🍕 Best in NYC

Best Pizza in NYC

The best pizza in New York City — from Joe's Pizza's legendary slice to Lucali's whole-pie perfection in Carroll Gardens.

6 picks

New York pizza is its own category in American food culture. The New York slice — thin, foldable, served on a paper plate, under $4 — is a civic institution that has been reproduced across the country without ever being quite replicated. The best pizzerias in the city operate with the same seriousness as any Michelin-starred kitchen, applied to a different set of constraints: dough hydration, oven temperature, sauce acidity, and the window between a perfectly crisped crust and a burnt one.

The two poles of NYC pizza are the classic slice and the whole pie. Joe's Pizza on Carmine Street is the foundational slice shop — open past 3am, cheap, consistent over 50 years, and still the standard against which every other New York slice is measured. Lucali in Carroll Gardens is the whole-pie essential: no phone, walk-in only, waits that stretch to two hours on weekends, and a pie that earns every minute of it. Di Fara in Midwood sits between these poles — a whole pie or slice that Dom DeMarco finishes by hand, scissors-cut, with fresh basil from the windowsill and olive oil drizzled at the end. These three represent the tradition at its most rigorous.

The newer wave — Scarr's on the Lower East Side, Prince Street Pizza in NoLIta, Roberta's in Bushwick — demonstrates that the tradition is still evolving. Scarr's mills its own flour. Roberta's built its reputation on a wood-burning oven in what was once a shipping container. Prince Street Pizza's pepperoni cup square slice has become one of the most photographed and copied slices in America. All three are serious pizzerias by any standard, not just by New York's. For the best Italian restaurants in NYC beyond pizza, see our full guide.

Joe's Pizza

Joe's Pizza

Pizza · New York Style  ·  West Village  ·  $

★★★★½ 4.6 11,800

Carmine Street's no-frills slice shop since 1975 — the definitive New York street slice, full stop

Must-try: Plain cheese slice, Pepperoni slice, Sicilian slice

📍 7 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014

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Lucali

Lucali

Pizza · Whole Pie  ·  Carroll Gardens  ·  $$

★★★★½ 4.8 4,200

Carroll Gardens' legendary whole-pie shop — a two-hour walk-in wait for one of the most exceptional pizzas in America

Must-try: Plain pie, White pie, Calzone

📍 575 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

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Di Fara Pizza

Di Fara Pizza

Pizza · Italian  ·  Midwood  ·  $$

★★★★½ 4.7 6,200

Dom DeMarco's legendary Midwood pizzeria — each pie hand-finished, scissors-cut, with fresh basil from the windowsill

Must-try: Regular slice, Square slice, Whole pie

📍 1424 Ave J, Brooklyn, NY 11230

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Roberta's

Roberta's

Pizza · Wood-Fired  ·  Bushwick  ·  $$

★★★★½ 4.5 8,400

Bushwick's pioneering wood-fired pizzeria that launched a neighborhood and inspired a generation of NYC pizza makers

Must-try: Margherita, Bee Sting (soppressata/mozzarella/chili honey), Calzone

📍 261 Moore St, Brooklyn, NY 11206

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Scarr's Pizza

Scarr's Pizza

Pizza · House-Milled  ·  Lower East Side  ·  $

★★★★½ 4.5 3,800

Lower East Side's house-milled flour slice shop — the most technically obsessed slice in New York

Must-try: Plain cheese slice, Square slice, Pepperoni

📍 22 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

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Prince Street Pizza

Prince Street Pizza

Pizza · Square Slice  ·  NoLIta  ·  $

★★★★½ 4.5 5,600

NoLIta's pepperoni cup square slice counter — the spicy spring slice has become one of the most copied slices in America

Must-try: Spicy spring (pepperoni cup), Grandma square, Sicilian

📍 27 Prince St, New York, NY 10012

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best pizza in NYC?

Joe's Pizza on Carmine Street is the definitive New York slice. Lucali in Carroll Gardens is the best whole-pie experience — walk-in only, 2-hour waits on weekends, worth every minute. Di Fara Pizza in Midwood is the pilgrimage destination. These three represent the tradition at its most essential.

Is the wait at Lucali worth it?

Yes. Lucali does not take reservations — you show up, put your name on the list, and wait (often 1.5–2 hours on weekends). The plain pie and white pie are exceptional. Bring wine (BYOB) and wait at a nearby bar if the line is long. It earns the wait.

What's the difference between a New York slice and a whole pie?

A New York slice is a triangular cut from a pre-made 18-inch round pie, reheated by the slice, meant to be folded and eaten standing up. A whole pie is made to order, eaten at a table. Joe's and Scarr's are slice shops. Lucali and Roberta's are whole-pie destinations.

How late is Joe's Pizza open?

Joe's Pizza on Carmine Street is open until 3am–4am most nights, making it one of the most reliable late-night food options in the city. The quality at 2am is identical to 7pm — that consistency is why it's been the city's benchmark slice for 50 years.

What should I order at Di Fara Pizza?

The regular round slice or a whole pie. Dom DeMarco finishes each one by hand with fresh basil cut from the plant in the window, scissors-trimmed, with a drizzle of olive oil at the end. The square (Sicilian-style) slice is also exceptional. Budget time — Di Fara is worth the wait and the trip to Midwood.

What neighborhoods have the best pizza in NYC?

The West Village (Joe's Pizza), Carroll Gardens (Lucali), Bushwick (Roberta's), Lower East Side (Scarr's), NoLIta (Prince Street Pizza), and Midwood in Brooklyn (Di Fara). Each neighborhood has a distinct pizza tradition and a shop that anchors it.