I've Eaten Thousands Of New York City Slices—These Are The Nine Pizza Places Every Tourist Should Try
A few activities are essential to any trip to New York City: visiting skyscrapers, walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, and eating a slice of pizza. New York pizza is one of the most renowned styles in the country, and even the world, and it's defined the city's cuisine for over a century.
But that does not mean that every slice in New York deserves the hype. You need a lot more than just the city's tap water to make a high-quality pie. Don't let the wood paneled walls, long lines, and framed celebrity headshots fool you—many popular pizza spots that are frequented by tourists are just okay.
But if you have limited time to spend in the city and want to eat the best of the best, we've rounded up nine of the most beloved slice spots in the city that are worth a visit. We're featuring a combination of old-school institutions and new wave pizza places scattered throughout the city. No matter what kind of New York City experience you're looking for, you can't go wrong with these pizza places.
L'Industrie
At any given time, there's a trendy pizza spot that's dominating New York City pizza discourse. And right now the slice shop on everybody's lips is L'Industrie. Since first opening in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in 2017, the pizza shop has exploded in popularity and recently expanded into Manhattan.
You'll likely have to brave a long line, but we promise it's worth the wait. And if you're lucky enough to stop by on a Wednesday afternoon, you should absolutely take advantage of their weekly sandwich specials.
Bleecker Street Pizza
In a neighborhood saturated with touristy pizza spots, the West Village's Bleecker Street Pizza is one of the best spots for a standard slice. They've been slinging pizza for two decades and they serve hot, crispy, and flavorful slices and normally don't have a ridiculously long line.
There are a lot of available toppings and flavor combinations at Bleecker Street, but this is the kind of place where you want to enjoy a plain cheese slice—it's a classic New York-style pizza in its purest, most perfect form.
Upside
The pies served Upside were developed in tandem with renowned international pizza consultant Anthony Falco. The chain is a relative newcomer to the pizza scene, but they stand apart from the pack thanks to their nuanced and flavorful sourdough crust. They're also still growing, but you can visit locations in several different corners of the city
We haven't once had a bad slice at Upside, but the white slice with mushrooms and white wine lemon cream sauce is a particular standout.
Paulie Gee's Slice Shop
The pizza at Paulie Gee's in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, is among the borough's most popular slices for a reason. The interior honors the style of old school spots with wood paneled walls and traditional letter board menus—but the pizza you'll get isn't your average slice.
You can find hot honey, caramelized onions, and plenty of vegan options here. Their hallmark, however, is their Sicilian slice (the bottom is coated in toasty sesame seeds).
Di Fara
If you ask any New Yorker to list the best pizza places in the city, we guarantee that Di Fara will be on almost everybody's list. People travel to Midwood, Brooklyn from every corner of the New York to wait in hours-long lines.
The founder, Dom De Marco, hand-tossed every single pie until his death in 2022. Now, his children are continuing his legacy at the original location as well as a second spot in the Financial District.
Mama's Too
Mama's Too is a tiny spot in the Upper West Side, which means it's the ideal destination when you're walking around Central Park. They're best known for their square slices, particularly the pepperoni with deep brown and cheesy edges. But cheese lovers shouldn't sleep on the cacio e pepe—it features four different types of cheese and a healthy dusting of black pepper.
Fini
Fini is a pizza concept created by the team behind TikTok-viral Italian restaurant Lilia, and their commitment to high quality ingredients comes through in every slice. Expect to find unique topping combinations, like long hot peppers and shallots or fontina and lemon.
Our favorite part about a trip to Fini, however, is the dessert selection. They offer a variety of gelato and Italian ice that lean on seasonal flavors to perfectly round out your meal.
Luigi's
If you want a cozy, classic New York City pizza experience, you need to head to Luigi's. The family business has been open in Park Slope for over 50 years and was even featured in the 1999 film Big Daddy. Every pie is a labor of love, but we especially love their Sicilian slices with crispy edges and perfectly seasoned tomato sauce.
Patsy's
Patsy's Pizzeria is in a league of its own. The coal-oven pizza place first opened in Harlem in 1933 and has since expanded to 12 different locations throughout the city. Most of them are meant for a sit-down dinner, but the OG slice shop on 1st Avenue is the best place to go if you want a traditional New York pizza experience.
The coal oven adds a signature char to the super thin crust, and the sauce veers slightly sweet in the best way possible. It's a historic pizza in a historic space that's absolutely worth a visit.
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