My obsession with pizza has taken me through three great pizza cities: Naples, New York, and Rome. I have eaten blistered Neapolitan pies, folded late-night slices, and traditional Roman pizza while joining pizza lovers worldwide in the hunt for the perfect slice. Back home, that never-ending love continued through countless pizzerias across the capital, as well as homemade pizza-making experiments using an oven, scratch-made dough, and toppings prepared from scratch. Those years of eating, food exploration, and dough-stained experience showed me that great pizza depends on careful craftsmanship, quality ingredients, and balanced flavours, not one fixed style. This guide brings together my favourite pizza spots in the city, with enough choices for everyone, from a classic Italian restaurant to relaxed modern dining.
London’s pizza history reaches back to the first Pizza Express on Wardour Street, where an open kitchen and dough spinning impressed diners during the 1960s. Today, the competition is fierce, and the scene includes beloved Italian restaurants, artisan bases, and outrageous toppings. A new-wave of modern pizzerias now mixes Naples-style, York-style, and Rome-style traditions with local ideas and global influences. This exciting wave has created a hybrid, contemporary form often called London-style pizza—playful, creative, and delicious, with its own culinary identity. That innovation has turned London’s pizza culture into a rich part of the wider cuisine, making every open-kitchen venue, restaurant list, and neighbourhood search feel like a fresh adventure.
Rudy’s: A Taste of Naples on Wardour Street
During my last visit to Rudy’s in London, I found its Wardour Street branch to be a lively celebration of Neapolitan tradition. Inspired by Naples and authentic Naples-style cooking, the pizza I would order again is the Salsiccia del Nonno. Its soft, chewy, and stretchy dough creates perfectly blistered bases, with a light crust and crisp edges. The traditional toppings combine quality, simple ingredients: chilli flakes add a spicy, well-pitched heat to fior di latte, smoked and buffalo mozzarella, ground fennel sausage, and caramelised red onion. Other choices include anchovies, artichoke, and wild boar salami, while a final sprinkle of seasoning brings everything together.
A Campari Spritz is one of the most refreshing drinks here, served with a vintage, cute bottle that suits the modern setting. The restaurant has an open, open-kitchen design, a huge space, and white subway tiling and tiles around the kitchen, where skilled chefs maintain its vibrant homage to Italian cooking. Rudy’s began in 2015 in Ancoats, then followed an unconventional route of expansion from the North and other northern areas to the capital. Its cult-status, much-loved Mancunian joints and later outposts reached Peter Street, Sale, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Cheshire, Brighton, Bristol, and Glasgow before moving outside their original region. In a city familiar with restaurants such as Franco Manca, which started in Brixton Market, Rudy’s still has a character of its own.
Address: 80 Wardour Street, London, W1F 0TF
Website: rudyspizza.co.uk
Florencio: Thin, Crisp Pizza in Marylebone
Florencio brings relaxed charm and serious pizza credentials to a quiet street in Marylebone, one of the capital’s most well-to-do area choices. It feels like a friendly hole-in-the-wall but is also swish and fancy enough for a date night or date-night meal. The cosy interior has a 32-table dining room with 32 tables, tufted blue sofas, tiled floors, red chequered tablecloths, and a main hall beside the open kitchen and oven. From the front row, guests have clear views of the chefs preparing fresh bakes. Unlike many formal restaurants, this restaurant feels welcoming, warm, and personal, with attentive service and a polished yet comfortable experience. Longtime collaborators Francesco and Diego lead the team, while Head Chef Diago Jacquet brings a strong pedigree from the Spanish three-star restaurant El Bulli and Swedish fine dining spot Aquavit in New York.
The pizza and pizzas take a different route from London’s usual pillowy, soft, Napoli-style options. Each thin and thin-crust base is crispy, with crisp bases, airy, blistered crusts, and a firm, crunchy crust. The dough is fermented for 48 hours, and this 48-hour fermentation produces excellent results: the slices stay together when lifted from the plate, so you can scoop them up by hand. A well-balanced, balanced tomato sauce, fresh toppings, and quality ingredients create a wide range of flavour and flavours. The classic margherita uses mozzarella, parmesan, basil, and tomato, while more adventurous, interesting combinations include stracciatella, mortadella, and caramelised pistachio pesto. My standout choice and the biggest hitter is the Martita 2.0, a colourful mix of mozzarella, pecorino, marinated courgettes, chilli, mint, walnut, and mascarpone. The generous portion sizes still leave just enough room for the delicious milk cake served as dessert.
Address: 14 Seymour Pl, London W1H 7NF
Website: florenciopizza.com
Crisp: From Hammersmith Favourite to Mayfair Hotspot
Crisp has grown from a cult favourite in Hammersmith into a full-blown Mayfair presence. Its new site is inside The Marlborough, a staple pub near Bond Street, giving the restaurant a big space in a central location close to the city centre without losing its charm. The viral fame, social media hype, and opening buzz set a high bar for expectations; some people even spent 5 hours waiting for a table on the first weekend. In my comparison with other popular pizzas, it can feel slightly overhyped, but it is still worth visiting when availability is good, and most satisfied diners should avoid disappointment. The place works for all occasions, including a quick after-work meal, an after-work slice, a date night, a casual weekend catch-up, relaxed dining, or a full pizza feast with friends. If this food experience is on your London pizza page, book ahead because reservations, booking, and group bookings can be hard to nab.
The pizza is thin-based, while the pizzas have thin, crispy, and blistered bases with a firm, weight-holding base. Each crust has a crunchy texture, making the slices easy to hold in your hands and enjoy as a hand-held slice. The great quality continues through the generous toppings, including pecorino, fior di latte, and oozing cheese. The tie-dye pie is a standout: its tequila-spiked, spicy sauce uses tequila for a sharp, unexpected note, while the pesto swirl balances the heat with freshness and rich flavour. Among the standout flavours, the Funghi Pie combines seasoned mushrooms, mozzarella, parm, and famous San Marzano tomatoes, with a deep tomato base. Beyond the pies, the dips are equally memorable: hot honey is the signature match for the W6 pizza, while garlic and herb options suit most sauces. The cocktails also deserve attention, especially the Picante cocktail.
Address: Crisp, 25 Crisp Road, London W6 9RL
Website: crispmayfair.com
Theo’s Pizzeria: Modern Neapolitan Pizza in Camberwell
Theo’s is a vibey pizzeria and a fixed point in the buzzy restaurant scene of Camberwell, South London. Its Neapolitan-style pizzas are renowned far beyond SE5, while its Elephant & Castle outpost offers the same relaxed dining style. The restaurant gives classic Neapolitan cooking a modern take, adding a creative twist through fancy, high-concept toppings. Compared with many formal London restaurants, the atmosphere feels easy and welcoming. The cheerful, friendly staff, keen, affordable prices, and attentive service create a nearly faultless experience for anyone planning a casual meal.
The pizza has billowing, airy, and blistered bases, with a light crust and soft dough strong enough to support bold flavours. The menu includes spicy scotch bonnet nduja, a rich Italian sausage, and cavolo nero cream made with black kale. A vegetarian choice combines mushroom, datterini tomatoes, and a bright tomato flavour—playfully covering three of your five a day, or roughly 3 of 5. During my visit, the main highlights were not limited to the pizzas: the antipasti selection, especially the croquettes, made an excellent starter, while each croquette showed careful preparation. Other worthwhile dishes include cheesy garlic bread, and the creamy Tiramisu is the best dessert to finish this approachable Italian food experience.
Address: 2 Grove Lane, Camberwell, London SE5 8SY
Website: theospizzeria.com
Homeslice: Big Pizzas Made for Sharing
In the sprawling tapestry of London’s dynamic pizza landscape, Homeslice has created its own niche. Since its inception, the mini-chain has reimagined the classic pizza wheel by mixing tradition with contemporary tastes. Its modern approach respects the time-honoured methods of old trattorias in Italy, combining old-world craftsmanship with an adventurous spirit of culinary innovation. The result is a large, 20-inch pizza measuring 20 inches, with a generous size and portions. Just 1 pizza is enough for 2 people, making it ideal for sharing a casual, shared meal with friends and loved ones. Across seven, or 7, locations, each restaurant offers a warm atmosphere, rustic charm, and a relaxed setting. You can order a whole pizza for dining in, or buy pizza by the slice for takeaway, usually served on paper plates.
Homeslice is a reigning champion of foldable slices, using high-quality, local produce and carefully chosen ingredients to create surprising flavours, delightful bites, and innovative combinations. My favourite is the white pizza with mushroom, ricotta, and truffle glaze, but the menu also explores creative, leftfield toppings such as chorizo, corn, and coriander. The site-specific and seasonal specials add more variety, while the 50-50 option lets diners split the pizza into half-and-half sections, with each half carrying a different topping. Its many choices and options include vegan combinations of garlicky mushroom, pumpkin seed, and chili. With its genuine heart, traditional technique, modern flavour, consistent quality, and welcoming outlets, it remains a safe choice for a group trip and one of the best pizzas in London for pizza lovers.
Address: 13 Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9DP
Website: homeslicepizza.co.uk
Bad Boy Pizza Society: From Student Project to Bethnal Green Pizzeria
Bad Boy Pizza Society, also known as B.B.P.S, has one of the most interesting pizza stories in London. What began as a parody university group and Instagram page grew into a real business after four students started selling slices at house parties in 2018. These student founders became future restaurateurs, moving from food stalls at Vinegar Yard and Seven Dials Market to 4 restaurants in different locations, each serving different pizza styles. Their loyal fanbase, regular customers, national awards, and award-winning pizzas helped turn a small party idea into a popular chain. The missing piece was a permanent home, which arrived in 2025 with the Bethnal Green Pizzeria. When I visited during its opening weekend in August, a huge, hungry queue and lively crowd stretched from the shopfront through the front door. Inside the site, grab-and-go takeaway boxes sit near a red-tiled counter, while 14 snug booths, tables, and comfortable seating create space for dine-in guests.
The restaurant serves New York and York-style pizzas, including a New York Slice, lunchtime options, and a full lunch menu. Each large, 18-inch pizza stretches 18 inches across the table, with every inch designed for sharing between two diners. The generous portions make an easy shared meal, while the toppings cover six classic combos, or 6 familiar combinations, alongside creative, adventurous specials. My pick is the signature, vodka-glazed pizza: its vodka sauce lifts the tomato bases with a soft, spicy, spiced tingle that stays on the tongue. Gluten-free and halal variations provide useful dietary options, and the Italian sides and snacks are equally strong. Do not miss the carbonara suppli, which combines a crunchy exterior with a creamy filling in a satisfying crunchy-creamy fusion. The chilled, intimate setting, relaxed atmosphere, and casual dining style complete the experience, supported by friendly waiting staff in Bad Boy football shirts and football-themed uniforms. Craft beer collaborations with local breweries, plus framed family photographs, show the pizza-making journey, history, and story of a cheery, community-driven brand that has kept its community roots and independent spirit even after opening its first pizza shop.
Address: 419 Bethnal Green Road, E2 0AN
Website: badboypizzasoc.com
