The slice
Large, thin and wide, cut from a round pie and sold by the piece. Folded lengthways and eaten on the move; $4–5.50.
Food & drink · Boroughs
The best pizza in New York
New York did not invent pizza, but it turned it into a daily habit: a slice on a paper plate, eaten standing up, for less than the price of a coffee. Here is how the styles differ and how to order without looking like a visitor.
Why it is its own thing
A city built on the slice
Pizza in New York is less a cuisine than a format: big, thin, foldable and sold by the slice at almost any hour.
The city's pizzerias fall into a few families — the neighbourhood slice counter, the Sicilian square, the coal-fired institution and the wood-fired Neapolitan newcomer — and each has its own rules. What they share is scale: a whole 18-inch pie usually costs $28–38, a plain slice $4–5.50, which is why pizza became the city's default lunch.
Geography matters too. The famous places are scattered across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, and eating very well without leaving Manhattan is easy — but the pilgrimage is the point.
Checked 2 November 2026. Prices, opening hours and transport details were verified against official sources. Things change — confirm before you book. How we check.
Know what you are ordering
The four styles
Names on menus are not consistent. What matters is the shape, the oven and the way it is served.
Square / Sicilian
Baked in a rectangular pan, with a thick, airy base and crisp bottom. Often the sauce goes on top of the cheese.
Coal-fired
Very thin, charred at the edges and baked fast at high heat. Usually a whole pie, and usually worth the queue.
Neapolitan
Wood-fired, softer and wetter in the centre, with a puffed rim. Whole pies only, ideally with a knife and fork.
Where to eat
Nine places worth planning around
A mix of counter stools, old institutions and one-off destinations. No ranking — pizza arguments are endless, and these are all good at what they do.
| Place | Neighbourhood | What to order | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe's Pizza | Greenwich Village, Manhattan | A plain slice, eaten standing up | slice from ~$4.50 |
| Prince Street Pizza | SoHo, Manhattan | Pepperoni square | square from ~$5.50 |
| Juliana's Pizza | DUMBO, Brooklyn | Coal-fired whole pie, classic or white | moderate |
| Grimaldi's Pizzeria | DUMBO, Brooklyn | Coal-fired whole pie under the bridge | moderate |
| L&B Spumoni Gardens | Bensonhurst, Brooklyn | Sicilian square with sauce on top, then spumoni | budget |
| Roberta's | Bushwick, Brooklyn | Wood-fired pie, eaten in the garden | moderate |
| Paulie Gee's | Greenpoint, Brooklyn | Wood-fired pie; the Slice Shop for a slice | moderate |
| Lombardi's | Little Italy / SoHo, Manhattan | Coal-fired pie from one of the city's oldest pizzerias | moderate |
| Di Fara Pizza | Midwood, Brooklyn | Square or round pie, with a long wait | moderate |
How to order
Order like a local
There is no secret handshake, but there is a rhythm. These five habits will get you a better slice and a shorter wait.
-
01
Order at the counter, not the table
At a slice shop you queue, order and carry your own food. Table service means a whole-pie restaurant — slower, and a different experience.
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02
Ask for a fresh slice if you want it hot
A "regular" slice comes from a pie already on the counter and gets reheated. If you want one straight from the oven, ask for a fresh slice.
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03
Fold it lengthways
The fold keeps the cheese on and lets you eat with one hand. If the slice collapses, it needed another minute.
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04
Put your name down for a whole pie
Coal-fired and wood-fired places take no reservations; expect 20–40 minutes at peak times. Give a name, take a walk, come back when they call it.
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05
Tip the counter, not the table
A dollar or two in the jar is normal at a slice counter. At a sit-down pizzeria, tip 18–22% like any other restaurant.
By neighbourhood
Where to go, depending on where you are
You never need to cross the city for a good slice. Match the area to the style and save the long ride for the places that deserve it.
| Area | Best for | Where to go | Subway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenwich Village | A quick, classic slice | Joe's Pizza | A / C / E, 1 |
| SoHo and Little Italy | Squares and old-school pies | Prince Street Pizza, Lombardi's | R / W, C / E |
| DUMBO, Brooklyn | Coal-fired whole pies and the bridge view | Juliana's, Grimaldi's | A / C, F |
| Bushwick, Brooklyn | Wood-fired pies and a garden | Roberta's | L |
| Greenpoint, Brooklyn | Wood-fired pies and a slice shop | Paulie Gee's | G |
| Bensonhurst, Brooklyn | Sicilian squares with sauce on top | L&B Spumoni Gardens | D |
| Midwood, Brooklyn | A pilgrimage and a long wait | Di Fara Pizza | B / Q |
Questions
Pizza questions, answered
Is New York pizza really better than pizza elsewhere?
It is different rather than objectively better. The slice format — large, thin, foldable and cheap — makes everyday pizza possible in a way most cities cannot match, and the best coal-fired and wood-fired places are world-class.
How much should I pay for a slice?
A plain slice is typically $4–5.50 in 2026, and a whole 18-inch pie $28–38. A specialty square or a wood-fired pie costs more. Anything far above that pays for the address.
What is the difference between a slice and a square?
A slice is cut from a large thin round pie and folded. A square, or Sicilian, is baked in a rectangular pan with a thicker base, often with the sauce over the cheese.
Do I need to book a table?
Slice counters and most pizzerias are walk-in only. The coal-fired and wood-fired destinations do not take reservations either; you queue and wait 20–40 minutes at busy times. Going off-peak is the only real trick.
Which pizza place is closest to the tourist sights?
Joe's in Greenwich Village is a short walk from Washington Square Park, and Prince Street Pizza is in the middle of SoHo. For the Brooklyn Bridge, Juliana's and Grimaldi's are both in DUMBO.
Keep eating
Where to go next
Pizza is one chapter. The rest of the city's food is just as specific, and just as cheap if you know where to look.
Food & drink
What to eat in New York
Bagels, pastrami, tacos and dumplings — the prices, the institutions and the neighbourhoods.
Borough
Brooklyn
DUMBO, Williamsburg and Bushwick — the borough with the strongest pizza reputation.
Borough
Queens
The city's most diverse food borough, from Flushing to Jackson Heights.
Two neighbourhood guides pair well: SoHo for Prince Street and Lombardi's, and Williamsburg for the Brooklyn pizza belt.
Next step
Build a food day around the city
Pizza in the afternoon, a market in the morning and a proper dinner at night — the city rewards eating on the move.