21 Best Restaurants in New York City, New York

The specialties at this beloved Brooklyn pizzeria and Italian-ish eatery, named for its proprietor and situated on a charming block, range from Detroit-style grandma pies (think square instead of round, thick instead of thin) to wood-fired pizzas with ingredients like clams, anchovies, and Calabrian chiles. One item that might convince you to forego pizza, though, is the signature burger, an American cheese and caramelized onion–topped beef patty on a pretzel bun.

If you worship at the altar of Neapolitan pizza---thin-crust pies baked quickly in blistering brick ovens---Lucali is a worthy pilgrimage. Ordering is simple: there's one large pie and a choice of toppings from beef pepperoni to vegetables like grilled artichokes; and calzones in two sizes, which come with a side of marinara sauce. Pizzaiolo Mark Iacono opened his cozy restaurant in a former candy shop to insure his beloved neighborhood haunt wouldn’t turn over to a chain. Lucali quickly established itself as a top-ranked pizzeria. Arrive early and plan to explore Carroll Gardens. They'll call your phone when a spot is ready, which could be hours later.

One of the best pizza joints on the Upper West Side offers both traditional pie-shape slices and thicker square slices known as Sicilian style. There's often a long wait, whether you're there for takeout or for one of the few tables, so order online to save time.

Roberta's completely transformed this industrial district in 2007 with its destination wood-fired pizzas topped with hyperlocal ingredients—many herbs come from their garden on-site, a former garage and yard. Their acclaimed pies with innovative combinations and signature crusts have wowed pizza connoisseurs so successfully, Roberta's has expanded well beyond this groundbreaking original location, with a frozen pizza line and outposts as far as Singapore. Here, where it all began, there are also pastas and mains, served in a room that extends to a patio and tiki bar. 

Few guidebooks list this classic New York pizzeria, yet the jam-packed room and pleasantly smoky scent foreshadow a satisfying meal. There's a full menu of Italian classics, but pizza is the main event, and the thin-crust beauties are cooked in a coal-fired oven, to emerge sizzling with simple toppings like pepperoni, sausage, and eggplant. Monday through Thursday, you can call ahead to reserve a table; weekends, be prepared to wait and salivate. If you like the whimsical paintings that plaster the walls, ask the waiter the price: they're for sale.

You might recognize this Village institution from its frequent cameos in TV and film (in Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker was a Joe's delivery boy). But it's the classic, gooey, New York slice, dripping melted cheese onto paper plates, that really makes the place famous. And in a city brimming with by-the-slice spots, the crispy-bottomed offerings here are the best.

This authentic pizza joint has been serving arguably the best coal-fired pies on the block, ever since Patsy Grimaldi severed ties with the Grimaldi's location nearby. Juliana's—named in honor of Patsy's mother—has reigned as the Dumbo destination pizza place, and it's a local favorite for homemade soups, as well as their classic white and margherita pizzas. However, don't expect to stop in for a quick slice; it's personal to large pies only.

At the back of this long, narrow restaurant is a beautifully tiled, wood-fired oven that is used to cook (at 1,000º F) what might be Manhattan's most authentic Neapolitan pies. Blistered and chewy around the edges, the margherita pie gives way to a softer center pooled with San Marzano tomato sauce and house-made mozzarella. There are numerous pizza options, including white pies and gluten-free crusts. This is a definite contender for best pizza in New York. The dining room is casual, and the location means it's almost always busy.

Brick walls, red-and-white-checked tablecloths, and the aroma of delicious thin-crust pies emerging from the coal oven set the mood for dining on some of the best pizza in Manhattan, and Lombardi's has been serving it up since 1905 (though not in the same location). The mozzarella is always fresh, resulting in a nearly greaseless slice, and the toppings, such as meatballs, pancetta, or imported anchovies, are also top quality.

A hip, cozy place for pizza and small plates, all exposed brick and reclaimed wood, Milkflower certainly owes its popularity to Brooklyn mainstays like Roberta’s. Only here, you can actually get a table without a long wait, and what’s on offer is just as good, if not better. Neapolitan, 12-inch pies with charred crusts have playful names like “Chardie Sheen” and “Wu-Tang Clam,” and wood-fired veggies or tiger prawns are ideal accompaniments.

One of an increasing number of artisanal pizza shops, Philomena's serves both squares and slices, Neapolitan- and New York–style. You can depend upon expert ingredients, thinly sliced and thickly layered. The squares are chewy and bouncy while the crust on those slices is crisp and nearly caramelized, but your best bet might be the 18-inch classic round pies, which provide more than enough crunchy, tomato-y gooeyness for a satisfying meal.

Follow the line of people that often wends down the block to find this tiny counter-serve spot that serves some of the best pizza in downtown NY. Grandma slices (the square ones) are the thing to order here, and the pizza with 'roni cups (those little rounds of pepperoni) is what made this place IG-famous, but our favorite is the square margherita slice, which really showcases that delicious homemade tomato sauce.

From the outside—and even on the inside—Scarr's looks like an old-fashioned slice joint, with fresh pies cooling in the display cases, a few counter stools, and booths with that uncomfortable, pre-formed formica seating. What sets this place firmly in the present is the high-end quality of the pizza, which incorporates locally sourced tomatoes and dough made with flour milled on-site, as well as the all-natural wine list, the upscale slushy cocktails, and the trendy patrons.

At a time when some pizzerias in the city are charging more than $25 for Neapolitan-style margherita pizza, Simò is a welcome bite of pizza dough. Most pies hover around the $12 mark, and here affordable does not mean bad quality. Simò's offerings, especially the margherita and the cacio e pepe pie, are excellent. In addition, there's wine and prosecco by the glass, also priced below $12. So stop in after a walk on the High Line and mangia, mangia! There's now a second location near Union Square on University Place and East 11th Street. 

Thin-crust pies judiciously topped with fresh mozzarella and tangy, homemade tomato sauce, then baked in a coal oven—at Totonno's you're not just eating pizza, you're biting into a slice of New York history. Anthony (Totonno) Pero first opened the pizzeria almost a century ago in 1924, right after the subways started running to Coney Island—and the restaurant is at the same location and run by the same family, using ingredients and techniques handed down through four generations. While many people may reminisce of its old-school casual dining room that's endured over the decades, Totonno's has recently switched to take-out and delivery service only, but that doesn't stop die hard fans from parking nearby to hang out and eat from pizza boxes on the top of their cars.