Arguing about pizza is New York's true civic religion. This list covers the full spectrum — century-old coal ovens, Neapolitan perfectionists, and the slice shops redefining the form. Every spot here has been vetted the only way that matters: repeatedly, in person.
01$$Pizza
Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Mark Iacono's candlelit Carroll Gardens institution turns out thin, blistered pies that many consider the best in the city. Cash only, BYOB, and the line starts before the doors open. Expect a wait on weekends — put your name in, grab a drink nearby, and let them text you.
Quick InfoMap575 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
02$Pizza
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
The burrata slice that launched a thousand Instagram posts. L'industrie's crisp, floppy-in-the-right-way slices have made it the standard-bearer for the new wave of NYC slice shops. There's now a West Village sibling, but the South 2nd Street original is still the one.
Quick InfoMap254 S 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
03$$$Pizza
Lower East Side, Manhattan
Anthony Mangieri's naturally leavened Neapolitan pies are a study in restraint — a short menu, perfect char, and dough that's been refined over three decades of obsession. Book ahead — the room seats barely fifty and sells out most nights.
Quick InfoMap175 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002
04$Pizza
Lower East Side, Manhattan
Scarr Pimentel mills his own flour in the basement, and you can taste it. A retro-styled slice joint with a natural-wine list and a permanent crowd. Go classic with a plain slice, and don't skip the caesar salad.
Quick InfoMap35 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002
05$$Pizza
Greenwich Village, Manhattan
Coal-fired, whole-pies-only since 1929. The carved-up wooden booths and no-slices rule are part of the charm — this is old-school Village pizza done right. Cash only, no reservations, and worth every minute of the line down Bleecker.
Quick InfoMap278 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014
06$Pizza
Greenwich Village, Manhattan
The archetypal New York slice. Joe's has been serving the plain-slice ideal — thin, foldable, perfectly balanced — from its Carmine Street corner since 1975. Open late, it remains the city's definitive after-midnight slice.
Quick InfoMap7 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014
07$$Pizza
Midwood, Brooklyn
Dom DeMarco's legacy lives on in Midwood, where every pie still gets the trademark scissored basil and olive-oil finish. A pilgrimage, and worth it. Order a square and a round and settle the great Brooklyn debate yourself.
Quick InfoMap1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn, NY 11230
08$Pizza
Nolita, Manhattan
Home of the pepperoni square — crispy-edged Sicilian slices cupped with spicy pepperoni and a line down Prince Street at all hours. Expect a line at lunch; the spicy squares go fast.
Quick InfoMap27 Prince St, New York, NY 10012
09$$Pizza
Bushwick, Brooklyn
The Bushwick wood-fired pioneer that made 'Bee Sting' a household name. Still a scene, still delicious, still worth the trip out on the L. The back bar and garden make it easy to turn a pizza stop into a whole night.
Quick InfoMap261 Moore St, Brooklyn, NY 11206
10$$Pizza
DUMBO, Brooklyn
Patsy Grimaldi's return to the coal-oven under the Brooklyn Bridge. Classic Margherita pies in a room full of tourists and locals who know the difference. Come right at opening or expect a wait — the line forms before the doors do.
Quick InfoMap19 Old Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
11$$Pizza
Coney Island, Brooklyn
Coney Island's coal-fired treasure, family-run since 1924. Nothing about the room or the pie has changed in decades, which is exactly the point. Hours are limited and it closes early, so plan the pilgrimage carefully.
Quick InfoMap1524 Neptune Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224