The Best Pizza In Toronto Doesn't Have To Be Delivery & Here Are 9 Places You Need To Try
The best pizza restaurant debate is a big one in Canada, and the controversy only gets more heated when you're trying to order some delicious delivery with friends in Toronto. There's nothing like taking that first bite out of a piping-hot pizza slice and pulling the cheese to the max — but who's got the best pizza in Toronto for you?
The Toronto food scene doesn't have as many nationally-decorated pizza restaurants as cities like Winnipeg, Edmonton or Vancouver. That means the competition is wide open for all different kinds of pizza contenders in Toronto, whether you're a fan of huge pizzas, wood-fired pies or a die-hard devotee of one of the major chains.
Your first stop on any Toronto pizza journey should be the Little Italy neighbourhood, which can be found around College Street between Bathurst Street and Ossington Avenue.
You'll find plenty of authentic Italian places along this stretch that serve great pizza, whether you're looking for thin crust, Brooklyn-style pizza, a fresh Margherita pizza or a Neapolitan pizza. There are also several upscale bars with pizza on the menu, although you really need to get out and travel around the city taste all the different kinds of delicious pizza that Toronto has to offer.
You can also find plenty of unique fusion pizza options to try in the city thanks to all the different cultures that contribute to the 6ix's food scene.
So where should you order pizza the next time you want it in the city?
Here's what you need to know about the best pizza in downtown Toronto.
Where is Toronto's largest slice of pizza?
Lamanna's Bakery in Toronto has the largest slice of pizza you'll probably ever see in your life. This Italian bakery has been selling its Instagram-worthy slices for years, though you might want to get a few friends together if you want to order one for yourself.
Lamanna's will dress it like a classic pizza if you like, with regular toppings like mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. However, they're also a bakery, and that means they can turn it into the dessert pizza of your dreams with cookies, donuts, chocolate or whatever else you want on it.
These stunning slices have attracted plenty of attention from foodies, news stations and even celebrities over the years, including the likes of Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint.
You can order the gigantic Lamanna's pizza slice with whatever toppings and cheese you want. There's just one catch: you have to give the bakery at least 24 hours' notice. Why? Because it takes a long time to make a giant f*cking pizza, that's why.
How much should I tip for pizza delivery?
Tipping culture is super divisive these days, but there's no question that it's customary to tip your pizza delivery driver in North America, and that includes Toronto. It's customary to tip 15-20% at restaurants in Toronto, with 18% being right in the middle of the road for good service.
If you're picking up your pizza then that's a different story, as many Ontario residents consider it totally optional to tip for takeout.
What are the most popular pizzas in Canada?
Toronto is home to nearly every major fast-food pizza chain in Canada. That means there are plenty of tried-and-true pizza franchises that you'll recognize if you're ordering delivery in the city, even if you're only just visiting from somewhere else.
We've ranked the top pizza chains in the country and you'll be able to choose from some, if not all of these the next time you order delivery in Toronto.
The major fast-food pizza chains in Toronto include:
- Pizza Pizza
- Pizza Nova
- Little Caesars Pizza
- Boston Pizza
- Pizza Hut
- 241 Pizza
- Domino's Pizza
- Papa John's Pizza
- Pizzaiolo
- Panago Pizza
What brand is the best frozen pizza in Canada?
If you're any kind of pizza fan, you probably like to keep a frozen pie stuffed in the back of your freezer for a rainy day (or just a day when you can't afford to drop cash on delivery). Sure, it's not delivery, but you can throw it in the oven and whip up a quick meal in about 10 minutes.
We all mourned the loss of Delissio pizza when it pulled out of Canada in early 2023, but there are still plenty of tasty frozen pizza options at the grocery store. We tried several from an Ontario grocery store and found that Dr. Oetker's Ristorante pizza was a cut above the rest.
What toppings do you put on a pizza?
You can't talk about good pizza without getting into the toppings, and in Canada, that means diving into the old pineapple-on-pizza debate.
Do you dig it? If you do, then you're probably among the six in 10 Canadians who consider pineapple a legit topping for pizza.
Canadians and Americans often share similar tastes, and if a recent U.S. pizza poll is any indication, then you probably can't go wrong with pepperoni on a pizza — if you eat meat. The YouGov poll found that 24% of American pizza-eaters prefer pepperoni as their favourite topping, followed by sausage at 13% and extra cheese at 11%.
Pineapple picked up just 4% of that vote, so it's clear that Americans are more prickly about it than Canadians.
Who has the best pizza in Toronto?
We've asked locals and even gone out ourselves to find the best pizza in Toronto. This is obviously a matter of personal taste, but some winners definitely rise to the top when you ask around.
Here are the restaurants that keep coming up every time someone asks about the best pizza in Toronto.
- Pizzeria Badiali (181 Dovercourt Rd., Toronto, ON)
- General Assembly Pizza (331 Adelaide St. W., Toronto, ON)
- North of Brooklyn Pizzeria (Six locations throughout Toronto)
- Maker Pizza (Six locations throughout the Greater Toronto Area)
- Blondies Pizza (Seven locations throughout Toronto)
- Mamma's Pizza (16 locations throughout Ontario)
- Pizzeria Libretto (Six locations throughout Toronto)
- King Slice (1598 Bloor St. W. and 1130 Queen St. W.)
- Pizzeria Du (536 Queen St. W)
Who has the best Detroit style pizza in Toronto?
Detroit-style pizza isn't exclusive to south of the U.S.-Canada border thanks to a handful of great spots in Toronto.
Descendant Detroit Style Pizza is Toronto's gold standard for this kind of pie, which comes in a deep-dish square and loaded with toppings.
But it doesn't stop with Descendant. You can also try Detroit Pizzeria at 1093 Bathurst Street or the Eminem-inspired 8Mile Detroit Style Pizza, which has two locations in the city.
A part of the Reddit thread about tipping.