If you’re a New Yorker, there is at least one thing that you think you are absolutely sure of: where to find the “best” pizza. To put it simply, enjoying the perfect pizza pie is like having a religious experience. Surprisingly to outsiders, finding the perfect pie in this city can prove to be challenging because every pizzeria in New York thinks that they make the best pizza. Their customers are so committed that they will swear by their favorite pies to the very end. It becomes a very real ride or die situation. We’re going to go as far as to say that it is impossible to name who makes the best pizza in Manhattan. What we can offer is an alternative: since all New York pizza is great pizza, why not try a pie based on the place? Here are three funky and fun pizzeria hot spots, where New Yorkers come for not just the pizza, but for the pizzeria’s innovativeness and ambiance.
Hidden on the Bowery is one of the coolest speakeasy’s ever. Why? Because it’s a glorified pizzeria. SRO Pizza is a single room pizza restaurant, recently opened in January by pizzaiolo Giulio Adriana. Enter through the “hidden” door in Espoleta, and enjoy a prix fixe menu with nightly specials in a small and intimate setting. Check out their website to make a reservation or send them an email to receive the password that will allow you to do walk-in dining.
In the midst of Manhattan lies a Pizza Beach— we kid you not. This Malibu beach themed pizzeria brings all of your favorite elements of the sand and sun to both the setting and pizza pies. While they serve a delicious New York style pizza, most opt for their pies that reflect the health-conscious Cali lifestyle, like the purple kale & butternut squash pie. Since it doesn’t look like it’s getting warm anytime soon in NYC, this is more than the perfect getaway destination for a few hours.
Hunting around NYC for the “best” pizza is THE most exhausting and difficult challenge you will ever face. Lucky for you, Margot Pizza makes this challenge even more difficult. This pop-up pizza shop is open on Saturdays, but not every Saturday. At its leisure, it pops up at Emily in Clinton Hill on the occasional Saturday for lunch. The rat race that ensues while figuring out when it is open, and while securing your spot on line or for the tickets that guarantee a taste of it all (tickets are released a week in advance of a pop-up, sometimes) makes their pizza that much more delicious. Like they say, no pain, no gain. If you’re lucky enough to find it and eat it, we promise, it will be the most gratifying slice of pie you’ve ever had in NYC.