2 LA pizzerias named among best in the world
2 LA pizzerias named among world's best
Three Southern California pizzerias have been named among the top 100 in the world, according to the 2025 Best Pizza Awards announced this month in Milan, Italy.
LOS ANGELES - Three Southern California pizzerias - two in Los Angeles and one in Orange County - were just named among the world's best, according to the third annual Best Pizza Awards.
Local perspective:
William Joo's Pizzeria Sei came in at number 44 in the world, beating out dozens of pizzerias in Italy.
The Best Pizza Awards credited Joo's Tokyo-style Neapolitan pies and recognized his "salt-punch" technique, which involves sprinkling salt into the pizza, for a major shift in overall pizza texture.
Pizzeria Sei was recently added to the 2025 Michelin Guide.
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"Today, William Joo continues to explore and elevate pizza through simplicity, balance, and a deep respect for ingredients and tradition," reads the chef’s official entry. Joo also made the Best Pizza Awards top 100 list in 2024 and 2023.
Justin De Leon's Apollonia's Pizza ranked number 58, with the awarding body highlighting De Leon's "game-changing square[s]" which features burnt cheese edges and fluffy interiors. Apollonia's also made the list last year at number 51.
In Orange County, Chris Decker's Truly Pizza in Dana Point ranked highest overall at number 44 in the world. The Best Pizza Awards applauded Decker's apprenticeship under renowned Las Vegas pizzaiolo John Arena. It's the first time Decker has been recognized in the annual awards.
One Bay Area pizzeria - Berkeley's Pizzeria da Laura by Chef Laura Meyer - ranked number 96 on the list.
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Big picture view:
The number one spot went to Francesco Martucci's I Masanielli in Caserta, Italy, followed by Franco Pepe's Pepe in Grani in Caiazzo, Italy. Three other pizzerias in Italy rounded out the top 5.
The backstory:
The Best Pizza Awards is an annual ceremony that honors the world's best pizzaiolos and pizzerias, organized by the Best Chef Awards. The body of voters, selected byThe Best Chef, is made up of 150 industry professionals including food critics and journalists, and 362 pizza chefs from 60 different countries.
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A ceremony was held for the winners in Milan, Italy on June 25.
The event welcomed over 500 international guests.
The Source: Information for this report was gathered from the third annual Best Pizza Awards, an event organized by The Best Chef Awards. The awards are determined by a body of 150 food critics and journalists, and 362 pizza chefs from 60 countries.