Not just an easy weeknight dinner, pizzas are at the top of the list when it comes to comfort food. But instead of your usual fast-food joint, we’re talking artisanal pizzas that showcase fresh, quality ingredients, lovingly hand-kneaded dough, and freshly cooked in stone or wood-fired ovens. Below, our tastiest pizza picks for a dose of Italian comfort food.
An ode to New York’s old-school neighbourhood pizzerias, Proper Slice is opened by the team behind Lucali BYGB − which was almost impossible to get a reservation for when it first opened on our shores. We’re hoping this new joint is easier to visit, with its hole-in-the-wall location at an alleyway off Gemmil Lane.
Helming the kitchen is executive chef Ariana Flores, who trained under Mark Iacono (creator of the famed Lucali in Brooklyn). The menu features the oversized pizza pie that Lucali is famous for, but is positioned more as a grab-and-go facility with a reimagined recipe and individual slices available.
The reimagined pizza remains in its 18-inch form, but is served as six oversized slices instead of eight. Highlights include the original cheese pie, as well as pepperoni, white pizza, spinach, ricotta and sausage options available on a rotational basis. You can also end off your meal with an appetising dessert calzone.
Available for takeaway. Proper Slice is at 110 Amoy Street. Check them out at @properslicebygb on Instagram.
Wild Child was dreamed up by chef co-owner Lim Yew Aun and restaurateur Liling Ong − the folks behind Cicheti, Bar Cicheti and Caffe Cicheti. The pizzeria and bar concept features Neapolitan-style pizza, which comes in 10 inches and four slices with an array of toppings to choose from.
Besides the pies, patrons can enjoy a selection of antipasti, homemade desserts and a curation of natural wines, ancient sakes and craft beers curated by sommelier-partner Ronald Kamiyama.
Try the Cavolo Nero pizza (pictured), which brings out the deep and earthy sweetness of Tuscan kale with bright bursts of lemon and pickled onion. If you’re more of a traditionalist, the Margherita D.O.P will please with tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil, grana padano and extra virgin olive oil.
Available for dine-in, takeaway and delivery islandwide via it’s order page. Wild Child Pizzette is at 50 Circular Road.
This picturesque Italian joint in Joo Chiat is helmed by first-time restaurateur, Antonio Miscellaneo, the man behind popular private dining establishment Casa Nostra. He continues to serve up his signature ‘Newpolitan’ pizza − a twist on the traditional recipe with additional ingredients like cheese, basil and homemade sausage.
The restaurant’s design was inspired by Miscellaneo and his wife’s favourite eateries in Italy, with elements like piazzetta tiles in the outdoor area and old-school Italian posters lining the interior’s brick walls.
All guests dining indoors have to order the six-course tasting menu, which includes an antipasto, a slice of the signature DoubleCrunch pizza (pictured) and made using a selection of flours and cereals and fermented over 36 hours, a Newpolitan pizza with two different flavours, a pasta of the day and a signature dessert. Those seating outdoors may order a fixed menu of wines, cold cuts, cheeses, small plates and DoubleCrunch pizzas.
Available for dine in on a reservations basis with limited slots. La Bottega Enoteca is at 346 Joo Chiat Road. Check its website for availability.
The restaurant’s name translates to ‘after theatre’ in Italian, an apt description since it’s located at the Esplanade waterfront. The 86-seater features hand-stretched pizzas all made from scratch, with a dough fermented for 36 hours and baked at 320 degrees. You’ll find flavours with a distinctly Japanese influence, as well as housemade pasta, antipasti and salads.
The Ika Sumi (pictured), which is Japanese squid ink pizza with ocean prawn, ika, asari, pesto arrabiata and ice plant. Also, the Unagi Pizza, consisting of smoked unagi, kebayaiki sauce, kebayaki mayo, shaved bonito flakes, spring onions and Japanese rayu.
We also recommend the Maiale Alla Piastra, a gluten-free kurobuta pork chop with masala jus, sauteed mushrooms and garlic mash potatoes.
Available for dine in, takeaway and delivery islandwide via it’s order page. Dopo Teatro is at #01-11 Esplanade Mall.
The woodfired pizzas are only available from 5pm to 10 pm daily (the same venue operates as a brunch spot named Brick during the day), so we recommend making a reservation before coming down.
Pizzas here are made with handmade dough fermented for three days, topped off with numerous ingredients, then baked at 450 degrees with various types of firewood.
Flavours are inspired by various destinations such as New York, Bern, London, Naples, Hong Kong, Barcelona and Puglia. You’ll also find appetisers like fresh burrata salad, grilled Italian sausage and tenderloin cubes.
We make no apologies about loving Hawaiian pizza, and P. is for pizza’s version is particular savoury. Called the Waikiki, pineapples are char-grilled in the wood oven for an additional layer of flavour.
Another highlight is the Italy-inspired Alba (pictured), made with white truffle bechamel, black summer truffles, button mushrooms and mozzarella.
Available for dine in, takeaway and delivery via it’s order page. P. is for Pizza is at 18 Mohamed Sultan Rd, #01-01.
Hungry at midnight? Your tastebuds and stomache will thank you if you’re ringing up Lucali BYGB for its much-talked-about 18-inch pizza.
The outpost of the iconic Brooklyn restaurant is now offering takeaway and delivery around the clock so you can get your fix late at night. If you aren’t acquainted with the restaurant, its menu is rather compact, with just one pizza, one calzone, and three pastas (two on its delivery menu), but you can also order a salad, dessert as well as wine and beer.
Available for takeaway and delivery. Visit its order page. Lucali BYGB is at 66 Kampong Bugis, Level M, Singapore 338987.
Old Hen Kitchen is famous for its cold brews, and the folks behind it have now delved into making pizza as well. Inspired by the classic Neapolitan pizza, dough at Chooby Pizza is naturally leavened with a slow fermentation of at least 20 hours.
The pizzeria also uses authentic Italian products like 00 Neapolitan pizza flour, as well as premium tomato and cheeses. Pizzas are hand-stretched and baked in the Roccbox Oven, creating a pleasant airy and light texture.
There’s also a selection of Chobby Pizza-branded restaurant merch sold for those who want to wear their love for the joint like a badge of honour.
Get the signature Margherita, incorporating San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, pecorino, basil and olive oil. For something Asian with a kick, try the Spiced Coconut Chicken, made with chicken thigh, tom kha sauce, mushroom, onion, grand padano, mozzarella, coriander and chilli oil.
Available for dine in, takeaway and delivery. Chooby Pizza is at 125 Owen Rd.
You’ve probably have heard of Smalls in its previous iteration, a wildly popular four-seater private dining by Masterchef Singapore judge Bjorn Shen. Previously housed in a tiny room attached to Shen’s flagship restaurant Artichoke, Smalls has now moved into a larger space at King George’s Avenue.
It started its first pizza omakase menu in January this year. The venue can now hold a total of 16 guests (the restaurant only accommodates groups of four), with a menu that changes every one to two months.
Featuring 10 to 11 pizza-centric courses, guests move to different zones (e.g. the bar and living room) as they savour the various dishes.
The menu is ever-changing, but patrons can always expect innovative pizza creations and a large stuffed sandwich as the last main course.
The menu for August and September is Thai-themed, featuring Thai Pizza Margherita, Pepper Crab Pizza (pictured) and a Crying Tiger Sandwich with wagyu beef, turkey, baloney and nam jim jaew.
Available for dine in and takeaway. Slots can only be booked online. Lunch seatings are on Saturdays at noon and 1:30pm, while dinner seatings run from Wednesday to Saturday at 6pm and 7:30pm. Smalls is at 115 King George’s Ave, #02-02.
Launched by Minor Food Singapore (which also operates casual dining chains like Buffet Town and Poulet), this pizza joint boasts two outlets at VivoCity and Jem. The specialty here are Western-Japanese fusion dishes, with a focus on intriguing Japanese-style pizzas.
Each 10-inch, hand-stretched pizza is quite the indulgence, featuring crackly thin crust, lightly blistered puffy-rimmed edges, homemade sauce and an extremely generous amount of toppings.
Check out the classics like Margherita and Hawaiian, along with Japanese-inspired concoctions such as Takoyaki and Curry Soft Shell Crab.
The Takoyaki is particularly sinful, with crispy takoyaki balls sitting on an okonomi sauce base, and topped with aonori seasoning, Japanese mayo and dried bonito flakes.
The Black Pepper Tontoro (pictured) is equally tantalising, filled with juicy sliced pork tontoro, shredded cabbage and topped with soft omelette.
Available for dine in, takeaway and delivery. Pizzakaya is at #01-157 VivoCity & #01-11 50 Jem.
This award-winning restaurant is a go-to for contemporary Italian fare, and of course, its array of irresistible wood-fired pizzas.
You can’t go wrong with the Tartufata ($28), topped with black truffle, chunky porcini mushrooms, smoked scamorza, mozzarella and perfumed with truffle oil, and for cheese lovers, the Burrata ($30), with fresh creamy mounds of burrata, cherry tomatoes, arugula atop a pillowy base and drizzled with olive oil. We’re sold.
Available for dine-in, takeaway or delivery. Publico is at 1 Nanson Road, Singapore 238909.
For a taste of classic Neapolitan pizzas, direct your browser to Cicheti’s order page. The rustic-chic trattoria that’s situated along Kandahar Street doles out authentic pizzas fresh from a Naples-imported wood-fired oven. Take your pick from the Napoletana ($20) to the indulgent Bella Napoli ($41), topped with Prosciutto di Parma, tomatoes, wild arugula, aged balsamic and a whole buratina. Bellissimo.
It’s even tweaked its pizza recipe and offers reheating instructions along with its pies so you can enjoy a fresh-out-of-the-oven taste. There’s also a selection of antipasti, wine, and dessert, or you can go for the bundles to make it a family feast.
Dine-in, takeaway as well as islandwide delivery available. Visit its order page. Cicheti is at 52 Kandahar Street, Singapore 198901.
While inspired by traditional recipes, Plank Sourdough Pizza gives its pies its own unique spin. They’re generous with their toppings and these come on its signature sourdough pizza base, which has been hand-kneaded and pulled, before getting popped into a wood-fired Valoriani oven. Its efforts are reflected in the crust – lightweight and crackling with smokey flavour.
There are no names for the pizzas here, each comes with a number. There’s 4, for instance, which is topped with tomato sauce, pulled BBQ chicken, cranberry compote, camembert, and rocket leaves. 3 comes with generous slices of smoked salmon, shrimps, capers, sour cream, and dill.
There’s even a gluten-free option, available on request.
Available for dine-in or takeaway at its outlets, or via Foodpanda, GrabFood or OddleEats.
You won’t be disappointed with the pies from Bella Pizza. The signature and all-time favourite here is the “Pizza Bella Pizza”, which has a medley of ricotta, salami and spinach. While its other crowd-pleaser Pizza Mascarpone is sadly missing from its delivery menu, you can go for other toothsome pies like the Pizza Prosciutto E Funghi ($25), or Pizza Con Rucola ($27) with parma ham and shavings of parmesan.
For an elevated pizza dining experience, the restaurant has also launched Wine Pairing sets, or you can get creative with its DIY pizza and calzone kits.
Available for dine-in, takeaway and delivery. Visit its order page. Bella Pizza is at 30 Robertson Quay, #01-14 Riverside View Singapore, Singapore 238251.
One of the newer kids in town, 800° Woodfired Kitchen is best known for its Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizzas. And the one in Singapore is Muslim-owned and halal-certified.
The famous international chain hailing from Los Angeles uses a high-protein Neapolitan flour that’s been imported from Naples, Italy, and the pie is cooked in the wood-fired oven at 800°Fahrenheit (hence its name) to nail a gorgeous smokey char and crisp crust that are puffed on the edges. You get the option of three bases – Margherita, Pesto (Verde sauce) or Bianca (white base). From there, you can build your own pizza, with ingredients ranging from Philly beefsteak to beef salami, prawns, jalapeno, pineapple, arugula or a whole burrata.
Can’t decide? Get its specialties – its vegan Tartufo and BBQ chicken pizzas are crowd-pleasers.
Dine-in, takeaway as well as islandwide delivery available. Visit its order page. 800° Woodfired Kitchen is at 11 Tanjong Katong Road, #01-52/53 Kinex, Singapore, 437157.
Amò Pizza’s signature slow-fermented dough are made with natural leaven, semolina, and extra virgin olive oil, culminating in a crust that remains light with a pleasant chewiness.
Classic pizza lovers can go for the likes of the Bianca, Margherita and Romana, but you don’t want to miss its signatures; the sweet-meets-savoury Pumpkin Pizza ($29.95) and the delicate Prosciutta Pizza ($34.25) with stracciatella, prosciutto, arugula and Fig Vincotto. Or get the Truffle Pizza (from $37.45) and Meat Lover’s Pizza ($35.30) for heartier slices that offer lots of umami goodness.
Available for dine-in, takeaway and delivery. Visit its order page. Amo Pizza is at 33 Hong Kong Street, Singapore 059672.
Text: Michelle Lee with additional information from Rebecca Rachel Wong/FEMALE
