4 US Pizzerias Crack the World’s Top 10 in 50 Top Pizza 2026

Rankings

America Lands Four Pizzerias in the World’s Top 10 — and Loses the Crown

A London van-turned-pizzeria took No. 1 on the 2026 50 Top Pizza World list, while the US posted its best showing yet.

Naples, Italy — The world’s best pizzeria is now in London. Napoli on the Road, run by Michele Pascarella, jumped from fifth to first on the 2026 edition of the 50 Top Pizza World ranking, announced at Teatro Mercadante in Naples this month.

That knocked New York’s Una Pizza Napoletana down to No. 2. But here’s the twist: American pizza actually had its strongest year on the list. Four US spots cracked the top 10, and 22 made the top 100.

The New World Top 10

Napoli on the Road has a great origin story. Pascarella started out serving wood-fired pies from a three-wheeled Piaggio Ape van after moving to the UK from Italy. Now he runs the top-rated pizzeria on the planet. (Meanwhile, I still set off the smoke alarm in a full-size kitchen.)

Una Pizza Napoletana shared the No. 1 spot in 2025, so second place counts as a small slide. Confine in Milan came third, and two Italian pizzerias tied for fourth. Then the Americans showed up:

• No. 2: Una Pizza Napoletana, New York
• No. 5 (tie): Pizzeria Sei, Los Angeles — up from No. 9 last year
• No. 5 (tie): Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, San Francisco — up from No. 10
• No. 10: Razza, Jersey City — a huge leap from No. 69

For context, only Italy placed more pizzerias in the top 100, with 31. Brazil had six, and New York led every city in the world with seven. The list spans 36 countries.

Every US Pizzeria on the 2026 List

Back in May, we covered Una Pizza Napoletana topping the 50 Top Pizza USA rankings. The world list pulls the top US finishers onto the global stage. Here’s where all 22 landed:

Miami quietly had a big year too, with five entries. That’s more than any US city except New York.

US Special Award Winners

The ceremony also handed out 13 special awards, and four went to American pizzerias:

• One to Watch: Stretch Pizza, New York
• Pizza Maker Mentor: Giulio Adriani of Slice & Pie, Washington, DC
• Best Cocktail List: Audace, New York
• Best Pasta Proposal: Pasquale’s, South Kingstown, RI

50 Top Pizza says its inspectors visit anonymously and judge the pizza alongside service, setting, wait times and drinks. So these rankings reward the whole experience, not just the crust.

What Home Cooks Can Steal From the Winners

You won’t recreate a wood-fired Naples bake in a home oven. But these pizzerias still hand us some genuinely useful lessons.

Una Pizza Napoletana: patience over the fridge

Anthony Mangieri forms every dough ball himself, and he told Pizza Today that his naturally leavened dough never sees a refrigerator. As he put it, “All the core pillars that I started with 30 years ago are still there.”

That runs against the popular home advice to cold-ferment your dough for days. Both methods work. Mangieri just relies on a sourdough culture and a long room-temperature rise instead. If you want to try his approach, start with our guide to making sourdough pizza at home — and keep an eye on the clock, because over-proofed dough happens fast on the counter.

Pizzeria Sei: Tokyo-style Neapolitan

William Joo’s Los Angeles pizzeria only opened in 2022, and it specializes in Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza. Think tender, puffy crust and restrained, perfectly placed toppings. It’s a reminder that a great margherita beats an overloaded pie every time.

Razza: home ovens count too

Dan Richer of Razza wrote “The Joy of Pizza,” which covers baking in both commercial and home ovens. His jump from No. 69 to No. 10 is proof that obsessing over dough pays off. For your own kitchen, nail the right oven settings and dodge the classic Neapolitan mistakes before you even think about buying a wood-fired oven for the backyard.

The Bottom Line

The US lost the top spot but gained ground everywhere else. Four top-10 finishes, 22 total entries and four special awards make 2026 America’s best showing on the list.

And the biggest lesson for home cooks costs nothing: the world’s No. 2 pizzeria wins with patience, simple ingredients and dough that someone actually pays attention to. We can all do that — no Piaggio van required.