New York City has always taken pizza personally. Now the Lower East Side has another trophy to add to the argument.
Una Pizza Napoletana, the cult-favorite pizzeria at 175 Orchard Street, has been ranked No. 2 in the world on the 2026 50 Top Pizza global list. After holding the No. 1 position for two consecutive years, Anthony Mangieri’s legendary restaurant was edged out this year by London’s Napoli on the Road.
But coming in second on a list of the world’s best pizzerias is hardly a reason to put down the pizza cutter.
Una remains the No. 1 pizzeria in the United States, continuing a remarkable run for Mangieri, who has spent decades obsessing over one deceptively simple idea: make incredible pizza and don’t mess with it too much.
That philosophy is evident the moment you look at the menu. Una keeps things intentionally focused, serving naturally leavened, wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas with a restrained selection of toppings. More importantly, Mangieri makes every ball of dough himself and personally shapes, tops and bakes every pizza.
The result is a pizza experience that is less about piling on toppings and more about celebrating the crust, fermentation and quality of the ingredients. The menu includes classics such as Margherita, Marinara, Bianca and Cosacca, alongside seasonal creations.
There is, naturally, a catch: getting a table can be almost as difficult as deciding which pizza to order. Reservations are released two weeks in advance at 9 a.m., and the restaurant operates only Thursday through Saturday evenings. Walk-ins are welcome when dough remains.
So yes, London may have stolen the global crown this year.
But with Una Pizza Napoletana sitting at No. 2 in the world, the Lower East Side still has plenty to brag about.
New York lost the title. It didn’t lose the pizza.
