The noble New York slice. Though countless cities try to lay claim to the best pie in the country, New York has always held a special place in the pantheon of pies (we’re looking at you, Chicago). Known for its supremely thin, crisp crusts and giant slices, a perfectly baked pie has long been the go-to foodstuff of the City That Never Sleeps. So with that in mind, here are 10 of our absolute favorite pizzas to be found in the Big Apple.
1. Rubirosa
235 Mulberry St., New York, NY 10012
As far as a classic NYC slice goes, this comes as close to the famous 4 a.m. $1 slice as you can get. Beautifully thin with a bright, punchy tomato sauce and bubbling brown rounds of mozzarella, it’s heaven on a plate.
2. Totonno’s
1524 Neptune Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11224
For 91 years, this Coney Island spot has been serving up some of the best pizza on the eastern seaboard. Lightly sauced with blistered pools of mozzarella amply spread across it, this pie is well worth the wait in the inevitable line that snakes its way out the front door.
3. Joe’s Greenwich Village
7 Carmine St., New York, NY 10014
Opened by Pino “Joe” Pizzuoli in 1975, this local establishment has been serving unfussy slices to adoring fans since day 1. A cracker-thin, crispy crust just barely holds up under a mountain of molten cheese and oversized rounds of pepperoni.
4. Keste
271 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10014
Not only is owner Robert Caporuscio a member of the Italian pizza watchdog known as the Neapolitan Pizza Association, he’s the organization’s American president. This means that his pies are made with only the finest Italian cheese, tomatoes and flour, all perfectly combined and baked for mere seconds in a blistering 1,000-degree wood-fired oven.
5. Lombardi’s
32 Spring St., New York, NY 10012
Established in 1905, Lombardi’s long (and contentious) claim to fame is not only being the first pizza spot in NYC but in all of America. Keeping it real in Little Italy, this spot is straight out of a movie with its celebrity photographs adorning the walls and checkerboard cloths draped over the tables.
6. Paulie Gee’s
60 Greenpoint Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222
Paul Gianonne is so particular about the quality of his pies that this spot stopped doing takeout for fear that the brief time the pizza spent in the box would affect the texture of the carefully crafted crust. Though the vegan pie may make some traditionalists cringe, there are plenty of classic options to keep everyone happy.
7. John’s of Bleecker Street
278 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10014
One of the more iconic pizza joints in a city known for iconic pizza joints, John’s of Bleecker Street has been a veritable institution since 1929. Unique for offering only table service for whole-pie orders (no slices sitting under heat lamps here), this spot is as famous for its fresh-out-of-the-oven creations as it is for its lines.
8. Di Fara
1424 Ave. J, Brooklyn, NY 11230
Churning out its famously crispy (some might adoringly say burnt) slices since 1964, Di Fara is absolutely notorious for its nearly comical wait times (what’s two hours for an excellent pie?).
9. Joe & Pat’s
1758 Victory Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10314
Over 50 years in business on Staten Island, you learn a thing or two about making a quality pie. Known for its perfectly charred, thin crust, Joe & Pat’s challenges you to find a spot with a more delightfully stretchy, chewy cheese topping it.
10. Patsy’s Pizza
2287 First Ave., New York, NY 10035
When you’ve served up slices to the likes of Joe DiMaggio and Frank Sinatra over the years, you can rest assured that you’ve got a quality pie recipe. We’d be remiss if we didn’t recommend the signature white pie with heaps of arugula and mozzarella on the chewy, yeasty crust.