12 Of The Hardest Pizza Reservations To Snag In New York City
New York City takes pizza seriously, so seriously that landing a seat at the hottest spots can feel like plotting a heist. Centuries-old Neapolitan techniques mingle with bold, inventive twists, drawing crowds that refresh reservation apps like it’s a full-time job.
Deep dish, tavern-style, or the quintessential thin crust – these 12 pizzerias serve slices so coveted that scoring a table becomes an adventure in patience, timing, and a little luck.
1. Una Pizza Napoletana: The Perfectionist’s Paradise
Securing a table at Anthony Mangieri’s Lower East Side temple to Neapolitan pizza feels like winning a culinary lottery. The limited seating and Mangieri’s hands-on approach (he makes every pizza himself) create an inevitable reservation bottleneck.
I once spent three weeks trying to book a Saturday slot, finally scoring a 9:45 PM table through a random Resy cancellation. The Margherita’s simplicity – just dough, tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella – showcases why this spot remains reservation gold.
2. Rubirosa: Thin-Crust Legacy
Family recipes dating back to the 1960s fuel the frenzy at this Nolita hotspot where tables vanish within minutes of release. The paper-thin crust creates a perfect canvas for their legendary Tie-Dye pie – a swirled masterpiece of vodka sauce, marinara, and pesto.
Savvy diners set Resy alarms for exactly 7 days before their desired date. Even weeknight slots disappear faster than you can say ‘mozzarella.’ The cramped, wood-paneled dining room adds to the exclusive appeal.
3. Pasquale Jones: Wood-Fired Wonder
Tucked into a tiny Nolita corner, this Charlie Bird sibling boasts two wood-burning ovens and the city’s most sought-after clam pie. The 40-seat dining room fills up the moment reservations open 21 days out.
My first visit required setting multiple phone alarms to catch the midnight reservation drop. The littleneck clam pie proved worth every scheduling effort – briny mollusks nestled in creamy cheese with lemon and chili flakes atop a charred, airy crust.
Late-night bar seats occasionally open for spontaneous visitors, but don’t count on this strategy during peak hours.
4. Roberta’s: Brooklyn Pizza Royalty
What began as a concrete bunker in industrial Bushwick has evolved into a pizza empire, yet the original location remains notoriously difficult to book. The Bee Sting pie, with sopressata and honey, draws pizza pilgrims from across the globe.
Roberta’s pioneered the Brooklyn pizza renaissance, maintaining cult status despite expansion. Weekend primetime slots require planning weeks ahead.
Their outdoor garden offers additional seating during warmer months, slightly improving your chances.
5. Ops: Sourdough Sensation
Natural fermentation fanatics flock to this Bushwick gem where naturally-leavened dough meets minimal-intervention wines. The tangy, complex crust develops over days, creating pizza with a distinctive character unlike anywhere else in the city.
Their East Village outpost opened to immediate reservation chaos. I’ve developed a Thursday night tradition of refreshing Resy hourly, hoping to catch weekend cancellations for either location.
The Juno pie – tomato, mozzarella, wild oregano, and basil – exemplifies their less-is-more philosophy that keeps tables perpetually full.
6. Leo: Sourdough Specialists
Williamsburg’s Leo represents the pinnacle of pizza-meets-bakery expertise, where sourdough mastery creates crusts with extraordinary flavor complexity. The team behind Ops applies bread-making principles to pizza, resulting in exceptional texture and taste.
The intimate space fills immediately when reservations open. Weekend brunch slots disappear particularly fast as diners clamor for morning pizza topped with farm eggs.
Their classic margherita showcases the distinctive sourdough base that’s simultaneously crisp, chewy, and tangy.
7. Emmett’s on Grove: Chicago Meets NYC
The tavern-style craze has officially conquered Manhattan at this West Village hotspot, where thin, crispy, square-cut Chicago pies meet supper club ambiance.
Owner Emmett Burke created a sensation by introducing the Midwest classic to New Yorkers who previously associated Chicago solely with deep dish.
Reservations open 21 days ahead, and weekend slots vanish within minutes. The throwback atmosphere – dark wood, checkered tablecloths, and vintage beer signs – completes the experience that’s impossible to book without serious planning.
8. Emmett’s SoHo: Deep Dish Destination
Before opening his Grove Street tavern-style spot, Emmett Burke introduced New York to authentic Chicago deep dish at this tiny SoHo location. The original Emmett’s remains a reservation gold, with its faithful recreation of the hefty, cheese-filled Chicago classic.
Last summer, I celebrated my birthday by setting five separate alarms to catch a reservation exactly three weeks before the big day. The “Sausage Baby” deep dish – a glorious three-inch-tall creation – justified every moment of planning stress.
With barely 30 seats, even weeknight tables require an advance strategy.
9. L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele: Neapolitan Nobility
When the 150-year-old Naples institution featured in “Eat Pray Love” opened its West Village outpost, reservation chaos ensued. Pizza purists scramble for tables to experience the simplicity that made the original location legendary.
The restaurant offers a full menu in NYC, with multiple pizza varieties beyond the classic Margherita and Marinara, executed with fanatical attention to authenticity. The minimalist spirit highlights the perfect dough, San Marzano tomatoes, and buffalo mozzarella.
Reservations open on a rolling basis, and weekend primetime remains nearly impossible to secure.
10. Paulie Gee’s: Hot Honey Heaven
Greenpoint’s wood-fired wonder has maintained its reservation difficulty level despite years in business. Owner Paulie Giannone’s career-change passion project (he left IT to pursue pizza) created a Brooklyn institution where creative toppings meet perfectly charred crusts.
The Hellboy, featuring sopressata and Mike’s Hot Honey, sparked countless imitators but remains unmatched. While the slice shop next door offers walk-in relief, the main dining room’s full menu experience requires a serious reservation strategy.
Weekend tables often book solid three weeks out.
11. Motorino: East Village Classic
Though Motorino now boasts multiple locations, securing prime dinner hours at the original East Village spot remains a competitive sport. Chef Mathieu Palombino’s Brussels sprout pizza – an unlikely combination that became a city-wide sensation – draws constant crowds to the tiny storefront.
The cramped dining room adds to the exclusive feel. While Upper West Side and Brooklyn locations offer slightly easier booking, pizza purists insist the original location’s oven produces superior results.
Weekend warriors should book at least two weeks ahead or try the off-hours strategy.
12. Song’ E Napule: Hidden Neapolitan Gem
This Greenwich Village treasure started as a tiny hidden gem but exploded in popularity when word spread about their impeccably authentic Neapolitan pies. Now operating from two Houston Street addresses, both locations fill immediately when reservations open.
Napoli-born pizzaioli maintain strict adherence to traditional methods. The dough ferments for 24+ hours before being stretched by hand and flash-cooked in scorching ovens. Their Margherita STG, featuring protected designation of origin ingredients, represents pizza in its purest form.
The cozy, transportive atmosphere completes the experience worth planning weeks ahead for.