You don’t have to travel to Italy for a good pizza. In cities like Paris, Berlin, Prague, or London, you can enjoy excellent pizzas with quality dough, fresh toppings, and great respect for the Neapolitan tradition. Here are some of the tastiest pizzas in major European cities, along with a few fun facts about pizzas that made history.
Italian immigrants brought pizza to other parts of the world, where it developed countless variations, toppings, and adaptations.
In some versions, the dough became thicker, sometimes even spongy. Various toppings were added from seafood to different types of sausages to tropical fruits.
Even if not all these upgrades are to your taste, you can always find at least one decent pizza wherever you travel.
But why settle for decent if you can have excellent?
Here are some of the best pizzas in major European cities, all paying homage to the Italian original. Italy itself is not included, as it is well known that good pizza can be found almost everywhere there.
London: 50 Kalò
In 2018, chef Ciro Salvo, a third-generation pizza maker from Naples, opened his restaurant near Trafalgar Square in central London and quickly gained worldwide recognition.
His Margherita pizza was selected as one of the best in Europe.
Salvo credits the secret to high-quality olive oil from southern Italy, organic San Marzano tomatoes, and carefully chosen fresh seasonal toppings.
Address: Northumberland Ave 7, Westminster, London. Website
Berlin: Gazzo
The unique flavor of the pizzas here comes from the dough made with organic flour and naturally cultivated sourdough.
This pizzeria follows a green philosophy, using only organic, local, and seasonal products.
The menu includes nine types of pizza, including vegan options, snacks, white and red wines, and beers.
Address: Hobrechtstrasse 57, Berlin. Website
Paris: Bijou
“This is a restaurant for you, a lab for our chef,” says Bijou, a chef-led pizzeria specializing in contemporary pizza.
The toppings are seasonal and fresh, combined with Italian ingredients. There is no fixed menu; pizzas change frequently based on the season, the chef’s mood, and market freshness.
On sunny days, the terrace overlooking Montmartre is perfect for enjoying pizzas with surprising toppings, like whole shrimp, spinach, and edible flowers.
Address: rue Dancourt 10, Paris. Website
Amsterdam: nNea Pizza
“This pizza is not fast food,” declares this young Amsterdam pizzeria, opened in 2019. The dough rests for 50 hours before being rolled and topped.
The restaurant honors Neapolitan tradition while experimenting with modern interpretations.
The menu includes three appetizers and thirteen pizzas, some with meat, others vegetarian or vegan.
Address: Bilderdijkstraat 92, Amsterdam. Website
Copenhagen: Pizzeria Luca
Copenhagen might be the last place you expected to find authentic Italian pizza straight from a brick oven.
Opened in March 2019, the restaurant follows the Neapolitan tradition, allowing dough to rise for 72 hours before baking.
They offer classic pizzas, white pizzas without tomato sauce, antipasti, and pastas.
Address: Gammel Strand 42, Copenhagen. Website
Prague: Pizza Nuova
Another taste from Naples, now in the Czech capital.
This pizzeria emphasizes southern Italian tradition, using authentic ingredients such as San Marzano tomatoes and olive oil imported from Naples.
The dough is fluffy, slightly charred at the edges, and thin in the center.
The menu features over ten types of pizza, with a tasting option including different antipasti and pizza samples brought to the table by the staff.
Address: Revoluční 1, Prague. Website
Five Fun Facts About PizzaThe first pizzeria in the United States opened in 1905 in Manhattan’s Little Italy.
The owner, Italian immigrant Gennaro Lombardi, named it after himself Lombardi’s.
Despite numerous culinary changes over the years, Lombardi’s still operates at its original location, serving only four types of pizza: Margherita, Bianca, Prosciutto, and Clams.
The first online pizza order took place in 1974 from a computer lab at Michigan State University. As part of experiments on “talking computers,” researchers ordered a pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms from a local pizzeria.
The most expensive pizza delivery in history happened in 2001 when Pizza Hut sent a salami-topped pizza to the International Space Station. Pizza Hut paid over one million dollars for the privilege but gained priceless publicity: the smile of an astronaut enjoying pizza in space.
In 2014, a celebrity secretly ordered pizza to the Oscars ceremony while it was broadcast live to millions worldwide.
In 2017, the president of Iceland jokingly criticized pineapple pizza during a school visit, saying he would ban it if he could, sparking online reactions.
