Where to find the best pizza in Asia-Pacific: Melbourne, Beijing and Tokyo lead 50 Top Pizza’s rankings; Bangkok, Hong Kong well represented
- The 2022 50 Top Pizza Asia-Pacific rankings were unveiled on August 8, with pizzerias from Tokyo, Hong Kong and Bangkok making up nearly half the list
- The list is compiled via a combination of votes and visits from a panel of pizza enthusiasts, who take a look at ingredients, quality, service and waiting time
A cohort of pizza enthusiasts, hospitality professionals and chefs gathered at The Peninsula Bangkok on August 8 to celebrate the unveiling of the 2022 Asia-Pacific rankings in the 50 Top Pizza list.
While Tokyo, Hong Kong and Bangkok had the most pizzerias ranked, the No 1 position went to 48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar in South Yarra, Melbourne, Australia. A Beijing-based pizzeria, Bottega, came in at an impressive No 2, while Tokyo’s The Pizza Bar came in at No 3.
This online guide to the world’s best pizzerias has its origins in a ranking in 2018 in Italy of the best pizzerias in that country. It was expanded to include international and regional rankings from 2020 onwards. The 2022 world rankings will be revealed in September at the Palazzo Reale in Naples, the cradle of good-quality pizza in Italy.
“The guide does not have ideological principles, it is inspired by the general concept of quality [in] its broadest sense,” reads an introduction to the rankings. “However, it does give preference to establishments that use locally sourced and seasonal products.”
The 2022 Asia-Pacific list was compiled with the help of 150 “inspectors” pulled together by food marketing professional Vittoria Dell’Anna and four local coordinators.
Tokyo dominated the 2022 Asia-Pacific list, with 12 pizzerias featured in the top 34, with Tarantella di Luigi the city’s lowest ranked venue. Bangkok had a brilliant showing, with five pizzerias on the list: Peppina (No 5), Pizza Massilia (No 6), Pizzeria Mazzie (No 10), Via Emilia Restaurant (No 19) and L’Olivia Bangkok (No 31).
Hong Kong has six venues on the list, including, at No 8, Fiata Pizza – one of the city’s newest pizzerias, having opened at the end of 2021.
“Fiata Pizza is not about how much money we make – it is more about [respecting] the legacy of my family history of pizzaiolos,” says Fiata, who grew up in Caserta in southern Italy, known for its pizzas.
He is adamant about using fresh Italian ingredients in his restaurant, which was challenging given the disruption to global supply chains around the time he opened.
“We feel very grateful and blessed for the continuous support from our staff, the suppliers and most importantly the customers of Fiata Pizza – without them we wouldn’t have walked this far,” he says. “Now we are settled and [there is] no excuse for us not to climb higher.”
“What made me particularly happy is that Fiata made it into the top 10, [as it is] the restaurant that I awarded with my own Best Pizza award last year,” he tells us. “The owner Salvatore Fiata puts a lot of love, passion and skill into his business, so this recognition is very justified.”
He thinks the scoring system for the 50 Top Pizzas could be more transparent.
“However, I am happy that they organised this event in Asia for the first time. It shows that the region is getting acknowledged more for [its] pizza quality. It’s important to also recognise all the pizza places in this city that have not made it into the list.
“There is a lot of creativity and hard work that Hong Kong pizzaiolos put into their businesses every day. I have the same type of appreciation for them as for the 50 published winners.”
The 50 Top Pizza Asia-Pacific 2022 rankings in full:
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48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar – Melbourne, Australia
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Bottega – Beijing, China
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The Pizza Bar on 38th – Tokyo, Japan
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Pizzeria Peppe – Napoli Sta’ca” – Tokyo, Japan
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Peppina – Bangkok, Thailand
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Pizza Massilia – Bangkok, Thailand
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Pizza Strada – Tokyo, Japan
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Fiata Pizza – Hong Kong, China
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Dante’s Pizzeria Napoletana – Auckland, New Zealand
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Pizzeria Mazzie – Bangkok, Thailand
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Spacca Napoli – Seoul – South Korea
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Baci Trattoria & Bar – Hong Kong, China
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Ciak: In The Kitchen – Hong Kong, China
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Al Taglio – Sydney, Australia
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Pizzeria e Braceria L’Insieme – Tokyo, Japan
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Pizza Studio Tamaki Roppongi – Tokyo-Minato City, Japan
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Pizzeria Braceria Cesari – Tokyo, Japan
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Pizzeria e Trattoria da ISA – Tokyo, Japan
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Via Emilia Restaurant – Bangkok, Thailand
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Seirinkan – Tokyo, Japan
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La Tripletta – Tokyo, Japan
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La Bottega Enoteca – Singapore, Singapore
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Savoy Azabujuban – Tokyo, Japan
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Little Napoli – Hong Kong, China
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Bella Brutta – Newtown, Australia
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Andrea Style – Taipei City, Taiwan
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Gigi Pizzeria – Sydney, Australia
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Zoca Pizzeria Caffetteria – Taipei City, Taiwan
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Casa Don Alfonso – Macau, China
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Cicheti – Singapore, Singapore
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L’Oliva Bangkok – Bangkok, Thailand
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Crosta Pizzeria – Metro Manila, Philippines
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Pizzeria GG – Tokyo, Japan
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Tarantella da Luigi – Tokyo, Japan
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A25 Pizzeria – Victoria, Australia
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Vera Pizza Napoli – Seoul, South Korea
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SPQR Pizzeria – Melbourne, Australia
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Wild Flour Italian – Metro Manila, Philippines
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Mozzarella Bar – Victoria, Australia
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La Svolta Hampton – Victoria, Australia
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Gustaci Pizza Lounge – Hong Kong, China
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Etica Pizza – Adelaide, Australia
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Lucio Pizzeria – Darlinghurst, Australia
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Luce Osteria Contemporanea – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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The Pizza Project – Hong Kong, China
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Proof Pizza + Wine – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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La Baracca – Bali, Indonesia
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A Mano – Makati, Philippines
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Via Napoli Pizzeria – Sydney, Australia
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Mammamia Pizzeria – Shanghai, China
