There exists a widespread belief that in the late 1800s, a pizzaiolo constructed a dish called La Pizza Margherita in honor of the Queen of Italy, Margherita of Savoy. The toppings used were to demonstrate and celebrate the unification of Italy, with tomato (red), mozzarella (white) and basil (green)—ingredients inspired by the tricolore, the national flag of Italy.
Over the past two years, I have been able to eat at over twenty pizzerias and have come up with my list of the top three in the GTA. This list is judged based on trying only the margherita pizza because I believe that it is a way to be most consistent across the rankings.
There exist three key elements when judging a pizzeria and determining if they make una buona pizza. First, the ambiance of the locale. Does it bring me back to being in Southern Italy visiting my family? Is the beer or wine any good? How is the music? Etc. Second, l’impasto (i.e., the dough). Does the crust have a nice cornicione (i.e., a puffy and airy crust)? Is the dough chewy? Is there an excess of flour? Etc. Third, the toppings. The taste of the tomato sauce, the cheese, and the basil. These three elements are what have helped me narrow down my top three pizzerias in the GTA.
Number 1: Pizzeria Via Mercanti (Kensington)
188 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2L4
Margherita Pizza: $16
Talk about being brought back to the beautiful town of Naples, Italy. When you call them, they answer the phone with a thick Italian accent. This place is also a chance for you to practice your Italian by making a reservation. So, if you want to take a stab at it you can say: “Posso fare una prenotazione per due persone alle 7 di sera)?” Then, as soon as you enter the restaurant you see the beautiful wood oven that they use to cook the pizza. Likewise, the pizziaolo (i.e., pizza chef) is straight from Italy and the music in the restaurant is Italian. One could argue that the location being in Kensington has the Neapolitan vibe to it.
Now the dough. The dough is spectacular. You can tell that they do an overnight fermentation process by the lightness and digestibleness of the dough. You know that feeling when you eat Pizza Pizza with creamy garlic dipping sauce at two a.m. and you feel like you have a ball of dough in your stomach? Yea, you don’t feel that with this pizza. You can eat four of them and still feel light as a feather.
Finally, the toppings. Now, I am not sure if the ingredients are flown in from Italy or used from local Ontario farms, but they taste fresh. The tomatoes are sweet, the cheese is perfect, and the basil, well it is basil, but it is good. Growing up I used to love eating it straight from nonna’s giardino (i.e., garden).
To me, Via Mercanti (Kensington) is the best pizzeria in the GTA if you are looking for authentic pizza with an authentic Southern Italian vibe.
P.S. Ciao Romolo (the owner), if you see this, feel free to give me a free pizza and una birra alla spina—non lo rifiuto.
Number 2: Locale (Aurora)
14845 Yonge St, Aurora, ON L4G 1N1
Margherita Pizza: $18
Look, I know what you’re saying: Aurora, that is so far North. It is too close to the North Pole. Ma, aspetta (but, wait!). The trek is worth it.
First, the ambiance is stellar. Locale has been around in King City for years, and the Aurora one opened a few years ago. The Aurora one is my favourite, partly because it is close to my house and partly because I have had only bad experiences at the one in King City.
When you walk into the Aurora Locale, you automatically feel as if you were transported to downtown Toronto. Inside, it is beautifully decorated, with a beautiful ambiance. They have unique seating arrangements and a beautiful bar. The servers are amazing and so are their cocktails. To me, the cocktails are what make them stand out. Look, in Italy, it is custom to have beer with pizza because they go together like red wine and steak or white wine and seafood. However, like my Zio (i.e., uncle) says: “Che me ne frega! If I want to have wine with my pizza, then I’ll have wine. Rules were meant to be broken.” I tend to agree. So, if you want to try their cocktail with your pizza—go for it!
Next, the dough. This dough is fantastic, it is light and airy, and delicious. The toppings are great too. They are fresh and every bite leaves you wanting more.
Overall, this is a great spot to go on a date or a celebratory dinner with friends or family. Likewise, many local businesspeople use it to conduct business development meetings.
This place is great, and you will not regret the trek up north.
Number 3: Cafe Oro di Napoli
75 Jarvis St, Toronto, ON M5C 2H1
Pizza Margherita: $16
When you enter the restaurant what stands out is the beautiful red Stefano Ferarra pizza oven. Stefano is il re (i.e., the king) of Neapolitan style pizza ovens. Alongside the beautiful oven, is the red brick wall that gives this place a rustic look. Moving on to the dough, it is amazing. The beautifully charred pizza crust, with the perfect amount of chew to the dough, makes it one of the best doughs I have tried. Likewise, the ingredients are so fresh. Finally, when you are done your meal, feel free to stay for an espresso (or two) if you like the taste of bold, fresh coffee.
All in all, this is a solid place to eat, one that I recommend people try.
Honourable Mention: Abruzzo Pizza
9010 Yonge St, Richmond Hill, ON L4C 6Z8
Medium 13” Margherita: $14
Look, this is not your typical Neapolitan style pizza. Maybe when it first opened in 1981, it embodied that style. Today, it mirrors more of an Italian-Canadian (i.e., New York) style pizza with a bit of southern Italian love. Growing up nearby, we would always order take-out pizza from them or dine-in, and I can say that the pizza is still fantastic.
Final summary:
Outside of Napoli or Salerno, these are the top three pizzerias that I have had the pleasure spending my hard earned “dough” on. I am no pizza expert, but I have lived in Italy for about six months, have family that own pizzerias in Southern Italy, and make my own pizzas on occasion (@pizzadimario_ on Instagram). I think my tastes are more refined than simply Domino’s or Pizza Pizza. I do have to admit that during my undergraduate degree, Domino’s was a crowd favourite because it was cheap and close to where I lived. I am proud to say that I have not eaten at Domino’s since 2018 and don’t have a desire to go back.
Feel free to let me know your favourite pizzerias in the GTA!
Ciao for now,
Mariuccio