in a sea of oregano, parsley and garlic and a ring of lemon slices. Just be sure to make a reservation for your clam pie at least 24 hours ahead; they’re made à la minute. NIKITA RICHARDSON
Arturo’s Coal Oven Pizza
Greenwich Village
Old-school and decidedly New York-y, Arturo’s Coal Oven Pizza is a haven for Italian American cooking and thick-crust pizzas that arrive at your table with spots of char thanks to that coal oven. The arugula- and prosciutto-topped pie is a popular option, but the “Fiesta” pie, with sausage, peppers, onions and dollops of thick tomato sauce on top of the mozzarella, is a filling cross between a bar pie and a New York take on deep dish. Paired with the live jazz, close tables, chalkboards with specials and weathered paintings that line the dining room walls, Arturo’s feels like a restaurant stuck in decades past in the best way. KORSHA WILSON
Chrissy’s Pizza
Greenpoint
Every few years, a great pizzaiolo appears out of thin air. They haven’t spent years behind a pizza counter or come from a long line of pizza makers. They’re just obsessives, and Chris Hansell of Chrissy’s Pizza is one of them. After three years of pop-ups, his ridiculously photogenic pizzas — thin-crusted New York-style, perfected in his apartment during the pandemic — have found a permanent home. To the annoyance of some, Mr. Hansell sells only whole pies, but what true pizza lover complains about having too much great pizza? NIKITA RICHARDSON
Dani’s House of Pizza
Kew Gardens
This 65-year-old pizza shop in Kew Gardens, Queens, stands out in the pizza landscape for at least two reasons. First, there is a not-so-subtly-sweet tomato sauce — devised by Ramiz Dani, an Albanian immigrant and the restaurant’s founder — that hints at the fact that tomatoes are indeed a fruit. It shouldn’t work, but it does. Locals hold this sauce in such high regard that they’re known to ask for a slathering of it on the restaurant’s second standout item, a bright green pesto pizza that’s herbaceous, cheesy and impossible to put down. You could certainly take it to go, but it’s best enjoyed at the tiny counter, fresh out of the oven. NIKITA RICHARDSON
Denino’s Pizzeria & Tavern
Port Richmond
Ask a Staten Islander for pizza recommendations and Denino’s will inevitably be mentioned. This spot in the Port Richmond neighborhood of Staten Island has been serving pizzas since 1951. The crust style on the island skews crackery, but Denino’s version is still pliable and holds its toppings well, embroidered on the edge with a pleasing ribbon of char. The “M.O.R.” is a signature red sauce pie, the acronym standing for meatballs, onions (fresh) and ricotta. A perk for visitors during warmer months is an after-dinner treat at Ralph’s Famous, a seasonal Italian ice and ice cream stand across the street. SARA BONISTEEL
Emilio’s of Morris Park
Morris Park
In an era of dishes engineered for virality, it would be so easy to write off the chicken vodka pizza at Emilio’s as a gimmick. How could a slice of pizza smothered in vodka sauce and diced chicken possibly work? And yet, it does. The perfectly baked crust somehow holds up beautifully under a layer of vodka sauce — rich but not heavy, soupy but not sloppy — and cubes of chicken smattered with herbs. Call it infuriatingly delicious. NIKITA RICHARDSON
F&F Pizzeria
Carroll Gardens
In a city full of maximalist, toppings-loaded slices, F&F takes a less-is-more approach. The slices are slender, with just the right ratio of sauce to cheese — each bite seemingly engineered to to deliver savory, sweet and crunchy notes all at once. And when F&F does offer toppings, it does so thoughtfully. The Partanna pizza, its nooks filled with wisps of red onion, bits of Calabrian chile, pecorino, oregano and a sweet hint of orange blossom honey, is one of the most balanced and satisfying slices in the city. PRIYA KRISHNA
Joe’s Pizza
Greenwich Village
It’s hard to think of a more quintessential slice joint (that doesn’t include Ray’s in the name) than Joe’s, with its many, many locations across the city. The original one is a Greenwich Village stalwart, bare bones in terms of décor, and cash only, but that doesn’t stop people from lining up for fresh, hot slices of New York-style pizza topped with slightly chewy cheese and pepperoni that shines with a thin layer of oil. Join the throngs of commuters enjoying a slice before heading home, wordlessly staring out the window onto Carmine Street, around 5 or 6 p.m.; or come after midnight for the best late-night slice option. (They’re open until 3 a.m. most nights.) KORSHA WILSON
Joe & Pat’s Pizzeria
Castleton Corners and East Village
Thin, Staten Island pies with crackery crusts are the draw at this outpost of the original Joe & Pat’s, opened in 1960. The East Village sibling is a full restaurant and bar, selling whole pies alongside a menu of Italian American standbys like stuffed manicotti, veal alla Milanese and chicken parm. The original cheese pie and pepperoni pie are both satisfying, but the vodka pizza, topped with the signature creamy tomato sauce, is one of New York’s best. It’s not on the menu, but pies can even be topped with fried calamari — something you don’t often see around the city. KORSHA WILSON
Juliana’s Pizza
Brooklyn Heights
Like many great institutions, Juliana’s has a complicated history. Carol and Pasquale Grimaldi opened a pizzeria at this address in 1990, which later became Grimaldi’s. They sold it in 1998 so they could retire, but when the new owner of the Grimaldi’s name decided to move next door more than a decade later, the Grimaldis took over the original space and opened Juliana’s. (We said it was complicated.) While the chalkboard art feels more Midwestern ice cream parlor than pizzeria, the pies served are New York, New York — coal-fired beauties with a chewy crust and burnished undercarriage. The No. 1 is a winner: mozz and smoked Scamorza cheese, pancetta and scallions. SARA BONISTEEL
L&B Spumoni Gardens
Bensonhurst
This pizza goes out to the Chuck E. Cheese generation, the people who like their slices a little doughy, their crust a little fried and their cheese a little gooey. This, too, is New York pizza, and it is delightful in a nostalgic, kids’-menu sort of way. The atmosphere at L&B is impeccable: Come on down to Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, and sit at one of the outdoor tables with a slice (the Sicilian square and the regular slice are equally satisfying), an almond-kissed spumoni and a beer, reveling in what a casual night out in Brooklyn used to look like. PRIYA KRISHNA
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele
West Village
In Naples, the spiritual home of pizza, pilgrims make their way to Via Cesare Sersale to try the wood-fired (6 euro) pies that made Elizabeth Gilbert swoon in “Eat, Pray, Love.” There, the options are a few variations on tomato and cheese. Da Michele’s New York outpost in the West Village retains the soft crust, pebbled with char bubbles as if it had been kissed by Vesuvius itself, with the soupy droop that makes a Neapolitan pie famous. A wealth of toppings are available, for a New York price. Try the Caserta ($34), where smoked provolone mingles with Italian sausage, raw garlic, Calabrian chile and broccoli rabe, along with fior di latte, pecorino and basil. SARA BONISTEEL
L’Industrie
Williamsburg and the West Village
At L’Industrie, attention is paid to every detail. The flour is freshly milled, the ingredients are imported from Italy and the slices seamlessly marry New York and Italian traditions. This pizza is aided by a fresh-tasting sauce and a crust whose toasty, sourdough-esque flavor stands on its own. A creamy dollop of burrata makes the cheese slice even better, and to further gild the lily, the gelato, with flavors like pistachio with sea salt and olive oil, is as good as any you’ll find at a stand-alone ice cream shop. PRIYA KRISHNA
Louie & Ernie’s Pizza
Country Club
Anyone who has crisscrossed the boroughs understands that for every chic corner of downtown Manhattan or North Brooklyn, there are dozens more sleepy neighborhoods where change takes decades instead of just a few months. That is more or less the story of Louie & Ernie’s, the pizza spot in the Country Club section of the Bronx, where for 65 years patrons have descended the short staircase in search of margherita pies and sausage pizzas. Blink and you’ll miss it on its quiet residential corner, but you’d be missing one of the city’s most classic slices. NIKITA RICHARDSON
Lucia Pizza
Flushing
If the purest form of New York City pizza is meant to be consumed in a flash and by the slice, then Lucia may be the purest form of a get-in-get-out pizza shop. Open since 1962, Lucia has remained a neighborhood staple even through the transformation of Flushing, Queens, into the city’s largest Chinatown. The proof of its staying power is in the slices, as classic as it comes New York-style pizza, and the clientele, a mixture of ravenous teenagers, Chinese elders and pizza lovers of all ages and backgrounds, represented by a small shrine to foreign currencies on the mirror behind the counter. NIKITA RICHARDSON
Lucia Pizza of Avenue X
Sheepshead Bay and SoHo
Old-school traditions meet new-school sensibilities at Lucia Pizza of Avenue X, whose chef, Salvatore Carlino, comes from a long line of pizza makers. (His family owned the now-closed Papa Leone Pizzeria in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.) This pizza tastes like it’s been perfected over many years, with a crust that’s airy and light, yet holds up to a sweet smear of sauce, puddles of mozzarella and snips of fresh basil. Come on Fridays for a lemon-spritzed clam pie that may rival any New Haven apizza. PRIYA KRISHNA
Milkflower
Astoria
The era of neo-Neapolitan pie has been nothing short of a miracle for anyone who enjoys an upscale personal pan pizza. There are countless iterations across the city, but for more than a decade, Milkflower has been the premier destination for this style in Astoria, Queens. In just minutes — Neapolitan pizzas bake so blessedly fast, don’t you think? — you could enjoy an Abe Froman (pork sausage, shishito peppers, red onions), the Stun Dunn (caramelized onions, Gruyère, mozzarella) or any one of the baker’s dozen of pies Milkflower serves. You’ll barely register that this stunning canvas of flavors and textures is mere pizza. NIKITA RICHARDSON
Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop
Greenpoint
Yes, Paulie Gee’s is a national chain. Yes, it also remains a gold standard of a New York slice: droopy with a crisp crust, a brightly flavored sauce and cheese that actually tastes like cheese. In essence, what you actually want a dollar slice to taste like. Each slice here feels like a feat of construction — the crust is light and not weighed down by the sauce, and there’s no skimping on toppings, either. Crucially, the pizza tastes the same in one of the shop’s hard red booths as it does delivered to your door. PRIYA KRISHNA
Roberta’s
Bushwick
Going to Roberta’s is like taking a trip back to 2008, before Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood abounded with trendy restaurants and third-wave coffee shops. More than 15 years later, the restaurant retains its indie, pseudo-punk spirit and millennial crowds, and the pizza remains excellent. You go for the Bee Sting, a thin but sturdy pie with a charred crust lined generously with hot honey and pepperoni, whose edges are crisp and curling up. Roberta’s has since branched out into frozen pizzas, festival pop-ups and even locations in Los Angeles and Miami — but nothing hits like the original. PRIYA KRISHNA
Rocco’s of Roc Beach
Rockaway Beach
Coal oven pizza may be a dying art form, but its charred legacy could live on forever here. On a quiet stretch of Rockaway Beach in Queens, off the 116th Street stop, Rocco’s is easy to spot, with four Italian flags flapping outside. Expect incredibly warm service and even warmer pizza. If you prefer a whole pie, opt for the margherita, while slice aficionados may be drawn to the New Yorker, a bubbling-hot combination of tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella on a thin-ish crust. Consider this your reason to visit Rockaway Beach outside the summer season. NIKITA RICHARDSON
Rocco Pizza
Bedford-Stuyvesant
This mini-chain of family-owned pizzerias has been a neighborhood secret for decades, but it’s high time the secret got out. Nothing about Rocco’s low-key exterior would clue in a passer-by to its status as the home of one of the city’s best grandma pies — a recipe created by an actual grandmother. A pool of tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil is framed by a shatteringly crispy and buttery crust that tastes as if it were deep-fried but is prepared simply enough on a sheet pan, a testament to the glory of a really good dough. NIKITA RICHARDSON
Scarr’s Pizza
Lower East Side
When Scarr Pimentel opened his namesake slice shop in 2018 near the Dimes Square neighborhood of Manhattan, it was an instant hit. And though the restaurant has moved nearby to expanded digs with a roomier bar in the back, the pizza is still the draw. Every element of the plain slice has been perfected: the salty bite of cheese, the oven-crisped crust (made with house-milled flour) and fresh tomato sauce that’s neither bland nor too sweet. The only downside is the line, which can sometimes snake out the door and onto Orchard Street. But don’t be deterred, it moves quickly. KORSHA WILSON
Seppe Pizza Bar
Stapleton
This relative newcomer to Staten Island opened in 2018 in an Urby residential complex in Stapleton, along the waterfront. Go for the tray pie. Here they are thin-crust, bordering on the Neapolitan droop at the center of the pie. While the Pep in Your Step has that nearly tired combination of hot honey, jalapeño and pepperoni, this version feels fresh, the honey adding sweetness to the tomato sauce while the fresh chiles deliver bite. SARA BONISTEEL
Ungaro Coal Fired Pizza Cafe
Port Richmond
The dining room may be small, but the flavors are big at this hole in the wall that opened in Staten Island’s Port Richmond section during the pandemic. If you want to try the depth of its bench, order the four corners, a square pie that takes you on a tour of sauces: margherita, pesto, vodka and bianca. The crust has a pleasing chew. Younger, discerning diners will appreciate the round margherita. SARA BONISTEEL
Upside Pizza
Multiple locations
A relative newcomer to the pizza game, Upside has quickly established itself as one of the best slices in New York since it first opened in 2019 in the garment district. There are now five locations, and a sixth on the way. The naturally fermented dough and low-moisture mozzarella make for a pleasing slice that is caramelized to a gorgeous golden brown without dehydrating the cheese or toppings. Fun options like the unctuous and gooey Sicilian pepperoni slice, and the spicy vodka slice, make Upside stand out from other, more straightforward pizza shops. But the simple cheese or pepperoni slices don’t miss, either. KORSHA WILSON
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