Crispy Bases and Indulgent Cheese Pulls - The Best Pizza in Leeds

What makes a great pizza? To be the best pizza in Leeds the base has got to be crispy, but not too crispy (i.e. burnt!). The cheese needs to be indulgent, and gooey but not rubbery.

The best pizza in Leeds must use fresh ingredients, either locally sourced or imported from Italy (a true Neapolitan pizza must use specific regional ingredients).

Simple is great and lets the ingredients shine, but unusual topping options don't hurt either!

A bonus if they have a proper pizza oven - cooking in an 800 degree wood-fired oven shows true skill and determination.

Just before I tell you where to find the best Pizza in Leeds, I want to shout about the Leeds Food Tours e-book.

In here you'll find a huge directory of the best independent places to eat & drink in Leeds city centre. You'll also find recipes from some of the best chefs in Leeds, from places like Whitelocks, Stuzzi, The Tetley.

It's just £5, and you'll automatically be sent a new version for free whenever it's updated. Get yours here.

Dough Boys

If it's pizza by the slice alongside a refreshing pint then Belgrave Music Hall is the place to go. This is the thinnest base I've ever had, which means that your tastebuds can fully focus on the flavours.

They have some interesting toppings with entertaining names too, my favourites are Sausage Fest (Prosciutto, spianata & Belgrave black pepper sausage, mascarpone, caramelised onions), Baa No More (Middle Eastern spiced ground lamb, pine nuts, pomegranate, pecorino & baby red chard) and Queen Brie (French brie, caramelised onions, roasted red grapes, black pepper & smoked sea salt).

If you want Dough Boy's recipe for creating the perfect pizza base yourself, you'll find it in the ebook. You can find out more and get your copy at the end of this article.

Livin' Italy

Livin' Italy have venues in Granary Wharf and Cloth Street, each with a different pizza menu and style. I've had pizza at both venues, and to be honest I probably wouldn't rush back to Cloth Street in a hurry (although their small plate dishes are amazing!).

Granary Wharf pizzas are to die for. The bases are so crispy, and I love that the menu lists individual ingredients to choose from so that you can choose exactly what you want.

I always go for goats cheese and Parma ham, plus either butternut squash, walnuts or caramelised onion depending on what I fancy.⁠

⁠It's not just the pizzas that make Livin Italy one of my favourite places in Leeds - their pasta dishes are unreal and they make a fabulous Aperol Spritz.

THIS POST IS CURRENTLY BEING UPDATED AND I'M ADDING CIAO BELLA, RUDY'S, TAPPED AND MORE!

Leeds Food Tours xx