Ah, pizza – so simple, so versatile. Whether you’re a fan of deep-dish, loyal to the Neapolitan or a lover of crispy New York-style, you probably have one go-to pizza chain – that one pizzeria that you can depend on for the perfect slice across multiple towns and cities. But is your favourite chain one of the greatest in the world? In your opinion, maybe, but now experts have had their say.
The 50 best pizza chains on the planet right now have just been crowned by the 50 Top Pizza Guide. And in good news for all pizza-loving Brits, the UK is home to a bunch of ’em.
The grand winner for 2025 was Italian-born chain Da Michele (full name L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele). The pizzeria, which also claimed first prize in 2024, was founded in Naples way back in 1870 and now has 70 outposts worldwide. It has three branches in the UK – two in London (in Soho and on Baker Street) and one in Manchester. And if you know Da Michele, you’ll know that its signature dish is its ‘wagon wheel’ pizza – a Neapolitan-style pizza so large it droops off the plate.
Several other businesses with pizzerias in the UK did well, too. Big Mamma Group, which owns Barbarella, Gloria, Ave Mario, Jacuzzi, Carlotta and Circolo Popolare in London landed in second place; Pizza Pilgrims, which runs restaurants in Brighton, Cardiff, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Birmingham and more came in sixth place; Berberè, which has four London outposts, came seventh and Rudy’s, which was born in Manchester in 2015, came 23rd.
The curators of the ranking – pizza pros Barbara Guerra, Luciano Pignataro, and Albert Sapere – said: ‘We are very proud of the artisanal chains guide, because over the years we have witnessed a constantly growing movement not only in numbers, but above all in quality. Artisanal craftsmanship combined with solid business organisation has created a true revolution in the pizza world.’
See the full top 50 artisan pizza chains in the world here.
ICYMI: The British restaurant that has been named the second-best place to eat in the world.
Plus: Four British cheeses have been crowned the best in the world.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.