Fact: basically everyone loves pizza. Fact: not all pizzas are created equal. And folks can be very opinionated about their pie, from different styles to the seemingly endless topping combinations. So to help sort things out (and surely get some spirited debate going), here are the 15 must-try, gotta-go pizzerias in Toronto. Don't see your favorite? Leave a comment or let us know through the tipline.
When Terroni opened its flagship restaurant in 1992, it was a tiny sliver of Southern Italy with only six pizzas on the menu. Now, it's an empire, boasts two locations in Los Angeles, and has 24 pizzas on the menu, alongside pastas and salads. Expect lots of bustle and friendly service.
Bitondo's couldn't be more of a hole-in-the-wall but that's the whole point. Solid slices, panzerottos, and local characters await in the heart of Little Italy.
This casual and cozy pizzeria is a hit with locals in the west end, so arrive early or prepare to wait. The wood-fired pies range from traditional to playful and come with Neapolitan or thinner Roma-style crust.
Pizzeria Libretto seeks to recreate the Naples pizza experience and it delivers on its promise; thin crust pies wood fired in 90 seconds and using the freshest of ingredients, the hoppin' restaurant has added another upbeat location on the Danforth.
As Neil Young is to Grunge, so is Vesuvio's to Toronto pizza. The Pugliese family opened its doors in 1957 to bring the city New York-style pizza to the very west end. Overshadowed by all of Toronto's recent slickness, Vesuvio's main dining room may come across as outdated but one thing hasn't changed: Their pizza is outstanding.
With two locations, and a third coming to Dundas West, Joanne Kates calls Queen Margherita Pizza “a fine pizzeria in the Neapolitan style.” It’s not as hip as its Ossington and Queen West counterparts but the pizza oven is still from Naples, and they know how to make them right.
At North of Brooklyn, there are only four pizzas from which to choose - margherita, pepperoni, white, and puttanesca - but each one does the trick. Sometimes better as a slice on the run, NoB (soon to have a location at Church and Wellesley) rounds out the menu with tasty garlic knots and will deliver to your door with its bicycle delivery service.
This local pizza joint gained legendary status when a major drug bust threw its owners into chaotic free fall a few years back. Somehow, the rupture only shut the shop down for a couple weeks, after which they quietly returned to pumping out totally solid Sicilian pizza pies and slices that the locals and late-night partiers love.
With six locations that cover the city, Magic Oven offers adventurous - even fantastical - pizza, heavy on options that cater to every type of eater. Non-GMO tomato sauce is the standard here with toppings that run the gamut, from tandori sweet potato to edible gold leaf.
For years, Frank's, on Corso Italia, has been racking up awards for its straight-ahead pizza and an expansive delivery map that makes it accessible to a large swatch of the city. Also highly touted are their calzones, which come baked or fried.
When the hankering is for traditional Roman Pizza, this Midtown pizzeria is the place to be. For lunch, the pizza comes al taglia (square-shaped), delectably squishy, and sold by weight; at dinnertime, the pies arrive thinner and round. Either way, they are not be missed.
This Neapolitan pizza hotspot takes authenticity to a whole new level. Sporting certification from the Associazone Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), and D.O.P. (Denominazione d' Origine Protetta) ingredients, a custom-built wood-fired oven from Naples, and Old World expertise, this is an enjoyably no-nonsense eating experience.
Thanks to the AVPN (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana), uptowners are guaranteed authentic Neapolitan-style pizza close to home. Heavy on tradition, this cozy pizzeria sticks close to a trusting script, with the option of ending every meal on a sweet note with their Nutella pizza. And now, they offer delivery service.
A Southern Italian restaurant in the heart of Chinatown seems like an odd choice but Strada 241 is the perfect haunt to escape the streets and take a pizza break. Dig into one of their eight solid pies and revel in the grand space that is unlike any other in the city.
This 30-location chain literally serves the whole city with quality ingredients and, sometimes, bizarre but successful tangents like their thai pizza. The sheer number of slices may be overwhelming - with vegan and vegetarian options - but even if you make the wrong choice, there's always next time.
When Terroni opened its flagship restaurant in 1992, it was a tiny sliver of Southern Italy with only six pizzas on the menu. Now, it's an empire, boasts two locations in Los Angeles, and has 24 pizzas on the menu, alongside pastas and salads. Expect lots of bustle and friendly service.
Bitondo's couldn't be more of a hole-in-the-wall but that's the whole point. Solid slices, panzerottos, and local characters await in the heart of Little Italy.
This casual and cozy pizzeria is a hit with locals in the west end, so arrive early or prepare to wait. The wood-fired pies range from traditional to playful and come with Neapolitan or thinner Roma-style crust.
Pizzeria Libretto seeks to recreate the Naples pizza experience and it delivers on its promise; thin crust pies wood fired in 90 seconds and using the freshest of ingredients, the hoppin' restaurant has added another upbeat location on the Danforth.
As Neil Young is to Grunge, so is Vesuvio's to Toronto pizza. The Pugliese family opened its doors in 1957 to bring the city New York-style pizza to the very west end. Overshadowed by all of Toronto's recent slickness, Vesuvio's main dining room may come across as outdated but one thing hasn't changed: Their pizza is outstanding.
With two locations, and a third coming to Dundas West, Joanne Kates calls Queen Margherita Pizza “a fine pizzeria in the Neapolitan style.” It’s not as hip as its Ossington and Queen West counterparts but the pizza oven is still from Naples, and they know how to make them right.
At North of Brooklyn, there are only four pizzas from which to choose - margherita, pepperoni, white, and puttanesca - but each one does the trick. Sometimes better as a slice on the run, NoB (soon to have a location at Church and Wellesley) rounds out the menu with tasty garlic knots and will deliver to your door with its bicycle delivery service.
This local pizza joint gained legendary status when a major drug bust threw its owners into chaotic free fall a few years back. Somehow, the rupture only shut the shop down for a couple weeks, after which they quietly returned to pumping out totally solid Sicilian pizza pies and slices that the locals and late-night partiers love.
With six locations that cover the city, Magic Oven offers adventurous - even fantastical - pizza, heavy on options that cater to every type of eater. Non-GMO tomato sauce is the standard here with toppings that run the gamut, from tandori sweet potato to edible gold leaf.
For years, Frank's, on Corso Italia, has been racking up awards for its straight-ahead pizza and an expansive delivery map that makes it accessible to a large swatch of the city. Also highly touted are their calzones, which come baked or fried.
When the hankering is for traditional Roman Pizza, this Midtown pizzeria is the place to be. For lunch, the pizza comes al taglia (square-shaped), delectably squishy, and sold by weight; at dinnertime, the pies arrive thinner and round. Either way, they are not be missed.
This Neapolitan pizza hotspot takes authenticity to a whole new level. Sporting certification from the Associazone Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), and D.O.P. (Denominazione d' Origine Protetta) ingredients, a custom-built wood-fired oven from Naples, and Old World expertise, this is an enjoyably no-nonsense eating experience.
Thanks to the AVPN (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana), uptowners are guaranteed authentic Neapolitan-style pizza close to home. Heavy on tradition, this cozy pizzeria sticks close to a trusting script, with the option of ending every meal on a sweet note with their Nutella pizza. And now, they offer delivery service.
A Southern Italian restaurant in the heart of Chinatown seems like an odd choice but Strada 241 is the perfect haunt to escape the streets and take a pizza break. Dig into one of their eight solid pies and revel in the grand space that is unlike any other in the city.
This 30-location chain literally serves the whole city with quality ingredients and, sometimes, bizarre but successful tangents like their thai pizza. The sheer number of slices may be overwhelming - with vegan and vegetarian options - but even if you make the wrong choice, there's always next time.
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