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The Infatuation
London’s NYC-Style Pizza Power Ranking
By Rianne Shlebak,
1 day ago
Up until fairly recently, London was in a loyal, long-term relationship with Neapolitan pizza. Until we all got a wandering eye for thin, crispy, scarlet marinara-heavy slices, inspired by New York’s pizza scene. Huge, flat, UFO-sized pies are in, and puffy, doughy ones are out. Here are London's top eight spots ranked from excellent to unmissable.
Let the history books show that the New York-style pizza coup was led by Crisp Pizza W6 and their incredible, hard-to-get pizzas. The gravity-defying slices hold their own and the tomato sauce is rich and basil-heavy, with the perfect distribution of melted mozzarella and a generous sprinkling of parmesan. Yes, it requires WhatsApping, texting, or—every Brit’s worst nightmare—ringing to reserve dough. And even that doesn’t guarantee you a table inside Hammersmith pub The Chancellors. But take it from us, who have turned up half an hour before they open and waited in the rain, it’s worth it.
A certified Bethnal Green favourite, Three Colts Tavern is from the same people behind Exale Brewery, and the pub is loved just as equally by locals popping in for a solo 4pm pint on a Friday, as it is groups of colleagues piling into corner booths. But leaving without getting one of 75 Slice’s 12-inch NYC-style pizzas is an actual crime. Bubbly, charred thin crusts make an excellent handle to fold the slices which are covered in a thick layer of marinara. Mozzarella is melted into the sauce, while the extra burrata sits on top in thick, creamy dollops. Add the pesto swirl for a nice hint of fragrant basil, and yes, you’ll need at least a pizza each.
At Gracey’s Pizza, the New Haven pie glistens and wows like a mesmerising, parmesan-topped UFO. This kind of pizza isn’t often seen in London, and that’s why you’ll find it in St Albans. It’s worth the trip slightly out of town. The bases are crisp, almost to the point of a cracker, and the sauce is a straight 10. The classic pizzas are excellent, but it’s that New Haven pie that really stands out. Its base is Rizla-like, its sauce positively woofing with garlic, and its gigantic size made for gleeful friends to grab and grab.
This homage to NYC-style pizza is a matchbox-sized room on Bushey's high street that has a couple of walk-in only tables, a suntrap bench, and a whole lot of eager takeaway customers. The regular pies are rolled ludicrously thin to ensure an even, truly crispy, singed base with a thin crust. But when it’s on, the special grandma pie—thick with vodka sauce on a focaccia-like base—is a standout. For those coming from central London, Vincenzo’s will be a bit of a schlep but combine with a visit to Gracey’s for the ultimate road trip.
Pizza by the slice is something that London’s food scene is seriously lacking. But Doctor Dough is serving excellent NYC-style slices from a market stall in Hammersmith. The slices are big and the thick tomato sauce—with whole burst cherry tomatoes—is some of the best we’ve ever tasted. The margherita isn’t a cheese-heavy slice, but the subtle mozzarella pokes out from underneath the sauce, and with the sprinkling of parmesan cheese on top, you get the perfect ratio of everything in each bite.
Come evening, this walk-in only spot in Marylebone is busy with dates and mates with thin, NYC-style pizzas stacked between them. This place is a real scene: dimly lit table lamps throw shadows across the room, and a projector plays The Sopranos. Order the rich marinara with stracciatella, or the glossy vodka which has satisfying, oozy blobs of buffalo mozzarella and artfully scattered basil leaves. The crusts are nice and chewy, and you won’t have any left over if you get the scotch bonnet dipping sauce.
On any given weekend The Spurstowe Arms has more cowboy boots and mullets than the Texas State Fair. But from Tuesdays to Sundays the unofficially Ganni-sponsored, Hackney pub serves excellent pizzas courtesy of Dough Hands. They fall somewhere between classic New York-style and Neapolitan. The toppings—tomato pie with stracciatella, or ‘nduja with hot honey—lean NYC, while the charred pillowy crusts and flop factor can lean slightly Neapolitan. Our favourite is the tomato pie, followed closely by the citrussy, spicy tuna.
A car dealership in East Finchley is an unlikely place to eat thin-crust, New York-style pies, but that’s where you’ll find 67 Sourdough. The main dining area looks out onto gleaming classic Porsches, and come evening, tables are filled with locals in the know. The sound of revving engines is replaced with Britpop, and the excellent pizzas are a good distraction from falling in love with a car you’ll never be able to buy. The crisp sourdough bases and crunchy crusts with a pleasing chew are great (get extra garlic mayo and hot honey for dipping), and toppings are well-balanced: the pepperoni with hot honey, and ‘nduja and burrata are standouts.
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