To experience the best pizza in Europe (other than Italy), fly to London. For the third year in a row, Michele Pascarella's Napoli on the Road pizzeria has topped the renowned 50 Top Pizza Europe ranking. The announcement was made during a ceremony at Madrid's Bernabéu Market, closing off a golden period for the London restaurant, which recently established its third branch in Soho. The podium is European, with Baldoria finishing second in Madrid and IMperfetto third in Puteaux, near Paris. Pascarella's win caps a redemption narrative that began in 2016, when the Campanian pizza cook relocated to London and sold pizzas from a basic food truck at local markets. He currently manages a team of 84 professionals.
Many will question why Italy isn't among the top spots: make no mistake, the guide maintains a special and separate ranking for the home of pizza. The top twenty pizzerias on this European list, however, advance to the final of the 100 Best Pizzerias in the World, which will be announced on September 15th in Naples.