Edinburgh has quietly built one of the UK's most varied pizza scenes, ranging from strict Neapolitan tradition to big foldable New York slices — and the best spots are scattered across the city, from Leith Walk to the foot of The Meadows.
The perennial local favourite is Razzo on Leith Street, a tiny Neapolitan-style operation that hand-stretches dough and fires pizzas out fast to a near-constant queue. The simple Marinara is a classic, but the mortadella pizza with yellow tomatoes and Puglian burrata is the standout, and a fried mozzarella sandwich to start never hurts. It's takeaway-first, with just a couple of bookable tables.
For something a bit different, head to Dough on Rose Street, where stone-baked pizzas come on light, crisp bases with Italian-sourced toppings — San Marzano tomatoes, Abruzzo olives — plus a proper vegan menu with genuinely thoughtful combos like a truffle and mushroom pizza with vegan cheese. Over in Newington, Matto took the title of best pizza in Scotland at the 2024 Deliveroo Awards thanks to its wood-fired, slow-fermented dough and seasonal toppings (think pumpkin cream, friarielli, gorgonzola and crispy leeks), with a Nutella and pistachio dessert pizza to finish.
Pizza Posto on Nicolson Street covers the Neapolitan classics with dough rested for 24-48 hours and cooked in clay ovens — the Grande Italia piled with Parma ham, burrata and rocket is the indulgent pick. Pizzeria 1926 on Dalry Road, a member of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, has been doing traditional Neapolitan crusts since 2016 and is an easy walk from Haymarket station.
Craving a slice instead of a whole pie? Sear's on Marchmont Road does the New York thing properly: 18-inch sharing pizzas for pre-order, single slices heated to order from £2, or any slice with a soda for £5.50. Most people grab theirs and eat on the grass in The Meadows nearby. Civerino's, near Portobello, is another American-style option with a foldable, Parmesan-dusted crust and even a Detroit-style deep pan — grab a takeaway and eat it on the beach.
Leith earns its food reputation here too. Pala, from the team behind the Twelve Triangles bakery, does Roman pizza al taglio — crisp, cut-to-order slices with combos like potato, pecorino and sun-dried tomato pesto — though it only opens on selected days, so check hours first. San Ciro's, also on Leith Walk, is the relaxed sit-down choice for a full Italian dinner.
Why it matters: whether you're in town for the festivals or just passing through, Edinburgh's pizza map is cheap, walkable and reliably excellent — from £2 slices to award-winning wood-fired pies. Vegetarians and vegans are genuinely catered for, and a beach-and-pizza combo at Portobello is hard to beat on a summer evening.
