This National Pizza Day, Know Where Can Eat The Best Pizza In The World
Who doesn't relish a well-made pizza? And on February 9, everyone celebrates one of the most loved dishes in the world— here is all you need to know about the delicacy and the best places to try it across the world
Pizza tops almost everyone’s list of favourite foods, no matter which part of the world it may be. And let’s be honest, we all take our pizza as seriously as Joey, don’t we? As the popular ‘Friends’ dialogue goes, “Joey loves pizza,” so does most of the world we live in. Statistics (and legends) state that about 3 billion pizzas are sold each year in the United States alone, averaging 46 slices per person! And that’s just how much we’re obsessed with this wonder in a dish. So, on February 9, the world observes National Pizza Day, an homage to our favourite comfort food! And while we give an ode to this cheesy dough, it would only be right to remember where the story of pizza really began.
Few foods have had a glow-up quite like pizza. What started as a humble meal for the working class in Italy has become a global obsession—debated, customised, folded, stuffed, sliced, and Instagrammed to death. Today, pizza can mean anything from a blistered Neapolitan pie eaten standing on a street in Naples to a giant New York slice grabbed at 2 am, or even a fully loaded creation with Indian sauces and toppings that would rock the graves of its earliest makers. And yet, at its core, pizza has always been about the same thing: bread, heat, comfort, and a lot of love.
But of course, the standards for good pizza have remained equally as high as our love for it. For it to be good, it must be baked to the T, the cheese should be perfectly smooth, the bread need not be too thick or too thin, and the toppings must complement each other like peas in a pod. The perfect pizza, I promise, is extremely difficult to get right. Why? Well, this doughy comfort dish is counted among some of the most popular foods, no matter what part of the world you’re in—and every nook and cranny of this world is baking its own iteration of this doughy goodness. It’s gotta be tough to perfect. Nothing good comes that easily!
Read on for a brief look into the birth story of your favourite food, and the best places in the world that have mastered the art of the ‘P-P’—the perfect pizza!
The History of your Favourite Slice
Before pizza became everyone’s universal answer to “What should we eat?”, it was simply survival food. While Naples, Italy, claimed it as its own at some point in history, flatbread topped with oil and herbs existed as far back as antiquity in ancient civilisations. These included everything from the Greeks’ plakous to similar breads eaten across the Mediterranean. In fact, an older, simpler form of pizza also appears in Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’. Some time after arriving in Latium, Aeneas and those with him sat down underneath a tree and laid out “thin wheaten cakes as platters for their meal.” They then topped them up with mushrooms and herbs that they found while scouraging the woods and guzzled them down—crust and all—prompting Aeneas’ son Ascanius to exclaim: “Look! We’ve even eaten our plates!”
So yes, pizza goes back further than our own ancestors, and has indeed endured the turbulence and tests of time. But pizza as we know it today took its true shape in 18th-century Naples. Under the Bourbon kings, Naples had become one of the largest cities in Europe, attracting a generous influx of migrants and tradesmen from across the world. With a struggling economy due to more people than resources, Naples became a bustling port city packed with workers in poverty who just needed cheap, filling, and quick food. The most abject of these were referred to as ‘lazzaroni’, because their less-than-attractive appearance resembled that of Lazarus—yes, the figure from the New Testament. As their population surpassed 50,000, they scraped by on the pittance they earned doing daily jobs as porters, messengers or casual labourers.
In such a scenario, pizza: flatbread topped with lard, garlic, salt, cheese, and—eventually—tomatoes, which arrived in Europe from the Americas in the 16th century. Sold by street vendors carrying huge boxes under their arms rather than in common-day shops, the pizzas would be cut to meet the customer’s budget or appetite because they were made with inexpensive ingredients. The toppings were equally as simple. Interestingly, tomatoes were considered suspicious, even poisonous, by the general population for years, but with the advent of pizzas, the working class embraced them anyway, changing the course of food history forever.
By the late 1700s, pizza had become a street food staple in Naples, sold by vendors and eaten without plates or cutlery. It wasn’t glamorous—it was messy, oily, and very practical. And for a long time, pizzas were scorned by food writers. Associated with the crushing poverty of the lazzaroni, they were frequently denigrated as ‘disgusting’, especially by foreign visitors.
The turning point came in 1889. While on a visit to Naples in 1889, King Umberto I and Queen Margherita grew tired of the complicated French dishes they were served at every meal of the day. That is when, in a great hurry, pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito of Pizzeria Brandi is said to have created three pizzas for Queen Margherita of Savoy: one with lard, caciocavallo and basil; another with cecenielli; and a third with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. The best part? The queen was absolutely delighted! Her favourite being the last of the three, she was hence christened pizza margherita in her honour. Whether the story is entirely factual or slightly embellished for storytelling purposes, after earning the royalty’s seal of approval, the Pizza Margherita then became a symbol of Italian identity and helped elevate pizza from a food of the poor to national pride.
The next significant shift in the history of pizza came with Italian migration, particularly to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In search of work, masses of Neapolitans moved Northwards from the 1930s onwards, taking their cuisine with them. And therefore, the first documented pizzeria in America, Lombardi’s, opened in New York City in 1905, serving coal-fired pies to immigrant communities.
What followed was pizza’s great reinvention arc. In New York, pizzas grew larger, thinner, and easier to eat on the go. In Chicago, they transformed into the indulgent, fork-required deep dish, while in Detroit, they took on a thick, rectangular form with caramelised cheese edges. After World War II, returning American soldiers who had tasted pizza in Italy helped cultivate the dish’s nationwide popularity, pushing it into mainstream culture.
And finally, in the late 20th century, pizza became most global. Multinational chains turned it into fast food, while chefs reclaimed it as a craft, reviving traditional techniques like Neapolitan wood-fired baking, now protected by UNESCO. Today, it sits at the precipice of both tradition and experimentation—simultaneously sacred and remixable. Pizza has become more than food in our generation; today, it’s culture, identity, and comfort, all in one slice. And on Pizza Day, there’s no better time to celebrate how this once-humble dish conquered the world—one oven at a time.
The Best Pizzerias of the World that You Must Eat At Once
I Masanielli
Cited as the number one pizzeria in the world on the 50 Top Pizza rankings for 2025 (tied with Una Pizza Napoletana of NYC) , I Masanielli in Caserta, Italy, is among the best pizzas you could ever have the pleasure of devouring. Helmed by chef Francesco Martucci and established in 2001, the pizzeria has become a pilgrimage site for serious pizza lovers—despite Caserta being a quieter city compared to Naples, which is just a short drive away. Martucci is renowned for his obsessive attention to ingredients, fermentation, and technique, pushing the boundaries of what pizza can be beyond the norm, while remaining respectful of Italian culinary roots.
What truly sets I Masanielli apart is its dough. Fermented for hours on end and handled with craft and finesse, the base is popularly light, airy, and digestible, with a structure that is both crisp and cloud-like. The menu offers both classic and experimental pizzas, as well as a tasting-menu-style experience for those who want to explore Martucci’s full creative range. Standout pizzas often feature premium Italian ingredients, such as buffalo mozzarella, carefully sourced tomatoes, cured meats, and seasonal produce. Some standout pizzas on their menu include Tomato Absolute, Artichoke Absolute, and Futura di Marinara.
The ambience here is just like the food: minimalist and dedicated to the craft of cooking some of the world’s best pizza! On visiting, you’ll find no theatrical décor or touristy noise. Consistently ranked high on global pizza lists and often featured in international food guides, I Masanielli represents the future of Italian pizza-making, and proves that some of the world’s best slices are found slightly off the obvious map, one slice at a time!
Address: Viale Giulio Douhet, 11, 81100 Caserta CE, Italy
Timings: Sunday, Tuesday & Wednesday (7 pm–12 am), Thursday to Saturday (12:20–3 pm, 7 pm–12 am)
Una Pizza Napoletana
Una Pizza Napoletana is among not only New York City’s but also the world’s most acclaimed pizzerias and has consistently been ranked the best in the world. Founded and run by pizzaiolo Anthony Mangieri, Una began in New Jersey in 1996 and later moved to Manhattan, where it now operates on the Lower East Side at 175 Orchard Street. Chef Mangieri’s focus on naturally leavened, wood-fired pizzas, made in small batches with intense attention to every detail, has earned the restaurant top honours in major pizza rankings. Most notably, Una Pizza Napoletana was named #1 in the world by the 50 Top Pizza guide in 2022, 2024 and 2025, a rare achievement for a New York pizzeria!
The menu here is purposefully minimal and focused, centred around classic Neapolitan-style pizzas crafted with high-quality Italian ingredients rather than an overload of toppings. Some favourites include the Marinara, made with San Marzano tomatoes, Amalfi oregano, garlic, basil and olive oil; the Margherita, topped with San Marzano tomatoes and Buffalo Mozzarella DOP; and the Bianca, a white pizza with mozzarella, garlic and olive oil. Other staples like Filetti (with cherry tomatoes) and Cosacca (with Pecorino Romano) are also much-loved. The restaurant also rotates a special pizza weekly, offering a seasonal variation built on the same disciplined foundation.
The drinks list here is no less! It includes everything from Italian beers and a curated selection of wines from Campania and beyond. Una’s pizza has earned recognition not only from pizza-centric rankings but also appeared in The New York Times’ 100 Best Restaurants in New York. Yes, it’s just that good!
Address: 75 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002, United States
Timings: Thursday to Saturday (5–9:30 pm)
The Pizza Bar on 38th
The Pizza Bar on 38th Tokyo’s—and, of course, one of the world’s—most-loved and frequented pizzerias. Located on the 38th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo in Nihonbashi, it has been a standout on the global pizza stage, regularly topping the Asia-Pacific rankings, indicating that yes, even Asia can do great, great pizza! The restaurant was even named Asia-Pacific’s best pizzeria in the 50 Top Pizza guide for 2023, 2024, and 2025.
What makes The Pizza Bar on 38th unique among the world’s many pizzerias is its intimate, omakase-style experience. Seating just eight guests around a marble counter, diners get a front-row view of executive chef Daniele Cason and his team preparing pizzas in a brick oven right before them. The menu isn’t standard à la carte. Instead, guests are served a series of pizzas as part of a curated tasting, often changing with the seasons and experimenting with both traditional and inventive flavour combinations.
The dough at The Pizza Bar on 38th is central to its rise to fame. Made with organic Italian flour, with a high hydration level, and fermented for precisely 48 hours, it yields a crust that is exceptionally light, airy, and easy to digest. Classic preparations—like the Bufala pizza with fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomato, and basil—sit alongside seasonal omakase creations that incorporate ingredients like truffle.
While the fight for reservations is a tale as old as time, the experience at this pizzeria is among the best you could have!
Address: 2 Chome-1-1 Nihonbashimuromachi, Chuo City, Tokyo 103-8328, Japan
Timings: Monday to Sunday (11:30 am–3 pm, 5:30–10 pm)
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele
And finally, Naples—the home base of pizza, known for the oldest pizzerias in all of the world—makes it onto our list!
For good reason, L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele is among the oldest and most iconic pizzerias in the world, with its roots dating back to 1870, when the Condurro family opened the original location in Naples. Today, it remains a cornerstone of Neapolitan pizza tradition, run by successive generations of the family, and continues to draw long queues of visitors who wish to bite into pizzas as they historically were. And yes! This is also the nook-in-the-wall pizzeria that so endearingly appears in the book and film ‘Eat Pray Love’.
What sets it apart is the deliberate simplicity, as well as the robust decision not to change with the times. The menu here traditionally offers just two pizzas: the Margherita, with San Marzano tomato, fior di latte mozzarella (or mozzarella di bufala), basil, and olive oil; and the Marinara, topped with tomato, garlic, oregano, and olive oil. These two pies represent the purest expression of authentic Neapolitan pizza—with no space for any extra toppings—and are cooked in a wood-fired oven at high heat. With a soft, chewy crust with the characteristic leopard-like char, this is quite literally the world’s most authentic and iconic pizza!
Address: Via Cesare Sersale, 1, 80139 Napoli, NA, Italy
Timings: Monday to Sunday (10:30 am–11 pm)
Confine
In a short span since opening in April 2023, Confine in Milan, Italy, has become one of the world’s most talked-about pizzerias. Envisioned and helmed by chefs Francesco Capece and Mario Ventura, the restaurant combines artisanal pizza-making with Michelin-level technique and service. In the 50 Top Pizza World list, Confine faired 4th overall in 2025 and has also been ranked 2nd in the 50 Top Pizza Italia guide! Hence, Confine’s not only a standout spot for pizza-seekers in Milan but also in the country’s overall competitive pizza scene.
Unlike casual restaurants, Confine experiments with pizza as a gastronomic experience. Using type 1 flour and fermentation that lasts as long as 72 hours, the chefs here create doughs that are crisp on the outside and light and airy inside. Meanwhile, the menu is presented as a multi-course tasting experience, designed to showcase a range of doughs, textures, and cooking methods. Some of their signature offerings include fried and then baked pizzas, refined Neapolitan-style pies, and innovative combinations such as pizza topped with beef tartare and white truffle.
Beyond the pizza itself, Confine is also known for its wine pairings and interiors that could only be described as delicious, mirroring a fine-dining experience rather than a typical pizzeria experience. Here, pizza is part of a structured meal rather than a quick bite, which, of course, is Confine’s topmost attraction!
Address: Piazza Cardinal Massaia, 20123 Milano MI, Italy
Timings: Tuesday to Friday (7 pm–12 am), Saturday & Sunday (12–3 pm, 7 pm–12 am)
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