The humble cheesy slice first made its way onto the city's food scene in the 1950s thanks to Italian immigrants setting up family-run pizzerias and making the capital their home. Since then, the delicious pie has taken over with queue-worthy restaurants in every pocket, from East to West and beyond. We're here to point you to authentic, Neapolitan ingredients used in acclaimed eateries, plant-based delights and trendy bars serving up signatures alongside negronis in our guide to the best pizza in Soho, London.
Last edited by Scarlett Welch
Last updated on 18th October 2024
Founded in Naples and established in London, Pizza Pilgrims Soho offers a delectable selection of Neapolitan pizzas. The menu features enticing options such as double pepperoni with a touch of spicy honey and mac and cheese balls. In addition to the exceptional pizza, guests can enjoy retro gaming at the Nintendo table or savour signature desserts like the Nutella Pizza Ring or the Nutellamisu.
Run by three brothers keen to create eateries with the same sort of neighbourhood feel as places in Northern Italy, Mele E Pere is a long-standing Soho institution boasting plenty of charm. From its backlit bar lined with aperitifs to its checkerboard flooring and ox-blood-coloured walls, it invites diners to enjoy a comforting and sophisticated meal of fresh pasta, and of course, pizza. On the traditional Italian trattoria's menu, you'll find 48-hour-proved dough topped with San Marzano tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella and spicy salame. If you have room for dessert, Nonna Mantovani's tiramisu is not to be missed, as well as the pannacotta or pistachio gelato served with orange marmalade and a waffle.
You'll be instantly mesmerised as soon as you enter Bocconcino Soho, thanks to its gorgeous, golden light fixtures imitating dainty petals dangling from the main dining room ceiling, as well as stretches of bronzed and marble interiors, speckled flooring and back-lit bar. It pays tribute to the restaurant's original Forte dei Marme roots and specialises in Italian gastronomy with a menu celebrating traditional ingredients from regions such as Tuscany, Florence and beyond. On Saturdays, it hosts a bottomless brunch with Roman-style pizza and free-flowing bubbles - these tasty treats can also be enjoyed throughout the week, scattered with the likes of mozzarella, ham, mushrooms, olives and artichokes; there's even a truffle affair to get stuck into.
If you're looking for beautiful surrounds to enjoy your pizza in, then check out Amalfi Ristorante on Argyll Street. This stylish spot boasts pretty plants and colourful furnishings in every room, as well as a hidden botanical garden upstairs.
They use hand-stretched sourdough bases for their pizzas, and toppings range from wild mushroom and truffle to pepperoni with nduja. plus, they offer gluten-free bases as well.
Pizza Pilgrims Soho has two locations in the area, one nestled in the vibrant Kingly Court and the other perched on Dean Street, only moments from Tottenham Court Road. What began as two guys, Thom and James, quitting their jobs in 2012, driving a three-wheel Piaggio Ape van through Italy and learning how to make incredibly moreish dough has now evolved into a booming business. Each restaurant is quirky and unique in its own right, with ribbons of multi-coloured fairy light, checkered tablecloths and retro posters adorning the walls, and all serve its famous slow-proved Neapolitan pizzas, including the much-loved pepperoni and hot honey. Its dips are not to be missed either - the sweet pots of 'nduja, pesto, truffle and garlic and herb call our name every time.
Sometimes, cheap and cheerful is the way to go, and if you're on the hunt for a plant-based slice, this bright and airy joint is bound to hit the spot. Vapiano on Great Portland Street is the ultimate destination for not only handmade, customisable fresh pasta dishes but also fantastic, light sourdough pizzas. Spread over two floors with various seating areas (think cosy lounges and bar tables that allow you to peak into the open kitchen), it caters to large groups as well as laid-back dates. Devour dough slathered in a sauce made from tomatoes harvested in Emilia Romagna, and signature bites such as the Vegan BBQ Pollo, Funghi, and Signature Margherita.
Since opening on Valentine's Day in 2010, Santa Maria has been serving some of the best Neapolitan pizza in Soho, whipping up the type of indulgent, salty dough that can only be consumed on the streets of Naples. The eatery was set up by Angelo and Pasquale in Ealing, and has since expanded to Islington, Fulham and Fitzrovia, where the cool and casual joint can be found only a short walk from Goodge Street. All pizzas are drizzled in extra virgin olive oil, garnished with basil and are an affordable price; the San Filippo with mozzarella fior di latte, courgettes, aubergine and parmesan is a stunner, as well as the Calzone San Salvatore, stuffed with buffalo ricotta, cotton ham and salame Napoli.
Japes is the one restaurant that has almost everyone walking out of in an intense food coma - and with 'sweet dreams are made of cheese' scrawled across the wall in dairy-yellow lettering, it's easy to see why. Whether you're a deep pan lover or looking to become a convert, this Dean Street haunt is the place for you. Since its conception in 2018, it's been using 100% natural ingredients to craft Chicago-inspired eats with Instagram-worthy pulls and toppings like chicken tenders paired with buttermilk ranch, or straight-up pepperoni, peppers and 'nduja. Its London-style pizza features an 11-ingredient tomato sauce, which is well worth a munch in our opinion.
Cecconi's Pizza Bar can be found perched on Old Compton Street and open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays, providing entertainment and plenty of top-notch negronis on tap to enjoy. It offers a relaxed take on the typical outpost that comes from the Soho House Group, with a rotating selection of DJs throughout the week providing entertainment to diners. You'll find sophisticated decor here, in the form of smooth wooden panelling, dark green pinstripe flooring and soft, warm table lamps adding a gentle glow to the room. Come for date night or take a couple of friends to enjoy an all-day menu packing wood oven pizzas topped with Parma ham, rocket and parmesan, or capers, olives and anchovies, followed by an affogato.
When it comes to the best pizza restaurant in Soho, there are plenty of options but coming out top has to be this Michelin-mentioned eatery. L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele began in Naples in 1906, born by the Condurro family whose legacy includes five generations of expert dough kneaders. With locations in London and Manchester, it is perhaps most famous for being the eatery visited in novelist Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love. The walk-ins-only, neon-lit haunt is spread across two floors and features a golden, wood-fired oven, two cocktail bars and, of course, a whole host of indulgent dishes. Look forward to tucking into a marghertia for £14.50, or pizza topped with cicclioli (pressed pork), salami Napoli and Agerola fior di latte cheese for £17.95, washed down with a signature gin-based Drunk In Love, made with pink peppercorn syrup and strawberry cream liqueur.
