The 7 Best Pizza Shops in Budapest

By Tas TobiasLast updated: Nov. 10, 2020

Like other big cities, Budapest has plenty of pizza joints that churn out cheap but not especially good slices. Apart fom these, there are also a handful of dedicated shops that have mastered the art of pizza-making, using longer fermentations and natural leavenings. Some specialize in Naples or Roman-style pies, others simply put out delicious pizza without devotion to a particular region. Here, the best pizzerias in Budapest.

#1 Pizzica

Pizzica is a small pizza shop in Budapest specializing in pizza al taglio — the Roman rectangular-shaped slices that are cut with a scissor and usually taken to-go. The de Bartolomeo brothers, natives from Southern Italy, run this tiny takeout joint in District 6; on most days you'll find them sliding cast-iron pans in and out of an electric oven.

#2 Digó Pizza (Kazinczy Street)

Digó puts out some of the best Naples-style pizza in Budapest. They operate two locations, both of them in the city center. The main one is a polished sit-down venue on Kazinczy Street right in the heart of the Party District, the other a seasonal pizza stand by Akvárium. As other upscale pizza shops around the world, Digó uses a wood-burning oven, extra fine “double-zero” flour, and a long, two-step dough fermentation to enhance flavor.

#3 Pizza Manufaktura

Pizza Manufaktura is a hip pizza shop in Budapest’s District 9 near the city center. The place makes no secret about its coolness: hipster twentysomethings scurry behind the counter while loud music blares from the speakers. Their pizzas, made with an electric oven, fall between the Roman and the Neapolitan style — the crust is soft and doughy with some air pockets and charred spots, but the texture is firm enough to hold the slice in your hand.

#4 Little Italy Pizzeria

You step into Little Italy and an oversized image of Naples and the Mount Vesuvius face you from the opposite wall. Around it hang blue-and-white soccer scarves emblazoned with “solo Napoli” slogans and nearly all servers are Italian natives. But instead of being on the Tyrrhenian coast, this pizzeria hides in an indistinct Budapest neighborhood a bit outside the city center. Little Italy isn’t the type of place that appears on thematic toplists nor does it draw a trendy crowd, but it is the type of a place that gets mobbed by people who come here for delicious and affordable pizzas made with lightning speed by the Hungarian owner-chef, who spent years working in Naples.

#5 Kemencés Pizza 16

If you’re serious about your pizza and spending more than a few days in Budapest, grab your hiking boots and trek out to Kemencés for some of the best pies in the whole city. It takes about an hour to get to from downtown by public transport, but think of it as part of the experience of discovering Budapest.

#6 MANU+ Pizza

MANU+ is the second location of Pizza Manufaktura, a wildly popular pizza joint not far from here. It doesn't usually get as crowded as the original space, meaning that you won't have to wait longer than a few minutes before devouring a Naples-style pizza, which is what MANU+ specializes in. Instead of the traditional wood-burning method, they use a gas-fired oven but the result is all the same: airy crusts speckled with leopard spots and a soft center strewn with a few flavorful ingrendients. Try the classic margherita, or pizzicare, which tops the margherita base with spicy salami and cherry tomatoes. Cash only!

#7 IGEN Pizza

As Neapolitans like to say, “when it comes to clothes and pizza, it’s always Naples over Rome." This proverb is taken to heart at Igen, a spacious sit-down pizza shop on the Buda side of the city. Here, the pizzaiolos churn out Naples-style pies all day long using a wood-burning oven fueled by logs of beech to achieve high heat and a smoky flavor. The Naples variety is known for its airy crust with splotches of char and a soupy center.

Rankings are based on a combination of food/drink, atmosphere, service, and price. To remain unbiased, I visit all places incognito and pay for my own meals and drinks. I also never accept money in exchange for coverage. But this means I must rely on readers to support my work. If you've enjoyed this article, please consider making a one-time payment (PayPal) or becoming an Offbeat Patron.