The best pizza places in Ottawa, according to local chefs and restaurant owners
All pizza is good pizza, but this is the BEST pizza.
Pies from some of Ottawa's best pizza spots.
Pizza: It's arguably the most important food group. The level of pizza in any given city sets a standard for what the rest of the city has to offer. It may very well be the most popular food in the world, and everyone has their own variation.
When it comes to pizza in Ottawa, it's easy to get lost in the sheer number of options available to us, and it's hard to just trust your friends sometimes... Heck, you might even find it hard to trust us sometimes!
But what about the chefs and restaurateurs of the city? Surely these are the professionals we go to for a recommendation in our time of need.
Well, that's exactly what we did. So you can rest assured that these are THE best pizza spots in Ottawa, according to those in the know.
Heartbreakers
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Pizza
Address: 465 Parkdale Ave., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: This was easily the most highly recommended spot among all the experts we asked. Heck, it might have been the most recommended spot across ALL categories we've asked about.
Heartbreakers is more than just great pizza. It's a vast selection of impressive wines; it has an aesthetic that's both stylish and comfortable; it's a builder of community and collaboration across the industry. It's just wonderful.
Perhaps that's why Heartbreakers is the favourite pizza of chefs across the city, like Coco De Leo of Dreamland Cafe, Liam Vainola of Earling's Variety and Alex Bimm of Le Poisson Bleu, among many others.
Retro Gusto
Price: 💸💸💸
Cuisine: Pizza
Address: 122 Preston St., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Another legend in the pizza game here in Ottawa is Retro Gusto. Famous not only for their amazing food and vibe but also for not accepting any modifications, it's true when they tell you that they know best!
Retro Gusto is an amazing date spot for pizza lovers. After ordering a couple of pies and a bottle of wine, you'll drift away to the Italian countryside through every bite and every sip.
It's easy to understand why chefs like Chris Cooke of Giulia (spoiler alert: he'll be on this list too) and Shayne Proulx of Cameline shouted Retro Gusto out among their favourite pie spots in the city.
Farinella
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Pizza
Address: 492 Rochester Ave., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Farinella refers to itself as a contemporary Italian kitchen that focuses mainly on two things: pizza and gelato.
They're unique to any other pizza spot in the city as you buy your pies by length! Pizzas come in metre- and half-metre-long options and are meant to comfortably feed four and two people, respectively.
This unique size, shape and even dough style sets Farinella apart in the eyes of many, including chefs like Adam Vettorel of North & Navy and Sarah Kirke of Pizza Nerds.
Pizza Nerds
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Pizza
Address: 44 Seneca St. & 478 Bank St., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: With so many great pizza places in Ottawa, the dine-in experience is imperative, but it sometimes becomes difficult to find a solid pizza that can provide both an enjoyable dine-in experience and an elite takeout service.
Many of the Neopolitan-style pizzas can't last the car ride home while maintaining the same level of quality, but Pizza Nerds? Pizza Nerds was made for this.
Not only do they make a mean pie that will survive your commute, but they have a number of interesting flavour combinations that you wouldn't find on your average pizza. Things like kimchi pizza and jalapeno popper pizza are normal menu items here.
Not only is this my personal pick for the best takeout pizza in Ottawa, but it's also the choice of chefs like Tim Alleway of Sadie Bean's Ice Creams and Holly Laham of Holly's Hot Chicken.
Anthony's
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Pizza
Address: 1218 Wellington St. W., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: I adore Anthony's. For my money, this is the closest thing you'll get to an authentic Neopolitan-style pizza in the city of Ottawa. Every single flavour is delicious, every pizza is cooked with care, and if you're lucky, you'll even see Anthony himself firing off pizzas in the back on a busy Friday or Saturday night.
This wood-fired oven pizza has been a favourite amongst locals in the Wellington West area for years, and now it's time it becomes a favourite amongst Ottawans everywhere.
Ian Wilson, co-owner of Thr33's co Snack Bar and St. Elsewhere, quotes this as his favourite pizza in the city, and for good reason.
Giulia
Price: 💸💸💸
Cuisine: Coastal Italian & Pizza
Address: 350 Elgin St. & 61 York St., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: No list is complete without my personal favourite. After all, I'm writing the article, so I make the rules. Thankfully this is also the favourite pizza of Bar Guapo owners Sam and Stelios, so you don't JUST have to take it from me.
With so many amazing places to choose from, you often have to look to a supporting cast of reasons when choosing your favourite spots. Not only does Giulia go punch for punch with any other place on this list when it comes to quality and flavour, but they also nail all of the little things.
The atmosphere in both locations is beautiful. The cocktail and wine lists accompany the pizza perfectly, and the dips and drizzles available alongside your pies are the best in the city. (Have their garlic dip — seriously, you'll want to bathe in it.)
Whether you're into something unique like the Sweet Tony, or something classic like the Sicilian (my personal favourite), Giulia absolutely knocks it out of the park.
I'm going to end this article with two things: A list of places that I couldn't fit on the list today that I believe deserve some love, and a thank you to all the hard-working Pizza-neers of the city that work tirelessly to make Ottawa's pizza scene great!
First off: Stay Gold Pizza deserves its flowers for its Detroit-style pizza, and Lil Z's has the best slice in the city, in my humble opinion.
Second: We are so fortunate to have so many amazing options for pizza in the city that it's actually difficult to try them all! Pizza can be polarizing. It pits people against each other to defend their favourites, but pizza can also be something that brings us together. Sharing a pie with a loved one is one of the purest joys in life. So trust the experts! Head down to one of these beautiful pizza shops and get yourself a slice of love.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
- 5 of the best Italian restaurants in Ottawa, according to local chefs and foodies ›
- Viva Italia! A catch-all foodie itinerary for Ottawa's Little Italy ›
- 9 of the absolute best sandwiches in Ottawa that need to be on your foodie bucket list ›
- 6 vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Ottawa if you never want to see a black bean burger again - Narcity ›
- 7 of the best sushi restaurants in Ottawa, according to local chefs and foodies - Narcity ›
- The best pizza spots in Ottawa by neighbourhood, from city to suburbs (MAP) - Narcity ›