Random World's Best Cities for Pizza (17 items)

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  (#1) New York

  • Contiguous United States, USA

  Every pizza shop in New York tends to lay claim to the "best slice in the city" title and the fact is, picking the best slice in the city would be a nearly impossible feat. The characteristics that make a pizza decidedly New York are the puffy crust, the thin and crunchy middle, and the desire to fold a slice in two and dive in. Oh, and the water. Much like the city's delectable bagels, the secret to the NY pizza is said to be the tap water used in the dough. Many eateries across the US import the water to lend authenticity to their "New York pizza", but you'll rarely find a pie outside of NY that lives up to the real thing.
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  (#2) Chicago

  • Chicago metropolitan area, Illinois, USA

  You know all about Chicago style pizza: it's deep dish, the crust is thick, it sometimes comes in a square, and it is gooey and delicious. The thing that sets Chicago's pizza apart from the rest is the chunky tomato sauce, the heaps of mozzarella, and the chewy, delicious crust. Typical toppings range from meats like sausage and pepperoni to veggies like mushrooms and tomatoes. Typical reaction when finishing a pie is the unbuttoning of the pants.
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  (#3) Naples

  • Campania, Italy

  The Neopolitan pizza. It's the pizza that inspired most other pizzas and the city of Naples takes it's pizza recipe seriously (seriously enough to have an organization that verifies the authenticity of any product using the name). Wheat dough, buffalo mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes, and basil combine to make a personal plate of food elation for those lucky enough to order the city's signature dish. 
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  (#4) Rome

  • Lazio, Italy

  Pizza is available on every corner in Rome, and not just in restaurants and traditional eateries. On many corners, especially in the tourist-heavy areas, you can grab a slice from a street vendor whose cart is piled high with pie. The crust on these slices (served al taglio, or "by the slice") is thin and the toppings are far more exotic than standard American fare (think eggplant, zucchini, and asparagus). 
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  (#5) Amsterdam

  • North Holland, Netherlands

  What you really need to know about Amsterdam's pizza is that it's available in a city where marijuana is legal and the munchies are rampant. That said, you'll find shops whose windows are lined with all manor of cheese covered food products including what would best be described as a New York style pie. The dough is rolled thicker than in the Big Apple, and the cheese is heaped heavier as well. Not that the lactose intolerant are eating a bunch of pizza to begin with, but these pies are heavy on the cheese to the point where the thick crust becomes doughy beneath.
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  (#6) St. Louis

  • Missouri, USA

  If you're a stickler for mozzarella on your pizza, St. Louis is going to stop you in your tracks for the good or bad. The pies in this Midwest city are baked round, cut square, and topped with Provel cheese, a creamy blend of Swiss and Provolone. The cheese is said to come out hotter and provokes strong reactions, good and bad, in those who eat it.
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  (#7) Paris

  • Île-de-France, France
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  (#8) São Paulo

  • São Paulo, Brazil

  Pizzas in this Brazilian city are notable for having very little sauce and heaps and heaps of mozzarella. Toppings include Brazilian staples like ham and Calabrese sausage as well as hard boiled eggs, black olives, and the like. The citizens of Sao Paulo are so serious about pizza that it's become a ritual Sunday meal as well as a cause for celebration every July 10th on National Pizza Day.
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  (#9) Osaka

  • Osaka Prefecture, Japan

  Japanese pizza is unlike anything you've ever seen. Also referred to as a "Japanese omelette" and a "Japanese pancake", the base of the "pizza" is made with flour, eggs, water, and cabbage and topped with anything you want which, in Osaka and Hiroshima includes fish, cheese, meat, and a variety of vegetables those in the West would probably never considering topping their pies with. But hold on, the Japanese pizza is not yet complete. After the base and toppings have been cooked on both sides, the creation is drizzled with a sweet brown sauce, mayonnaise, and seaweed flakes. Nom?
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  (#10) Los Angeles

  • California, USA

  Yes, Los Angeles does pizza. Yes, the health conscious denizens of the city actually eat it. And yes again, it is the healthiest version of a pizza you're going to find. Expect toppings like bean sprouts, avocado (totally California, bro), chicken breast, and exotic spices atop a crispy, thin crusted pie. And it will be a pie, because slices are just not a thing on the West Coast.
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  (#11) Berlin

  • Germany
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  (#12) Miami

  • Florida, USA
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  (#13) Zaragoza

  • Province of Zaragoza, Spain
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  (#14) San Diego

  • California, USA

  Named, to much controversy, the best city for pizza in the US by TripAdvisor.com in 2013, San Diego's claim to great pizza lies in its similarity to New York pizza. Expect thin crust that's not as bubbly on the edges as New York's and a standard assortment of toppings like pepperoni, sausage, and veggies like onions, peppers, and mushrooms.
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  (#15) New Haven

  • Connecticut, USA

  Clams on pizza, that's a New Haven, Connecticut staple. The New Haven style of pizza, known as "apizza", employs a lighter dusting of grated pecorino romano cheese in place of the more standard mozzarella and tends to have a very thin crust. The white clam pie, which skips the tomato sauce and instead champions the garlic and fresh Little Neck clams that top it, is perhaps the best-known product of the city.
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  (#16) San Francisco

  • San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA
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  (#17) Atlanta

  • Georgia, USA

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