Pizza lover? From London to Madrid, here’s where to find Europe’s best slices outside of Italy

Pizza is first and foremost one of Italy’s trademarks - but the dish has become a firm favourite around the world. 

So much so, that a recent study found the city home to the most world-class pizzerias is not Rome but New York. 

The Italian capital still takes the crown for the best pizzas in Europe, but it’s closely followed by other major cities.

Here’s where to get the best pizza in Europe - and beyond. 

Where to find Europe’s best pizza outside of Italy

To determine which European city serves the best pizza, recipe website Chef’s Pencil identified those with the most entries in the global 50 Top Pizza rankings over the last six years.

While it’s rare to see London surpass Paris when it comes to food, the UK capital has been home to 16 top-rated pizzerias over recent years versus Paris’s 14.

In fifth place on the Top 50 Pizza list 2024, Napoli on the Road in Chiswick, west London, is Europe’s best pizzeria outside of Italy.

Back in Italy, Naples’ Diego Vitagliano Pizzeria is ranked as the second best in the world and the best pizza in Europe.

According to the Italian ranking, which publishes a yearly Top 50 list, Madrid and Copenhagen have each been home to six elite pizzerias over the last six years, putting them in joint third place. Madrid’s Revelry currently ranks 26th in the Top 50.

And if you fancy a pizza somewhere else in Europe, you will also find cheesy bliss in Brussels and Moscow, with five pizzerias each among Europe’s best. 

Which city is most obsessed with pizza?

To determine which city’s love for pizza runs deepest, the study also analysed pizza-related online searches over the past five years.

Of all cities in the world, Philadelphia registered the highest number of relevant Google searches, ranging from ‘best local pizza’ to ‘pizza recipes’. 

It was followed closely by Naples and Turin. The large Italian community in Philadelphia has helped sustain its top position. 

Where is the best pizzeria in the world?

Worldwide, New York serves the best pizza, according to the Top 50 ranking released earlier this year. This marked the first time a pizzeria outside of Italy was recognised as the world’s number one.

You won’t find New York slices at the reigning Una Pizza Napoletana, though, which draws on recipes from the dish’s motherland.

Surprisingly as well, Tokyo comes on an equal footing with Naples and Rome for elite pizzerias, and surpasses cities like Milan, Florence and Chicago. 

Wondering why? Unlike Philadelphia, it’s not because Tokyo has a large population of Italian immigrants or a long tradition of pizza baking, but rather a discovered passion for Italian food supercharged by Japan’s obsession with perfecting a craft.