Best Pizzas in New Zealand

Eating a tasty, authentic pizza instantly puts you in a great mood because pizzas spell good times! In preparation for fun with friends, we’ve been busy sampling and discovering perfection to find the best 10 pizzas from the very top to the very bottom of New Zealand. If you have a local pizzeria you rate, why not share the love for your fave menu items on their Localist listing?

 

Mr Pizza is taste-bud heaven! Particularly if you’re vegetarian. They have a great range of vegetarian pizzas, instead of just a token one like many pizza places. They have Veggie Delight, Cheese and Cheese and Garlic Cheese. But most enticing of all is their Supreme Wedge with their Italian-inspired, locally-made 100% mozzarella cheese, capsicum, potato wedge, mushroom, spinach, olive, pineapple, red onion & fresh tomatoes - yum!

 

Dante’s has reached a standard in New Zealand nobody yet has. They’re the first pizzeria in the country (joining 472 others worldwide) to receive membership into the prestigious culinary institute, ‘Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana’. And let’s just say that the certification process for a pizzeria to join this club is…’rigorous’. You can’t just buy a membership online! Beautifully fresh, handmade thin bases are the perfect amount of crispiness in all the right places and soft but never doughy in those other places. If you’re a pizza fan, you know what I mean! And the bases are topped with just the right amount (traditionally speaking) of toppings.

 

It’s been said that “If you have not tried Epolito’s pizzas than you have not lived!” If you are a true pizza lover then this is where you want to go to try their creations. If you are looking for a pizza that is as big as your table then we suggest trying the large size. Epolitos is an authentic New York-Italian styled pizzeria, the bases are made fresh everyday by the pizza chef, who hails from New York and has the accent to go with it. If you are with someone who loves classic Italian pizzas then try the margherita, if not there are many more options to choose from on the menu. If you are a ‘more modern’ or ‘something different’ kind of person then we suggest trying the artichoke heart, anchovy and lemon pizza - it will blow your mind and give you a whole new look at how pizza should taste and look.

 

Waikato - Luke’s Pizza

There’s no way Luke’s Pizza couldn’t be included in New Zealand’s Best Pizzas because it’s here that you’ll find a selection of tasty pizzas, all made with local, seasonal produce. We recommend the Little Hippy - a tasty veggie combo with sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes. All pizzas can be made gluten free and are baked in a traditional wood-fired oven, meaning they the bases are perfectly crispy.

 

Taranaki - El Condor Restaurante El Condor have mastered the art of a delicious, memorable pizza and we can still remember our first encounter, which was the Pollo – chicken and fresh tomato with guacamole on top. They have 13 different pizzas to choose from and they do vegetarian options as well as a three cheese pizza with blue vein, mozzarella and parmesan.

 

With almost 20 pizzas to choose from, it can be a little tricky deciding what one to go with because they are all so good, but Blue and Bacon is a good choice - bacon, blue cheese, cashew nuts, caramelised onions and capsicums as well as St Pepperoni - pepperoni, red onions, feta, tomato, olives and mozzarella. Staying on theme, you can even get a delectable dessert pizza - cranberry sauce, white chocolate, berries, mascarpone and mixed berry sorbet. Now there couldn’t be anything more divine than that!

 

A clear winner for best pizza in Wellington, Pizza Pomodoro is hands-down, some of the best pizza we’ve ever had and that’s all thanks to the seriously good dough work. The $10 margherita on Wednesday is a steal and, with free delivery on Monday and Tuesday for orders over $18, you can’t go wrong. Although this is mainly a takeaway pizza place, you can sit in at Goldings Free Dive Bar just across the lane and have one brought to you. One of two members of the True Neopolitan Pizza Association in New Zealand, it’s a must-try if you like pizza and are in Wellington.

 

Nelson - Hot Rock Gourmet Pizza and Pasta Bar

If you are looking for an expansive range of pizza flavours then give Hot Rocks on Tahunanui Drive a try. The menu includes a range of gourmet pizzas with everything from roast lamb, refried beans, cajun spices, chicken and beef. There are also a couple of vegetarian options. There’s a kids menu and a value menu, with wheat-free, gluten-free, egg-free and soy-free bases available.

 

An amazing Italian restaurant in Akaroa, Vangionis is not just popular for its amazing pizzas, but also for its fabulous service and great views of the harbour. The pizzas come with thin bases and are piled high with delicious toppings.

 

Winnies is famous in New Zealand for creating some of the best pizza in the country. Take your pick from a whole range of toppings – a local favourite is the seafood pizza because it’s absolutely delish! A fun hangout for the whole family or perfect for an intimate date. The staff are professional, knowledgeable and cool.