Two Belgian pizza places are making pizza to rival all their European (and British) neighbours, according to a 2021 roundup of the best pizza in Europe.
Del Popolo Pizza in Antwerp and La Pizza è Bella in Brussels both feature on the list published by Big 7 Travel, which set out to rank the best pizza in 2021.
"The list of the best pizzas in Europe is packed with some of tastiest pies you will ever set your eyes on. And, while you’d expect to find lots of great pizza in Italy, you’ll find equally tasty pies scattered all over the rest of the continent, too," Big 7 Travel explained alongside the results.
"With European restaurants reopening in time for summer, we’re celebrating the places that take pizza to new levels alongside those that honour classic traditions and techniques."
According to the site, Del Popolo earned its position at 16 as it is "the epitome of a modern European pizzeria."
"Trendy decor gives way to fascinating, tempting aromas of pizza and even some of the city’s finest wine. The kicker? They’ll cook your pizza at 400 degrees right in front of your own eyes as you wait to indulge. Here, it’s all about the thick crust. You know, the drool-worthy Sicilian-style pizza you crave when you’re hungry for some real sustenance."
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While near the bottom of the rankings (49), La Pizza è Bella is still considered one of the best in Belgium. "They’re experts at crafting authentic flavours; all of their fresh produce comes from local producers in Campania and everything is made from scratch in-house. After a pizza, be sure to sample their other Neapolitan dishes, such as Polipetti Affogati."
This lower ranking is at odds with the top 5 in Europe position given to the La Pizza è Bella in a 2020 review.
La Bottega della Pizza, which was recently named the best pizza in Belgium, is not on the list at all.
So where's the best pizza?
According to the company - which regularly publishes such lists on everything from cocktails to rooftops - its combination of editorial experience, reviews by critics and customers, location, consistency, online presence and more found that the best pizza can still be found in Italy.
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele in Naples held the spot because "review after review sees people raving about how they’ve had the best pizza of their life at Pizzeria Da Michele. You might have to wait a bit to get a taste, but once you bite into this cheesy goodness, you’ll realise it was well worth the hype."
The full list - and the disagreeing comments - can be seen here.
