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New Yorkers may want to sit down for this one, perhaps with a consolatory slice. After two consecutive years at the top of the global pizza heap, Una Pizza Napoletana has lost its title as the world’s best pizzeria.
The Lower East Side restaurant landed at No. 2 on the 2026 edition of the 50 Top Pizza world ranking, announced this week at a ceremony in Naples. London’s Napoli on the Road climbed from fifth place last year to seize the crown, meaning the pizza capital of the world is now (at least according to this particular ranking) across the Atlantic.
Michele Pascarella founded Napoli on the Road, starting by serving wood-fired pies from a three-wheeled Ape Piaggio van after moving to the U.K. from Italy. The business now operates three London restaurants in Chiswick, Richmond and Soho. Pascarella has also introduced a pizza tasting menu at the Soho location, giving the humble pie the full fine-dining treatment.
“This award is the culmination of hard work over many years, from starting small in an Ape Piaggio to now running three restaurants across London,” Pascarella said in a statement.
Still, second-best on Earth is hardly a reason for Una Pizza Napoletana to turn off its oven. Anthony Mangieri’s restaurant remains the highest-ranked pizzeria in the United States. Mangieri, a New Jersey native who has spent more than 30 years making pizza, reopened Una Pizza Napoletana in Manhattan in 2018 after a stint in San Francisco. Its naturally leavened, wood-fired pies are known for their airy, blistered crusts and restrained toppings.
New York also remains the ranking’s most represented city, with seven pizzerias in the top 100, more than Naples or São Paulo. Don Antonio took No. 30, while Ribalta tied for No. 35. L’Industrie landed at No. 71, followed by Stretch Pizza at No. 90, Audace at No. 92 and Pizza Secret in a tie at No. 95. (Audace also won the ranking’s award for best cocktail list, while Stretch was named its “One to Watch.”)
Elsewhere near the top, Confine in Milan placed third. I Masanielli by Francesco Martucci in Caserta and Seu Pizza Illuminati in Rome tied for fourth, while Pizzeria Sei in Los Angeles and Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco shared fifth place.
London may have the bragging rights for the year. But with seven NYC restaurants on the list (and Una Pizza Napoletana still outscoring every pizzeria in Naples), we’re not handing over our best pizza-city title quite yet.