Top 9 Manhattan Pizza Spots: Local Favorites and Hidden Gems for NYC's Best Slices

What one thing does everyone want when they are planning a trip to New York City? Pizza, of course. Why? Because the city has been known for having the best pizza in the world for over a century, and that remains the case today. Sure, there are good pizzas available across the country, but New York has hundreds of pizza places that are better than the one you frequent back home.

Here are a few of our favorite pizza shops in Manhattan. Keep in mind, we’re not talking about Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, or Staten Island here, each of where has its own superb pizza restaurants that they rave about.

Mangia!

Rubirosa $$

Since 1960, Rubirosa has been serving up pies that are to die for. With an old-time vibe including wood-paneled walls and just what you would expect, red checkered tablecloths, the restaurant serves pasta, panini, apps, and desserts, but it’s the pizza that we’re here to talk about. And that is the primary reason that people have been coming here for such a long time.

They only sell whole pies that are 14 inches (serves 1-2) or 18 inches) serves 2-4), so if you are seeking a slice, seek somewhere else. When it comes to toppings, if you are creating your own masterpiece, you can order half and half to satisfy everyone.

The most memorable pizza here is undoubtedly “The TYE DYE Pizza” which features vodka, tomato, pesto, and fresh mozzarella. It is widely known that Rubirosa’s tomato sauce is second to none, so asking for a little extra isn’t a bad idea.

Other top sellers include the Classic, a New York style cheese pizza that Rubirosa has been making the same way since the beginning, and the Sausage and Broccoli Rabe.

Wash it all down with something red, white, or bubbly, and you have the makings of a great meal.

235 Mulberry St. (Spring St.-Prince St.), NoLita

Brunetti’s $$-$$$

This West Village standout began in 2009 in Westhampton on Long Island with the father-son duo Jason and Michael Brunetti. It was sold in 2023 and is now part of a hospitality group that offers many different types of cuisine. So, for all intents and purposes, it is not a “typical” NYC pizzeria. However, Benetti’s turns out very good, what you might call, “refined” pizza, in comfortable surroundings. The menu is extensive and creative, and the West Village location is an excellent choice for a meal alone at the bar where you can watch sports on TV, as a couple, or for the entire family.

As if having a pizza might not fill you up, Brunetti’s offers appetizers from mozzarella sticks to garlic bread, spinach and artichoke dip to chicken wings. There are also salads and the obligatory chicken or eggplant parm, and fettucine Bolognese, but we’re here for pizza, right?

Brunetti’s pizzas come in one medium size that cuts up into six slices. There’s the basic New York with a thin crust, mozzarella and tomato sauce; the Spezie topped with broccoli rabe, spicy sausage, burrata, jalapenos, Calabrian chili, parmesan and chives; and the Meatball, with yes, house made meatballs, San Marzano tomato sauce, ricotta, basil, and parmigiano.

Whether you choose one of these or another from more than a dozen options, you are going to be pleased with your pick. And a big plus at Brunetti’s is their lengthy list of curated wines, both by the glass and bottle. Bottled and canned beer is also available.

626 Hudson St. (NE corner of Jane St.), West Village

New York Pizza Suprema $

Old-school slices just a half-block from Madison Square Garden. I can’t think of a better way to grab a bite before a Knicks or Rangers game, or a concert than at New York Pizza Suprema. While this neighborhood joint is nothing fancy, you will know from the pre-game line out the door that the pizza here is something special. Order at the counter on your way in, and you will be devouring amazing Neapolitan or Sicilian slices in a matter of minutes.

If you are wondering what a New York ‘slice of cheese’ is all about, this is the place to find out. Since 1964, Italian immigrant and founder Sal Riggio’s easily foldable slice that oozes cheese and drips oil is hard to beat. Now run by the family’s next generation, it is still considered the best slice in Manhattan, if not all of New York City.

Of course, Pizza Suprema offers all kind of toppings for those who want to be creative, as well as their famous upside-down slice. There are several pies that are vegetarian and vegan-friendly, too.

413 Eighth Ave., (30th-31st St.), Midtown

John’s of Bleecker Street $$

A New York institution that has become a favorite of tourists, John’s first opened their doors in 1929 with Naples, Italy native John Sasso, running the show. Considered by many to be one of the best places in Manhattan for real New York pizza, they do have some rules that you should know about in advance.

No, they do not accept reservations. You can expect to wait in line for a table, especially during weekends and evenings. But that’s also part of the charm of the place, and something that at least tourists don’t seem to mind. You’re in The Village, in New York City, on vacation, so who really cares? You want pizza, there’s no hurry, so you’ll get in when you get in.

Describing John’s as very casual is a major understatement. Come as you are, no matter what that look may be. And if you’re super-casual and even a bit grungy, you will match the décor. Names and other notations have been carved into booths, tables, and even some walls over the last century. The eclectic atmosphere includes an endless array of celebrity photos and avant-garde pictures.

John’s Pizzeria, as it is known locally, offers appetizers, calzone, pasta, and a few sandwiches, but pizza is really what they are all about. The “John’s Original Pizza” is just that, with tomato sauce and slightly browned mozzarella served from a coal-fired brick oven that reaches temperatures up to 850 degrees. Add additional toppings as you wish.

The Jimmy Gambino Pizza adds sausage, ricotta, green peppers, and basil. Also, a big seller is the Piccante Pizza: tomato sauce, mozzarella, spicy cherry peppers, pepperoni, and garlic.

No matter what you choose, you won’t leave hungry.

278 Bleecker St. (7th Ave.-Morton St.), Greenwich Village

Lombardi’s $$

With its undisputed claim as “America’s First Pizzeria”, Lombardi’s has made their pizzas the old-fashioned way since 1905. Originally and still today located in Little Italy, the pizzeria’s founder Gennaro Lombardi utilized his baking skills learned in Naples, Italy to set up shop in New York.

Lombardi’s coal oven baked pizza comes topped with purist tomato sauce, the freshest whole milk mozzarella, and basil. The pizza menu is creative here with regulars enjoying Lombardi’s white pizza (no tomato sauce), pesto pizza (pesto instead of tomato sauce), clam pizza which comes with freshly shucked clams (guests are advised that this pizza may include shells and sand!), and the eggplant and ricotta red sauce pie.

Pies come in one size only, like personal pan pizzas. While two guests can share a pizza, you will both probably go home wishing you’d had a bit more to eat.

Like similar pizza places in New York, the restaurant also offers a few salads or Grandma Grace’s Meatballs for an appetizer, a few pasta and chicken dishes, as well as house made calzone.

An atmosphere decorated with red and white tablecloths, red walls, period lamps over each table, and plenty of “so and so ate here” photos of celebrities you will surely recognize, makes for a fun dining experience.

32 Spring St. (Mott-Mulberry), Little Italy

Artistic Pizza $-$$

New York City pizza typically means sausage, pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, amid dozens of other optional toppings ranging from meatballs to salami. But what if you follow a vegan diet and still want a good pizza while visiting the big city? Fear not discerning visitor, you are still covered in this city that offers everything imaginable. Pizza for vegans? No problem.

Just over one block from Washington Square Park in the heart of Greenwich Village you will find Artistic Pizza, home to fabulous pizza made especially for vegans and those following a gluten-free diet. This pizza place clearly caters to the younger college crowd with NYU’s campus just up the street along with numerous residence halls closer still. This probably explains why the earliest they close is 2 a.m., and they stay open to 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. on weekends.

Popular Artistic Pizza classics include The Vegan Classic, The Vegan Chicken, ZEROgluten Vegan, their version of a White, Buffalo Chicken, Vegan Sausage, and BBQ Chicken pizzas.

New York embraces all visitors and this clearly includes vegan and vegetarian eaters.

123 W. 3rd St. (MacDougal St.-6th Ave.), Greenwich Village

Pasquale Jones $$-$$$

A full-fledged upscale restaurant service upscale pastas and wood-fired meats rather than a “pizza place”, we’re including Pasquale Jones in this article primarily because their Little Neck Clam Pizza can not be ignored. If you have yet to try seafood on pizza (no, shrimp doesn’t count), this is the place to do it. Of course, it helps if you already have an acquired taste for clams, but plenty of people who are maybe new to clams (hello, visitors from Iowa and Indiana), love this pizza, nonetheless.

Certainly, there will be traditional pizza lovers who prefer Pasquale’s Salsiccia (sausage, brussels sprouts, pecorini) or Margherita pizzas, but as they say, “don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it”. And since Pasquale Jones has what is considered by many to be the best clam pizza anywhere, this is the place to give it a try.

187 Mulberry St. (Broome St.-Kenmare St.), Little Italy

L’Industrie Pizzeria $$

Established in Williamsburgh, Brooklyn in 2017, the Manhattan location of this superb pizzeria opened in the fall of 2023. If you are trying to decide between coming here or eating at John’s Pizzeria of Bleecker St. since the two shops are just two blocks apart, keep in mind that these are totally different types of experiences. L’Industrie is for people on the go who are seeking a quick slice to devour at one of just a few inside tables, or to take with them to a nearby park, back to work, or home.

This is not to say that L’Industrie isn’t worth visiting, as the pizza here has been described as “a life changing experience”. The line, which is well managed, often stretches out the door here, which tells us that the hype about the pizza was very accurate. There is nothing fancy about L’Industrie, but the pizza is SO good, that no matter where you eat it, it will be a memorable meal. Owner Massimo Laveglia, who is from Tuscany, has created one of the best slice shops in Manhattan with his second store.

Slices are served on what can only be described as paper plates that hold up well with a couple of slices onboard. But that’s what New York pizza used to be, and apparently still is all about. The crust is wonderful, light and crisp and comes with plentiful toppings. Everything tastes freshly made, and the tomato sauce complements the rest of the slice perfectly, no matter what kind you’ve chosen. (Hint: L’Industrie’s signature slice is a classic New York version with a couple of basil leaves and two dollops of burrata.) But there’s also the Margarita burrata which has people talking.

Available slices vary but typically include the New Yorker (tomato sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, sausage & pepperoni), Tartufo (mozzarella, braised cremini mushrooms, ricotta & truffle oil), L’Industrie (prosciutto de Parma & burrata), and several others.

104 Christopher St., (Bleecker-Bedford), West Village

Prince Street Pizza $$

If the lines down the block don’t convince you, your first taste of Prince Street Pizza’s Sicilian pies will win you over instantly.

For those of you who are not familiar with the difference between a regular pizza and a Sicilian one, allow us be of service. A Sicilian pie is baked in a rectangular deep-dish pan, but not as deep and crusty like a Chicago-style pie. It is still made the way it was originally in Sicily back in the 1860s, with Italian immigrants bringing it to New York over a century ago. It is often topped with meats or vegetables much like a traditional round pizza, but it’s the crust and sauce that really make the pie.

Old-time New York City pizzerias usually offered regular or Sicilian slices, and many still do. Growing up in NYC, if I could get a corner piece of a Sicilian pie, it would make my day.

Prince Street Pizza offers traditional round (Neapolitan), Sicilian, and what they call SoHo squares. The family owned shop follows the premise, “if you can put it on pasta, then you can put it on pizza”. They have gluten-free crusts and vegan options, so everyone is welcome. With pizzas named The Green Machine (pesto), Mercer Margherita (Grandma Style) Sicilian, Buzzy Broome Vodka, the Naughty Pie, and Broadway Breadcrumb (chopped onions, breadcrumbs, pecorino/romano & proprietary marinara sauce), you can’t go wrong.

Order by the slice or whole pie. Open until 3 a.m.

27 Prince St. (Mott St.-Elizabeth St.), SoHo

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