MANHATTAN – New York City is known for its pizza and there are thousands of different pizzerias to choose from— so where do you start? The Upper East Side of course, where you’ll find some of the best pizza slices in the entire city— we taste-tested a slew of shops from East 59th Street all the way to East 96th Street to put together this definitive list.
These are the 6 Best Pizza Slices on the Upper East Side.
Delizia 92 – Best Plain Slice
Second Avenue at East 92nd Street
The best Plain Slice overall can be found at either Delizia 92 on Second Avenue and East 92nd street, or its sibling Delizia 73 on— you guessed it— East 73rd Street and First Avenue.
Delizia’s slices are the perfect balance of chewy and crispy thanks to being cooked slightly under-done— or what’s known to pizza-men as a light bake. This also gives you the option of having them finish cooking the slice— which is what you’ll get, unless you tell them ‘not too hot.’
Delizia’s pizza sauce is tangy and flavorful with a hint a sweetness— all the flavors are complemented with a generous layer of mozzarella cheese.
While the slices are delicious, delivery from Delizia 92 can be hit or miss— sometimes you’ll get fresh hot slices and sometimes they send slices so old and hardened that they belong in the trash.
ALSO READ: Top 6 Bars with Games & Activities on the Upper East Side
Mimi’s Pizza – Best Spinach-Artichoke Slice
East 86th Street between Third and Second Avenues
Other pizzeria’s may try their own recipe, but the hands-down best spinach artichoke pizza slice on the Upper East Side belongs to Mimi’s Pizza.
Tucked away along East 86th Street, across from Fairway, you’ll find one of the richest, most decadent pizza slices you can eat standing up off a paper plate.
The vegetables are the stars here, with a thick, creamy sauce that brings everything together with the same delicious flavors that bring back memories of friends and family enjoying a delicious dip for a special occasion.
Put all that tastiness atop a crispy, crunchy pan pizza base, and you’ve got a square that’ll haunt your dreams.
If spinach artichoke isn’t your jam, try a pepperoni slice— the oven crisps up the pepperoni into little cups of greasy deliciousness that’ll give Prince Street pizza a run for its money.
For those who are daring, call to order Mimi’s ‘mystery box.’
Zazzy’s Pizza – Best Vegan Slice
Second Avenue at East 78th Street
Zazzy’s is a special place, because they make the kind of vegan pizza that will make you forget how much you love real cheese.
Zazzy’s accomplishes something with their vegan slice that no other Upper East Side pizzeria has been able to do— create a vegan pizza slice with all the crave-worthiness of its thin, airy and crispy original slices, thanks to a plant-based cheese topping that satisfies as much as the real thing.
Did we mention this place has plant-based mozzarella sticks too? Eating vegan has never been easier, or tastier.
For those out there who don’t mind a little dairy, the plain slice is just as good as its plant-based counterpart— and the pesto slice is out of this world.
ALSO READ: Best Places to Find Free Wifi on the Upper East Side
Koronet Pizza – Best Jumbo Slice
Lexington Avenue between East 77th and East 78th Street
Whether you’ve got a big appetite or are just flat out hangry, there’s one pizza place on the Upper East Side you should make a bee line for— Koronet Pizza and its famous jumbo slices.
With a thicker than normal crust to support the monster slice, a hearty serving of zesty sauce and rich mozzarella cheese balance out the mammoth slice. For those looking for something a little different, there’s even a jumbo version of Koronet’s popular spinach ricotta slice.
Bigger than two regular-sized slices— and able to fill a pizza box all by itself— Koronet Pizza’s jumbo slice takes commitment to finish. Just make sure your eyes aren’t bigger than your stomach.
ALSO READ: The Top Meatless Sandwiches on the Upper East Side
Roma’s Pizza – Best Late Night Slice
First Avenue at East 88th Street
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, many pizzerias across the Upper East Side cut back their late night hours since fewer people went— but Roma’s Pizza on East 88th Street and First Avenue wasn’t one them.
After shuttering their location on Third Avenue early in the pandemic, the pizzeria reopened in a new location with the almost the same late night hours that made them a neighborhood fixture for so many years.
Roma’s is still open until 4:00am on Friday and Saturday nights, but during the week it closes at 2am, still far later than most other shops are slinging slices.
Their hours aren’t the only reason to go— Roma’s consistently cranks out a variety of flavorful pies including salad pizza, meat lovers and their popular buffalo chicken pizza— there’s something for everyone— but, you cant go wrong with their plain slice.
Pro tip: Add three garlic knots to your order for $1 more. They’re packed with enough garlic to make the even the biggest garlic-lover wince— in a good way.
For updates around the clock, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook
