Updated May 16, 2019 20.2K votes 3.2K voters 45.3K views
Over 3.2K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The World's Best Cities for Pizza
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Vote up the best cities to grab a slice of 'za.
The best cities for pizza in the world are not all the standard American and Italian locations you would think hold the title of the top pizza in the world. On top of the best cities for pizza in the US, there are a number of cities worldwide that boast their own inventive or classic takes on the pizza pie. Whatever your favorite pizza topping and preference for crust, there is a pie somewhere in the world that will satisfy your hunger for the greatest pizza in the world.
Though pizza's origins are Italian, the US has become a pizza powerhouse in recent years with intense debates over which city has the best pizza style, New York or Chicago. Other cities in the US, like San Diego and New Haven, fly under the pizza radar but still rank as some of the top pizza places in the world.
What city has the best pizza in the world? Where is the best pizza made? From New York to Sao Paulo to Osaka, there are myriad good pizza places for you to try out the best pizza spots on an international pizza tasting tour. If your pick for greatest city for pizza isn't on the list of top cities for pizza worldwide, make sure to add it.
The Neopolitan pizza. It's the pizza that inspired most other pizzas and the city of Naples takes it's pizza recipe seriously (seriously enough to have an organization that verifies the authenticity of any product using the name). Wheat dough, buffalo mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes, and basil combine to make a personal plate of food elation for those lucky enough to order the city's signature dish.
Every pizza shop in New York tends to lay claim to the "best slice in the city" title and the fact is, picking the best slice in the city would be a nearly impossible feat. The characteristics that make a pizza decidedly New York are the puffy crust, the thin and crunchy middle, and the desire to fold a slice in two and dive in. Oh, and the water. Much like the city's delectable bagels, the secret to the NY pizza is said to be the tap water used in the dough. Many eateries across the US import the water to lend authenticity to their "New York pizza", but you'll rarely find a pie outside of NY that lives up to the real thing.
You know all about Chicago style pizza: it's deep dish, the crust is thick, it sometimes comes in a square, and it is gooey and delicious. The thing that sets Chicago's pizza apart from the rest is the chunky tomato sauce, the heaps of mozzarella, and the chewy, delicious crust. Typical toppings range from meats like sausage and pepperoni to veggies like mushrooms and tomatoes. Typical reaction when finishing a pie is the unbuttoning of the pants.
Pizza is available on every corner in Rome, and not just in restaurants and traditional eateries. On many corners, especially in the tourist-heavy areas, you can grab a slice from a street vendor whose cart is piled high with pie. The crust on these slices (served al taglio, or "by the slice") is thin and the toppings are far more exotic than standard American fare (think eggplant, zucchini, and asparagus).
If you're a stickler for mozzarella on your pizza, St. Louis is going to stop you in your tracks for the good or bad. The pies in this Midwest city are baked round, cut square, and topped with Provel cheese, a creamy blend of Swiss and Provolone. The cheese is said to come out hotter and provokes strong reactions, good and bad, in those who eat it.
Clams on pizza, that's a New Haven, Connecticut staple. The New Haven style of pizza, known as "apizza", employs a lighter dusting of grated pecorino romano cheese in place of the more standard mozzarella and tends to have a very thin crust. The white clam pie, which skips the tomato sauce and instead champions the garlic and fresh Little Neck clams that top it, is perhaps the best-known product of the city.
