Restaurant in New York City, United States
No reservation needed. Serious slice.
Best Pizza in the East Village is a walk-in-only pizza counter ranked #131 on Opinionated About Dining's 2025 Cheap Eats in North America list, up from #220 in 2024 — a trajectory that matters. With a 4.9 Google rating from nearly 1,500 reviews, it earns a clear recommendation for anyone wanting independently validated, no-fuss pizza in Manhattan without a reservation or a significant spend.
Leading Pizza at 105 E 9th St earns a clear recommendation for anyone who wants a serious slice in the East Village without a reservation, a dress code, or a bill that requires planning. Ranked #131 on Opinionated About Dining's Cheap Eats in North America list for 2025 (up from #220 in 2024), it has built a documented track record among the most credible voices in the low-key dining category. A 4.9 Google rating across 1,474 reviews is the kind of signal that tells you the consistency is real. If you are in Manhattan and want pizza that has been independently validated at a price point that won't require thought, this is a direct call.
Walk past Leading Pizza on a weekday afternoon and what you see first is the queue — or the absence of one, depending on your timing. The counter setup is visible from the street: a no-ceremony operation where the visual cues are the pies themselves, not the room. There is no wine list to speak of, no sommelier curating a pairing, and no tasting flight. That is worth naming directly because the editorial angle here is relevant context: if you are the kind of explorer who usually asks about the wine program before booking, Leading Pizza deliberately operates outside that framework. The drink question at a place like this is answered by whatever is cold and available. For anyone who normally visits Le Bernardin, Atomix, or Per Se for the full pairing experience, Leading Pizza operates in a different register entirely — and it is better for knowing that going in.
Chef Frank Pinello runs the operation. His name is attached to the product in a way that matters: this is not a faceless counter. The OAD ranking climbing 89 places in a single year , from #220 in 2024 to #131 in 2025 , is a concrete signal that quality has been moving in the right direction, not coasting on an early reputation. For food-focused travelers who track the OAD Cheap Eats list as a reliable indicator of where to eat when the budget is flexible but the standards are not, that trajectory is exactly the kind of detail worth noting.
Compare this to other well-regarded New York pizza options. Angelo's Coal Oven Pizza leans into the theatre of the coal oven and a slightly more sit-down format. Don Antonio brings a Neapolitan focus and a wider menu. Artichoke Basille's has a devoted following for its thick-cut style, while Emmy Squared makes a case for Detroit-style. Leading Pizza's OAD ranking puts it in a peer set that is independently validated , not self-declared , which is the most useful comparison frame for a decision like this.
For food and travel enthusiasts who move through cities eating at both the leading end and the ground level, the East Village address matters. This is a neighborhood with enough density of interesting places to eat that a stop at Leading Pizza can anchor a longer afternoon rather than define it. See our full New York City restaurants guide for the wider picture, and our New York City bars guide if you are building out an evening around this area. If you are traveling from outside New York, our hotel guide covers where to stay nearby.
For context on how this kind of operation compares to standout pizzerias in other cities: Ken's Artisan Pizza in Portland and 800 Degrees Pizza in Los Angeles represent different regional takes on serious casual pizza. Leading Pizza's OAD placement puts it ahead of most regional competitors in the national cheap eats ranking, which is the relevant credential for a place at this price point.
Reservations: Not required , walk-in format, booking difficulty is easy. Timing: Go early in the lunch window or mid-afternoon to avoid the peak queue. Evening slots see heavier foot traffic. Budget: Cheap eats tier , expect to spend well under $30 per person. Dress: No code; come as you are. Address: 105 E 9th St, New York, NY 10003. Check our New York City experiences guide and wineries guide for planning the rest of your day.
Leading Pizza and the comparison set of Le Bernardin, Atomix, Masa, Per Se, and Eleven Madison Park are not competing for the same diner on the same night. The $$$$ venues on that list require advance reservations, significant spend, and a deliberate commitment to a long meal. Leading Pizza requires none of those things. The relevant decision is not which is better , it is what you actually need on a given evening.
If you are in New York for one high-stakes dinner, the case for Masa or Le Bernardin is clear: those are destination meals with credentials to match the price. If you want a lunch or a quick stop between other plans, Leading Pizza's OAD ranking gives it more external validation than most casual options in the city. Among the East Village's pizza options, it sits above Artichoke Basille's and Denino's Pizzeria & Tavern on the OAD ranking, which is the most direct peer comparison available.
For explorers building a multi-stop eating day in Manhattan, the practical read is this: Leading Pizza works as the casual anchor around which you can plan higher-commitment meals. It does not require booking, does not drain the budget, and has the OAD track record to justify the stop. Pair it with a longer evening at one of New York's serious restaurants and the day holds together well.
You do not need to book at all. Leading Pizza operates as a walk-in venue , no reservation system, no booking window to worry about. The practical timing question is what hour you arrive: mid-afternoon tends to be quieter than the lunch rush or the early evening crowd. If you are visiting on a weekend, go before noon or after 2 PM to avoid the longest queues.
Yes , it is one of the easier solo dining calls in New York. A counter-style, walk-in format means there is no awkward table-for-one situation, no pressure to occupy a seat for a long time, and no minimum spend. The East Village location gives you plenty of options for a drink or a second stop afterward. Check our New York City bars guide for what to do next.
No dress code applies. The format is casual by design , this is a pizza counter in the East Village, not a dining room with expectations. Come as you are.
For a different style in the same casual tier: Angelo's Coal Oven Pizza if you want more of a sit-down experience, Artichoke Basille's for thick-cut, and Emmy Squared for Detroit-style. For a full-commitment dinner instead, Le Bernardin or Eleven Madison Park are the credentialed choices at the opposite end of the price range. See our full New York City restaurants guide for the complete picture.
It depends on what the occasion calls for. If the occasion is a birthday dinner with wine pairings and a long table, this is not the right venue , look at Per Se or Atomix for that. If the occasion is a low-key celebration, a first date, or a deliberate casual meal between two people who know good pizza, Leading Pizza's OAD ranking gives it enough credibility to make the choice feel considered rather than accidental.
The venue database does not include confirmed signature dishes, so specific ordering guidance is not something Pearl can verify here. What the OAD ranking and Google score tell you is that the core product , the pizza , is the reason people return. Go with the standard offering and trust the track record. If you want confirmed dish-level detail, check directly with the venue before visiting.
No contact details or confirmed dietary policy are in the Pearl database for this venue. Phone and website are not currently listed. For dietary needs beyond the standard menu, the safest approach is to visit in person and ask , the counter format makes it easy to check before ordering.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Pizza | Pizzeria | Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats in North America Ranked #131 (2025); Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats in North America Ranked #220 (2024); Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats in North America in Recommended (2023) | Easy | — |
| Le Bernardin | French, Seafood | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Atomix | Modern Korean, Korean | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Per Se | French, Contemporary | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Masa | Sushi, Japanese | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Eleven Madison Park | French, Vegan | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
You don't need to book at all. Best Pizza runs a walk-in counter format with no reservations required. Timing matters more than planning: go early in the lunch window or mid-afternoon to avoid the longest queues. The OAD Cheap Eats ranking (#131 in North America for 2025) means foot traffic is real, so off-peak visits move faster.
Yes, and it's probably the format where Best Pizza works best. Counter or casual seating means there's no awkwardness arriving alone, no minimum spend, and no need to coordinate a group around availability. Order by the slice, eat immediately, leave when you're done — it's low-friction dining at its most practical.
Whatever you're already wearing. This is a walk-in East Village pizzeria with no dress expectations. Show up in work clothes, gym gear, or off-duty weekend wear — none of it matters. Save the dress-code research for somewhere on the other side of the OAD rankings.
For serious New York-style pizza at a similar price point and format, Di Fara in Brooklyn and Joe's Pizza in the West Village are the standard comparisons. If you want to stay in the East Village and skip the queue, other neighbourhood slice spots are within a few blocks. Best Pizza's consistent OAD recognition from 2023 through 2025 suggests it holds up against the peer set.
Only if the occasion is pizza. There's no reservation structure, no tasting menu, and no ceremony — which is exactly the point. For a birthday dinner with presentation or a date where effort signals matter, look elsewhere. For a genuinely good slice that two people will actually remember eating, it works fine.
The venue database doesn't include a specific menu, so specific dish calls aren't available here. Frank Pinello is the chef behind the operation, and the pizzeria's repeated OAD Cheap Eats recognition from 2023 to 2025 points to consistent quality across the core offering. Order what's available on the board and don't overthink it.
Specific dietary accommodation details aren't in the available venue data. As a pizzeria, gluten-free and vegan options vary widely by operator and can change without notice. check the venue's official channels before visiting if dietary needs are a deciding factor — the address is 105 E 9th St, New York, NY 10003.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
