Where to get the best pizza in London
We all know that London has an abundance of places to cure a pizza craving. But not considering chains, particularly in light of the recent announcement that Pizza Hut is closing, where do we rely on for the perfect chewy base, slightly singed crust and inventive toppings? Here's where to go for the best pizza in London, the joint where the House & Garden team frequent regularly, our beloved local haunts that never let us down.
The best pizza restaurants in London
1/18Ria's, Soho
Already a firm favourite among the Notting Hill crowd, Ria’s recently-opened second location, in Soho, offers the same mouthwatering square-pan Detroit-style pizza and excellent low-intervention wine. With dim lighting and relaxed interiors, this is a stylish spot for many occasions, helped by its central location. On our visit we headed downstairs and settled into a cosy booth beside a large marble sharing table, where the atmosphere felt buzzy yet very comfortable.
We recommend ordering several different slices rather than a whole pizza so you can explore the full range of flavours. The standout for us was Dave’s Hot Pep. Every perfectly crisp bite balances fluffy dough and fresh marinara sauce with a harmonious and addictive combination of toppings: cupping pepperoni, hot honey, pickled jalapeños and stracciatella.. The natural wine list is well chosen, with a light house red that paired nicely with the menu. As far as we’re concerned, Ria’s is serving some of the best Detroit-style pizza in London, and it's well worth a visit!
Website: Rias.world
29 Foubert's Place, W1F 7QF– Diya Pandey
2/18Spring Street Pizza, Borough
A hop and a skip from the buzzing foodie hub of Borough Market, is brand new pizza joint Spring Street, headed up by Michelin-star chef Tom Kemble. Formerly of the now-closed London fine dining restaurants Bonhams and Hedone, Tom has brought his training and experience to bring exquisitely curated toppings on bases so huge, thin and crispy that it would be a struggle to finish a whole one on your own. The key to the quality of the dough is the Italian pre-fermentation technique of biga that Tom has adopted. We tried the fresh and zesty anchovy, burrata and rocket pizza, as well as the classic New Yorker with pepperoni and hot honey. If you manage to leave room, don't skip the small plates - the crunchy Caesar salad and huge olives were highlights, and the soft serve ice cream drizzled with rich golden olive oil is a must-have to finish off the meal.
Website: https://springstpizza.com/
Arch 32, Southwark Quarter, Southwark St, London SE1 1TE– Tilly Wheeler
3/18Rudy's Pizza
You're never too far from Rudy's, with seven pizzerias to choose from all across London (as well as up and down the country). The Napoletana-style cult restaurant started its journey in Manchester back in 2015, making its way around the north and finally firmly taking over London - from Spitalfields to Soho - cementing its status in the capital pretty rapidly. The pizzas are soft, airy and blistered in all the right places thanks to the chefs' dedication to making pizzas the Naples way with 00 Caputo flour, San Marzano tomatoes and Fior di Latte mozzarella. Toppings are both traditional (think nduja, salami and Kalamata olives), and a little less so (ahem, British leeks or wild boar). Pair your pizza with the Campari Soda (which comes with crisps) or the really delicious ‘kick-ass lemonade’.
Website: rudyspizza.co.uk
Various locations– Tal Dekel Daks
James Moyle4/18Dough Hands at The Old Nun's Head, Nunhead
After finding its first home at The Spurstowe Arms in London Fields, Dough Hands has recently opened its second permanent residency in Nunhead, bringing their extraordinarily light and crispy pizza to South London - there are no drooping, sloppy slices swimming in oil to be found here. The flavour combinations are somewhat experimental without veering too far into novelty - we tried the Shroomy, a veggie pizza topped with taleggio, soy-roasted mushrooms and the inspired addition of tarragon, as well as the Jode, a delectably sweet and spicy concoction of nduja, hot honey and stracciatella. The selection of dips, for those who dunk their crusts, include a creamy garlic and herb, and fermented hot sauce.
Available from Tuesday to Saturday.
The Old Nun's Head, 15 Nunhead Grn, London SE15 3QQ– Tilly Wheeler
5/18Cowboy's Pizza, Shepherd's Bush
Started by a group of friends, Cowboy's is west London's answer to really great pizza. Serving up 12 inch pizzas at Next Door Records, you can expect fresh ingredients and Italian-American style bases that hit the right note between doughy and crispy. The crowd favourite is the ‘Naughty Cowboy’, the restaurant's twist on a pepperoni, but the ‘Classic’ is absolutely worth trying too. Wash it all down with a negroni or margarita–and don't skip the hot honey dip: it's quite possibly the best bit.
Website: https://www.cowboyspizza.com/
Next Door Records, 304 Uxbridge Road, W12 7LJ
Xavier Buendia6/18Fatto a Mano, Covent Garden & Kings Cross
Fatto a Mano is a Naples expat, via Brighton, to London. Think bubbly, chewy, pillowy dough, crisp burnt patches and as traditional as you can get. It's got all the big hitters on the menu, as well as some more inventive options. The thing to order in May, though, is the Franco Pepe collaboration. Master Pizzaiolo Franco Pepe has joined forces with Fatto a Mano for a limited edition collaboration that brings his signature pizza (voted world's best) to the UK for the first time. It's called the the Margherita Sbagliata and is like a reserve margherita, where the mozzarella is the cushion for pretty dashes of vibrant red tomatoes and basil oil. You won't forget it in a hurry.
30 St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4ER and Unit 1, 3 Pancras Sq, N1C 4AG
7/18Crisp W6, Hammersmith
Can you imagine a month long waiting list for pizza? That's what the case can be at Crisp W6, a tiny pizza joint operating out of a tiny pub – The Chancellor's in Hammersmith. As well as booking a table, you have to reserve your dough for the day you want to go to make sure they don't run out. You can chance a walk-in but there's no chance of space or leftover dough, so it's best to avoid disappointment. It's worth the wait and there's a reason Crisp W6 has been so phenomenally popular.
25 Crisp Rd, London W6 9RL
8/18Ace Pizza at The Pembury Tavern, Hackney
One look at Ace Pizza's Instagram and you'll be sold on their incredible burnt crusts and inventive toppings. Based in The Pembury Tavern in Hackney (and also Someday bar in Finsbury), this is some of the best pizza you can find and those in the know have been gatekeeping the secret for themselves. Order a Honey Pie (salami, hot honey and the rest), a side of Crack Sauce and a beer and you'll be sold for life.
90 Amhurst Rd, London E8 1JH
9/1850 Kalò, Trafalgar Square
This Naples export takes up a prime location on Trafalgar Square and brings Londoners access to what's been named some of the best pizza in Italy and the best dough in the world. Chef Ciro Salvo is a third generation pizza maker and mastermind behind the dough – which he ‘super hydrates’ with a large percentage of water to flour, a ratio which has resulted in accolade after accolade.
7 Northumberland Ave, London WC2N 5BY
10/18Homeslice, London wide
Homeslice is a little different from others on this list – it's not Neapolitan-style pizza for a start, and their pizzas are rather enormous. The idea behind it is that you either buy a 20" pizza to share – with one topping or two on each half – or you can order by the slice if you'd rather. It's the perfect place for a group, as you can get a couple of huge pizzas and share them all, trying various inventive toppings between you. The first restaurant was in Neal's Yard and is still there, but they've branched out to Marylebone and the City too.
Various locations
11/18Base Face, Richmond
Known for their stonebaked Neopolitan pizzas, Base Face started off in founder Tim's driveway, where he cooked pizzas on his Ooni to raise money for the NHS. Now, it has three permanent homes – in Richmond, Putney and Barnes – where he slings his classic flavours alongside house specials.
300 King St, London W6 0RR; 112 Kew Rd, London TW9 2PQ; 236 Upper Richmond Rd, London SW15 6TG
12/18Gioia, Chelsea
Using dough that ferments for 72 hours, the chewy, airy and crisp bases have proper flavour and are remarkably digestible too. Their short menu covers the classics – well made Margheritas and Napolitana – as well as more substantial toppings. Try the Lievito, with fennel sausage, smoked mozzarella and chilli, as well as their lovely selection of craft beers.
273 Fulham Rd, Chelsea, London SW10 9PZ
13/18Sacro Cuore, Kensal Rise & Crouch End
Sacro Cuore is the local pizza joint you wish you had – and Kensal Rise and Crouch End dwellers do. It's simple, buzzy and the pizzas are superb, not to mention ready in a flash of the scorching hot pizza oven. The superlatively crispy, chewy pizzas have classic toppings and are typical of the style of Naples, all dishes up under a mural to the Italian city.
45 Chamberlayne Rd, London NW10 3NB
10 Crouch End Hill, London, N8 8AA
14/18Zia Lucia, London wide
Zia Lucia, who have branches across London are the masters of the inventive pizza base. The vegetable charcoal base, one option of the four available, is unmissable. The classics - Margarita, Napoli, Nduja - are all present on the menu, but we suggest trying the Andrea Pirlo, topped with apple and gorgonzola, or the Green Vegana, which comes with a broccoli cream base and courgette ribbons on top.
Various locations across London
15/18Theo's, Camberwell
Theo's in Camberwell has the feel of a long-time local fixture. The wood floors are pleasingly worn, the white walls a little scruffy, and there's a hodgepodge of benches, stools and chairs. They serve up Neapolitan-style sourdough pizza and it's delicious; it has the most crispy base with a doughy crust. They have two branches, the second is in Elephant & Castle.
2 Grove Lane, Camberwell, London SE5 8SY
Instagram/ papachionchio16/18Santa Maria, Chelsea
The top end of the King's Road, where Chelsea meets Fulham, isn't necessarily known for its foodie scene. But on the corner of Waterford Road and the King's Road, you will find a buzzing and very delicious pizza joint - Santa Maria. The fact that it is always rammed is testament to how good the pizzas are. Book a table (yes, it still operates a very civilised booking system - just make sure to book a few days ahead to avoid disappointment!) and order a few starters to share and a pizza each. To begin with, choose the oozing burrata and smoked mozzarella balls that come in a rich tomato sauce, with crusty bread for mopping. A simple tomato sauce, garlic and oregano topped pizza is always a good way to gauge how good a pizzeria is - the 'Santa Maria' here is full of flavour and delightfully thin. For more decadent options, go for the 'San Mattia', tomato sauce free, but dripping in mozzarella, truffle oil and mushrooms, or the 'San Francesco', which is laden with artichokes, courgettes and mozzarella.
94 Waterford Road, London SW6; 15 St Mary's Road, London W5
17/18Bona, Forest Hill
Bona in Forest Hill is utterly delightful if you're in SE London. Neapolitan-style sourdough pizzas come with a short but sweet list of toppings, plus carafes of wine and perfectly dressed salads. It's that rare bird - a restaurant with a buzzing, friendly atmosphere, but where you can somehow always find a seat.
25 Dartmouth Rd, Forest Hill, London SE23 3HN
18/18Pizza Sophia, Bloomsbury
The pizza at Pizza Sophia on Tavistock Place in Bloomsbury is as good, if not better, than a lot of pizza in Italy - and we've made it our business to eat a lot of pizza in Italy. It is similar to the kind you find in Naples – a thin, slippery base that the toppings slither off when you pick up the slice, with a fat, charred, chewy sourdough crust. Not only is it totally delicious but the restaurant is super cozy (book upstairs rather than downstairs if you can), and cheap - £8-£10 for a pizza. The perfect neighbourhood joint in our humble opinion.
50 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RG
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