Best pizza in Amsterdam
Deciding which pizza style is best is a heavily loaded subject. Whether it's Neapolitan, Roman, New York-style, deep-dish, square-cut, stuffed crust or even vegan - we can all agree that we can’t get enough. Fortunately, Amsterdam has pizzerias to suit all tastes, with dough masters stoically adhering to generations-old traditions or reinventing recipes with exciting new toppings. They’re all secretly vying for the title of best pizza in the city, so here’s our rundown of the top contenders to spend your dough at.
Pizza Project
There's no messing around at this colourful pizza joint in Amsterdam-Zuid, where scissors are handed out so you can artfully snip your slices into delicious morsels. The owners started making Neapolitan-style pizzas in their back garden but have since expanded to two locations in Amsterdam. They were also noted as an excellent pizzeria in the Top 50 Pizza Restaurants in Europe awards. Our favourite toppings include the mortadella ham and pistachio pizza bianco or truffle and mushroom.
Pizza Project | Wilhelminastraat 153H, Oud-West / Maasstraat 18, Zuid
nNea
Any pizza aficionado worth their salt will have heard of nNea on Bilderdijkstraat, which rose to lucky number 13 in the European pizza rankings - after only six months of opening. The dough masters here are known for conjuring up lighter-than-air Neapolitan-style crusts loaded up with fresh seasonal ingredients and meticulously balanced flavours. The chefs here also like to experiment, so don't be surprised if your pizza is a little different on your follow-up visit. It can be tough snagging a reservation so do pay a visit to nNea NextDoor for all the Neopolitan glory in takeaway form.
Mangia Pizza
Chef Antonio Cavoto threw in his civil engineering qualifications to build a restaurant that, in the eyes of pizza lovers, contributes far more to society. He writes: “I actually never abandoned my studies in mathematics applied to construction, today I find myself applying those concepts in the quest to create the perfect pizza dough”. And we couldn't agree more! His golden Neapolitan-style crusts, lashings of mozzarella fiordilatte di Agerola (that's the good stuff) and creative toppings have taken the Amsterdam pizza world by storm - earning Mangia's chefs several recent awards in national pizza baking competitions.
Mangia Pizza | Vijzelgracht 33 & Zeedijk 69A, Centrum / Amstelveenseweg 63, Oud-Zuid
Klaproos
Klaproos pizzeria exemplifies everything that is typical for Amsterdam-Noord and why we love this part of town: a hip converted space decked out in industrial lighting, trendy people of all ages and a gorgeous riverside terrace for sundown. Drop by for excellent pizzas, antipasti and unusual wines all weekend or grab some slices to go and find a spot to eat by the water.
La Perla
Deservedly referred to as Amsterdam’s ‘Little Italy’, the bustling Jordaan neighbourhood is packed with some of the best Italian restaurants and ice cream parlours in town. Top of the bucket list is Pizzeria La Perla, where, after one bite of their delicious brick oven-baked pizzas, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported straight to Italy. The restaurant imports only the freshest ingredients of the highest quality and also offers some delicious house wines.
Pizza Beppe
This Neapolitan-style pizzeria was the first in the Netherlands to be accepted by the guardians of pizza authenticity: the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. In the pizza world, that’s a massive deal. It means that the chefs honour the traditions passed down through the generations of this UNESCO-protected art form. That being said, they did manage to sneak a delicious vegan one onto the menu. Expect nothing other than simple, unpretentious pizzas prepared with excellence and the finest quality ingredients - as it should be.
Pizza Beppe | Van Woustraat 47, De Pijp / Roelof Hartstraat 27, Zuid / Middenweg 23, Oost / Nassaukade 379, Oud-West
Bar Bella
Previously known as Wilde Westen, Bar Bella on Marnixstraat is one of our favourite addresses on the crossroads of Old West and the City Centre. From Diavola to vegan, the pizza selection is always excellent. Bar Bella often collaborates with other catering entrepreneurs from the city, such as Ron Blaauw, Kaasbar and Daalder. So be sure to check out the specials!
Pazzi
Pazzi now has four locations across the city, a testament to the quality of the authentic pizzas that tear out of their wood-fired ovens. Everything is prepared according to traditional recipes with honest, carefully chosen toppings sourced directly from Italy strewn over the thin, crispy bases. Inside, the candlelit atmosphere is cosy and romantic or you can order delivery to munch on at home.
Buurman & Buurman / Buurman de With
This cosy pizza joint on the corner of Erasmuspark has been going from strength to strength since its opening in 2015 by two buds who felt that this part of Bos en Lommer didn’t have enough good food options. The dough is crisp, flavoursome and lighter than air, resembling something more like a flammkuchen than your typical pizza base. Classic toppings are ramped up a gourmet notch with options like parma ham, truffle tapenade, artichoke, grilled fennel and smoked mackerel doused in wasabi mayo.
Buurman & Buurman | Mercatorstraat 171, Bos en Lommer
Buurman de With | Witte de Withstraat 102, De Baarsjes
Margherita Tutta la Vita
Margherita Tutta la Vita has become something of a household name in Diemen-Zuid. Much frequented by students and residents, the restaurant is known for its authentic and affordable pizzas baked with passion by the Italian-born Chef, Stefano. The pizzeria also caters for private events and festivals using a food truck kitted out with a wood oven that can park right outside your front door.
Margherita Tutta la Vita, Dalsteindreef 2040, Diemen-Zuid
PizzaLab
Located on the Zuidas, between towering office buildings in Amsterdam's business district, you'll find PizzaLab. A surprising combination, just like the pizzas on the menu. Thin bottom, fluffy crust and exceptional Neapolitan flavours. The 'Happy Pig' is our favourite: pizza with cime di rape, burrata, homemade sausage meat, yellow tomatoes and lemon zest. Vegetarians go for the ‘Fig&Morty’, with fior di latte d’Agerola, mortadella cream and fig confit.
De Pizzabakkers
Boasting countless Amsterdam locations, it’s safe to say De Pizzabakkers is something of a phenomenon in the Dutch capital. It’s no shock really: they offer oven-baked thin, crusty pizza that is prepared with the freshest and highest-quality ingredients, with prices starting at under €9. With their tagline of "pizza and prosecco", it’s unsurprising that they offer a respectable selection of prosecco, wine and – of course – beer too, so grab a prosecco cocktail, order your favourite pizza and dine like they do in Napoli.
De Pizzabakkers | Copernicusstraat 49, Oost / Eerste Sweelinckstraat 16, De Pijp / Haarlemmerdijk 128, Centrum / Waddenweg 2, Noord / Overtoom 501, Oud-West / Plantage Kerklaan 2, De Plantage / Spaarndammerstraat 51, Westerpark / Willemsparkweg 178, Oud-Zuid
Sotto
All the components of Sotto’s pizzas are expertly sourced with San Marzano tomatoes (the exceptionally flavourful ones grown on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius) used for the sauce and high-quality toppings like buffalo mozzarella procured straight from Italy. The wood-fired brick oven was built especially by an Italian oven-building master and the restaurant hopes to get its stamp of approval from the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana any day now.
Sotto | Kadijksplein 4, De Plantage / Amstelveenseweg 89, Oud-Zuid
Renato’s Pizzeria
With their pizzeria in De Pijp, locations at ‘t Blauwe Theehuis, De Foodhallen and a massive pizza lab where they knock up delivery orders, it’s fair to say that Renato’s has taken Amsterdam’s pizza scene by storm. The restaurant has been whipping up authentic Roman-style bases since 2013 for their menu that features all the words we like to see: ‘Diavolo’, ‘Quattro Stagioni’, ‘Cicciolina’ and ‘Della Nonna’. You can also order calzones or from the sizeable list of vegan and veggie options.
Renato’s Pizzeria | Karel du Jardinstraat 32, De Pijp
Euro Pizza
Yet another new reason to take the ferry to Amsterdam Noord: Euro Pizza. A pizzeria hidden in an old garage, with a tiny terrace in a parking lot and only three (!) pizzas on the menu. And all vegetarian. Order a Pizza Passard (shallots, walnuts, lemon, parsley and anchovies) and the Fennel Pie (fennel, fermented potato and burrata). Oh, and don't forget the starter, delicious toast with red mullet.
Euro Pizza | Gedempt Hamerkanaal 79, Noord
Il Sogno
This Italian concept store and deli has been around for several years, tucked away in a small side street of Nieuwmarkt and with a second location in IJburg. Il Sogno doesn't serve alcohol, but it’s a go-to location for fantastic pizzas, authentic Italian ice cream and other delectable groceries. You can have your pizza delivered, but you’ll need to walk in to browse through their assortment of risottos, lasagnas, buffalo mozzarella, coffee and many more delicacies.
Il Sogno | IJburglaan 105, IJburg / Koningsstraat 19, Nieuwmarkt
Eatmosfera Oost
Arguably one of the city's best-kept secrets and one of the most reliable pizzas you'll stumble upon in the capital, Eatmosfera knocks it out of the park when it comes to pizza and atmosphere. A compact corner joint that serves up airy, pillowy wood-fired sourdough pizza in the Neapolitan style, it's a small menu with big-hitters like the Stracciatella white pizza and the Fior di Latte and tomato option, a contender for Amsterdam's best Margherita. If you're not sold yet, then the full-bodied Tuscan wine might just convince you. Either way, this pizzeria is a must.
Eatmosfera | Sumatrastraat 47, Oost
