21 picks for a perfect slice of pizza
Published 16 January 2025

Hallelujah for this ingeniously modernised 18th--century chapel, now a well-established bakery, wine shop and restaurant with rooms. Open for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea seven days a week, the menu is built around excellent wood-fired sourdough pizzas, which you can also order to take away on Fridays and Saturdays. With its unusual and stunning decor, the brilliant-white dining room, flooded with light from the two-storey chapel windows overlooking the pretty Somerset countryside, is worth a visit alone. Luckily the food can hold its own, with even simple starters (a tomato, Parmesan and basil flatbread, for example) packing a mighty flavour punch. Elsewhere, salads such as a bowl piled high with orange, fennel, radicchio and buffalo mozzarella provide a fresh, zesty counterfoil to the charred sourdough crust of a pizza topped with, say, wild mushrooms, goat’s cheese and pungent truffle oil. Many of the puddings served in the restaurant (a rich, tangy rhubarb and almond tart, for instance) are available by the slice from the bakery. If you don’t fancy a glass of wine, there is a wide selection of freshly squeezed juices and smoothies, while cocktails are dispensed from the bar at the altar. Booking is recommended as this is a popular spot, and rightly so.

Chewy sourdough crusts with imaginative toppings cooked in the eponymous white-domed, ground-floor oven make this hip Neapolitan-style pizzeria a perennial local favourite. Loud music, slick service and limited starters, sides and puddings encourage you to stay just long enough to wolf down a quirkily named pizza – perhaps 'You had me at chorizo' or 'Benny and the courgettes' (with mascarpone, mozzarella, courgettes, hazelnuts and red onion pickle). If you’ve got room (doubtful), homemade gelato flavours might include Malteser or strawberries and cream. Inventive cocktails and soft drinks or local beers and ciders are a better bet than the indifferent, no-choice red or white wine.

Sitting modestly amid the hustle and bustle of Levenshulme’s frenetic Stockport Road, Cibus has grown from a market stall to a consistently popular neighbourhood restaurant. Indeed, when you enter you could almost be in the Italian tratt of your dreams – 'it’s always a good sign when one hears diners speaking Italian with the staff,’ observed one reporter. During the pandemic, Cibus delivered pizzas to the housebound and that community-minded service continues.

At first glance, the menu might seem like a roll call of trattoria standards but it also features regularly refreshed regional specialities, coupled with a level of cooking, sourcing and service that would shame many a fancier joint. Alongside top-class Italian ingredients, the owners support local suppliers, and can regularly be seen shopping in the nearby market. Their approach is flexible. You can pop in for a glass of wine and some cicchetti (perhaps aubergine arancini, baked portobello mushrooms with salmoriglio dressing or cod cheeks with peperonata) or settle in for something more substantial – including traditional roasts with a twist on Sundays.

The mainstays of the menu are the highly rated, crispy sourdough pizzas and interesting pasta dishes – ravioli stuffed with salt cod or orecchiette with meatballs and braciole ragù, for example. In addition, there's always a meat dish of the week (perhaps Italian sausages with goat's cheese, mash, onion gravy and greens) as well as a catch of the day. To finish, check out the salted doughnuts fashioned from little parcels of pizza dough – although the ‘gorgeous’ limoncello and Prosecco sorbet also comes highly recommended. Cocktails and digestifs have an Italian accent, likewise the well-chosen craft beers and wine list.

*Crisp Pizza is relocating to The Marlborough in Mayfair in Autumn 2025.*

Holed up within the Chancellors pub on Crisp Road (just behind Sam’s Riverside), this hugely popular pop-up stands out from the crowd because its pizzas are baked comparatively ‘low and slow’ in electric bread ovens. The texture of the crusts is everything (crisp outside but chewy within), while the toppings are mostly traditional favourites – the artisan pepperoni version with San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte and hot honey was our pick of the bunch. Wines from the pub’s updated list go down well, and outdoor seating is a bonus in fine weather. Be prepared for long (but totally justified) queues.

A Scottish/Italian marriage made in Glasgow, Giovanna Eusebi’s jam-packed deli/café/restaurant hybrid cherishes the time-honoured traditions of her homeland and leavens them with ample supplies of seasonal Scottish produce. Occupying a colourful red-and-white corner site, the venue scores heavily with breakfast and brunch, served to a merry throng of workers and shoppers in the ground-floor space. Come for squash crostini, eggs ‘energia’ (with avocado, chiili and lime purée) or one of their Roman sourdough pizzas; alternatively breeze in for coffee and a sweet treat. If you want something more substantial, graduate to the downstairs dining room for nourishing plates of ‘yesterday’s lasagne’, crab ravioli or fettuccine cacio e pepe – or, perhaps, one of big main courses such as pan-roasted cod with salt-baked celeriac, autumnal mushrooms and cavolo nero pesto. After that, the line-up of dolci has plenty of indulgent swagger, from tiramisu to Capocci vanilla gelato with Amarena cherry and chocolate brownie. Regional wines from the old country (£23 upwards) keep company with classic aperitivi, vermouths and spritzes. Eusebi’s slogan is ‘Food, Family, Life and Passion’ – which just about sums it up.

Picture credits: Gerardo Jaconelli

Set up as a pizza home-delivery service during lockdown, this well-liked informal eatery (from seasoned London restaurateur Rebecca Mascarenhas) feels like the very definition of a neighbourhood Italian restaurant. The short menu offers food that is comforting and classical, with generous plates of pasta as a strong suit. Fans have singled out the tortelloni cacio e pepe, although we couldn’t resist the orecchiette with anchovy and cime di rapa, topped with crispy sourdough crumbs and Parmesan.

The kitchen is also renowned for its deliciously light, crisp pizzas. Our pizza bianca with porchetta, mozzarella, salsa verde and rocket was a perfect example of how the 'white ones' should be done. Readers have also enthused about the version topped with 'nduja, Gorgonzola and hot honey. 

A serving of mozzarella di bufala opened our meal, lifted by grated lemon zest and partnered by roasted crown prince squash and crispy sage, while a portion of zesty lemon polenta cake rounded off proceedings. The restaurant also does terrific gelati, including varieties in a waffle cone – the salted caramel variety is ‘especially good’, by all accounts. The admirable front of house team make everyone feel at home, and the set-up also comes with a pretty covered garden, a great playlist, cocktails and a short well-priced wine list tailored to the menu.

One of Margate's little treasures, Lisa Richards’ cheery seafront eatery has been delivering on its ‘thin and crispy’ pizza promise since 2012. Inside, it looks brighter and fresher than ever, while the chilled vibe is helped along by a bevy of ‘incredibly welcoming and passionate’ staff. Carefully chosen local ingredients make all the difference to the wood-fired pizzas, which come with vibrant artisan toppings – try the ‘fiery and smoky’ ‘nduja with hot honey and Ashmore chilli cheese or seasonal Kentish asparagus with egg and air-dried ham for size. Drinks have a distinctly local flavour too. Pizza by the sea doesn’t get any better than this.

Since the start, Honest Crust's leopard-spotted sourdough pizzas have been the mainstay of Altrincham Market's refectory, reaching the places that their (honourable, and often excellent) kitchen-hatch neighbours simply can't. Toppings such as Berkswell cheese and the fennel sausage from Trealy Farm are great quality, while specials including forthright wild garlic bread or asparagus with burrata and prosciutto have a seasonal bent. They also do great salads, including panzanella and a generously saucy Caesar. Popularity can mean longish waits. In warmer weather, they'll light a second oven in the covered market next door, and they're also at the group's Mackie Mayor (Manchester) and Picturedrome (Macclesfield) sites.

There’s a lot more competition than when Lardo first opened its doors in 2012, but this industrial-chic venue remains a favourite among the local families and well-to-do professionals of London Fields. While the pizza oven is busy turning out blistered-crust beauties, the kitchen demonstrates 'ristorante' skills with dishes like pig’s head croquette, soft ricotta gnudi as well as creative vegan options. Classic Italian desserts include affogato, tiramisu and panna cotta, while a short, stylish wine list starts with tempting bottles from £28.

Nico Pasquali has been serving excellent Roman pizzas, pastas and pastries for over 10 years, and even though his homely little all-day trattoria is now located in the incongruous setting of an industrial estate, there is still a steady flow of customers who persevere and find their (slightly bemused) way here.  A wooden extension has doubled the number of covers, but it’s still limited and worth booking ahead.

The vibe is friendly, unfussy and unpretentious, although Nico’s regulars also come for his precisely cooked traditional dishes made with prime ingredients flown in from Italy or fresh from his allotment. They are the perfect antidote to the standard Anglo-Italian repertoire, and the glitzy but vacuous styling of most high-street chains. Popular (and reasonably priced) dishes might range from rigatoni with guanciale, chilli and pecorino to arancini, suppli (deep-fried pizza balls) and Roman Jewish artichokes. There's also a list of specials that may feature orecchiette with Italian fennel sausages and romanesco broccoli, as well as whole baked sea bass cooked with cherry tomatoes and olives. 

To drink, there's a modest collection of artisan Italian wines, as well as cocktails and Italian beers. The coffee also receives rave notices, but it’s the X factor that makes Lupo stand out: 'It's rare these days to find someone who not only runs the place but also takes the time to chat with guests, share stories and make sure everyone feels at home. And the food – wow.' 

Now settled into its lovely new space just across the yard from its original premises on Maple Farm, this always-busy café has big plans for the future. Chef Alice Norman (ex-Clipstone in London) still wows with her 'divine' crullers (flighty, fresh-fried choux-pastry doughnuts) and there is a lot of love for the choux au craquelin, filled to bursting with sweet-savoury custard made with local St Jude cheese. Gelati are served in hand-made spelt cones, and the self-styled ‘no fuss, no cutlery’ approach also extends to seasonal Roman-style pizzas by the slice. The coffee is excellent, but don't miss the seltzers or the blackcurrant shrub.

If you’ve had your fill of Whitby’s fish and chips, it’s well worth the trek out of town to this buzzy pizza hot spot high up on West Cliff. Formerly a kooky science museum called the Whitby Wizard, the long, low building has been transformed into a stylish modern eatery bursting with colour and energy. Baskets of fruit, veg and breads adorn the bar, there are potted plants everywhere and when the windows are flung open, bracing whiffs of ozoney sea air waft in. Everyone can watch the wood-fired sourdough pizzas being freshly prepped in the open-plan kitchen area, and the innovative line-up goes way beyond margherita and caprese. The ‘bacon cheeseburger’ riff with gherkins and mustard is a meaty prospect, but also check out the version with broccoli, dolcelatte and confit garlic, or ‘nduja with burrata and chilli honey. Appetisers are equally creative, from mackerel with tomato and pickled radish to wood-fired lamb chops accompanied by tzatziki, and there are a few pastas too (feta and spinach tortellini with brown butter and sage, say). Round off with Italian cannoli or English strawberries with clotted cream. Almost everything on the short all-European wine list is available by the glass or carafe.

When the wind is whistling through Notting Hill, but you still doggedly want to sit outside, the Portobello has a retractable-roof terrace with heaters and blankets, so you can get well bedded in and let the weather do what it likes. It's just one of the reasons this place has such a loyal following, though the benchmark pizzas might have something to do with that too. Properly puffy in texture, the raised edges blistered a little from the wood oven, their toppings are all about pedigree Italian produce – Spianata Calabrian salami, 20-month Parma ham, creamy burrata, buffalo mozzarella, piccante Gorgonzola. A whole one is fairly filling, but if you've arrived with an appetite, there are preliminary pastas such as spaghetti vongole, or paccheri with veal ragù and pecorino, to prime the pump. Simply prepared fish and meat mains are on hand to tempt any pizza denialists, and meals might end with something like bonet – Piedmontese chocolate custard with caramel sauce and amaretto. Get your bearings with the regionally divided Italian wine map that prefaces the list. Prices might seem a bit tough, but there is a serviceable glass selection from £7.50 for house Sicilian blends.

So close to Leeds station it's almost on Platform 7, Rudy's is a friend to both travellers and fans of the San Marzano tomato. Its Naples-style pizzas (made with double-fermented dough) are floppy, foldable and instantly compelling, thanks to quality toppings and seasonal specials such as Gorgonzola with garlic-roasted asparagus. Supporting acts include cheesy salads, accessible Italian wine and Huddersfield-brewed pale ale. Apart from its location, this spot scores with its chirpy Italo-Yorkshire service and generous capacity (although walk-ins should be prepared to queue). Rudy's also has local outlets in Headingley and Chapel Allerton, as well as branches in other major cities.

A Leeds landmark since 1976, Salvo’s has lost none of its legendary pulling power as it reaches its 50th year. Flame-blistered, creatively topped Neapolitan-style pizzas and an impressive choice of pastas are the kitchen’s calling cards, but don’t ignore the remainder of the regular menu or the specials board – perhaps chickpea and tomato fritters, pastrami-style salmon ‘crudo’ or grilled chicken with cauliflower purée, spinach and ‘nduja jus. Desserts are time-honoured trattoria staples (tiramisu, panna cotta, lemon and polenta cake), and drinks stay with the patriotic theme – from zesty aperitifs to regional wines. Great fun and great value for families, kids, students and everyone in between.

The Scarpati family hail from the Torre del Greco quarter of Napoli, a long way from the suburb of north Leicester where they are currently domiciled, but their contribution to Britain's Italian dining scene is a precious asset to the families of locals who support the place. Despite the redbrick façade, their restaurant has an altogether glamorous feel within, thanks to an extensive refurb back in 2020. A traditional menu offers antipasti to begin, including pesto burrata or grilled octopus with artichoke and fennel. Pasta variations might feature agnolotti filled with Genovese beef ragù, pea purée, carrot and pickled onions, before the main show introduces 'four ways pork' with parsnip purée and sherry jus or roast monkfish with buttermilk and sourdough sauce. Desserts bring on some imaginative ideas in the shape of camomile-whipped panna cotta with strawberry tartlet. It's all delivered in an atmosphere of irrepressible conviviality. A separate pizza menu is served in the restaurant (Tuesday to Thursday) and all week in the PizzaBar area, while the Italian-oriented wine list has evocative tasting notes all the way through.

Almost lost amid the tangle of east Devon villages, Darts Farm is rather more of a hive of activity than the nearby Exeter airport. It's a family-run enterprise (and then some), with a wellness spa, extensive farm shop, butcher and deli counters, vineyard, farm walk and bird hide, among other amenities. Alongside a maze of other eating possibilities, serving food in the very precincts where much of it is grown, there is also now the Farm Table for ‘agricultural fine dining’ – a very 21st-century style.

You might feel you are eating in a large hangar, but the quality of what the kitchen puts out tends to encourage people to get a little glammed-up for the occasion. The rattle call of ice-cubes being shaken is a sure lure to the bar, and a dedicated pizza chef always raises expectations, amply fulfilled with the arrival of grilled flatbread topped with pancetta, hot honey and garlic butter.

Nibbles are full of allure: burnt broad-bean pods sprinkled with chilli salt or crispy brawn bites with rhubarb and apple sauce might kick things off, ahead of a simple salad of sweetly delicious picked-this-morning beetroot, chicory and truffled Graceburn cheese – an array of incomparable ingredients. Fish dishes are forthrightly but sensitively handled, as when a hulking fillet of a sea bream is teamed with pickled cockles, tomatoes and jalapeños, all sauced  with a thick ajo blanco.

Gold-standard meats range from a starter portion of grilled pigeon breast with lentils and redcurrants to Ruby Red steaks and Creedy Carver duck, the latter with grilled radicchio and pickled cherries in red wine. Portions tend to the hearty, meaning that two might easily share a whopping rhubarb sponge pudding topped with a gigantic clod of clotted cream, but if you are feeling a little delicate by now, consider gin and strawberry parfait with pink-peppercorn meringue. Special-occasion menus add to the offer, and there is an excellent range of drinking to contemplate, from fruity cocktails to a well-chosen list of wines at manageable prices (from £6 a glass).

You can't deny the good vibes that emanate from this unassuming but ‘joyful’ venue – a rural café-cum-restaurant housed in a converted threshing barn not far from Tiverton. Part of the attraction is the setting with its magnificent views over the Devon hills, combined with staff who are as helpful and pleasant as can be – and the fact that the place is admirably family-friendly. However, it’s the firm focus on good-value food in all its seasonal, sustainable and local glory that draws diners back.

A huge wood-fired oven is at the heart of the operation, dominating the busy open kitchen at one end of the long dining room, with imaginative, carefully made sourdough pizzas being the stars of the show. But there’s much more. Share a wood-roasted stuffed flatbread with ricotta, red onion marmalade, truffle and thyme or keep a ‘small plate’ of baked Brixham scallops in the shell with wild garlic and lemon butter all to yourself.

 Among the bigger plates, you might find wood-roasted estate venison with new season’s potatoes, purple beetroot and carrots or an unusual ‘orzotto’ with roasted fennel and broad beans (a winner for one reader). For afters, honey and lavender-scented iced parfait with macerated strawberries is spot-on for seasonality. The Lost Kitchen is also a hit with those who simply want to stop by for coffee and cake – although booking is advisable for this, too.

To drink, there are plenty of well-chosen wines by the glass, but don’t miss the home-brewed Perdu IPA (made with unused organic sourdough grain) or LK’s own Wylde Ferment cider. Designated drivers are also well served by the thoughtful list of mocktails and classic soft drinks (including homemade lemonade) – so ‘find a seat on the terrace, sit back, relax and smell the sweet peas!’

The single-track branch line that ran from Wickham Market to Framlingham in late-Victorian times is long gone, but the reconfigured Station Hotel is chugging along nicely as a local asset with gastronomic benefits – but no accommodation these days. Regulars repair to the bar for pints of Aspalls cider and ales from the nearby Earl Soham Brewery, while snacky sustenance appears in the shape of good-looking homemade sausage rolls and Scotch eggs. However, the main culinary business is spelled out on the daily changing blackboard. At lunchtime you can order time-honoured British classics such as bangers and mash as well as chicken pie, lobster and chips and devilled kidneys, plus sandwiches, charcuterie and salads; in the evening, things move up a gear, as the kitchen turns its hand to the likes of slow-roast pork belly with mash and greens or roast cod on spinach and pea risotto with lobster bisque. For afters, don’t miss the superlative chocolate sticky toffee pudding with ice cream or one of the artisan cheeses from noted supplier Hamish Johnston. The Station also does a good line in wood-fired pizzas (Thursday to Saturday), which can also be ordered to takeaway. A creditable wine list completes the picture.