6 Best Pizza Places in New Haven, Connecticut

We’ve rounded up our top six favorite pizza places in this city so you can get your fill of pizza goodness.

What is different about New Haven pizza?

New Haven pizza is different from other styles of pizza because it’s made with plenty of tomato sauce and very little to no cheese. A basic New Haven-style pizza has a thin and crispy Neapolitan crust, oregano, tomato sauce, and a touch of grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

In New Haven, tomato sauce is the star of the show here. Traditional New Haven-style pizza sauce is made with San Marzano tomatoes which are sweeter and less acidic than regular tomatoes.

San Marzano tomatoes are sweeter and less acidic than other tomatoes.

6 best pizza places in New Haven, Connecticut

New Haven’s 6 best pizza places are:

1. Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana
2. Sally’s Apizza
3. Modern Apizza
4. Zuppardi’s Apizza
5. Zeneli Pizzeria & Cucina Napoletana
6. BAR

1. Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana

Rated by The Daily Meal as the #1 pizza place in the US in 2020, and also one of the greatest old-school restaurants of all time, it’s not a coincidence that Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana is our first pick. Established in 1925, this is the birthplace of New Haven-style pizza.

The signature dish at Frank Pepe’s is their White Clam Pizza which features fresh clams, olive oil, oregano, and grated pecorino romano cheese. Also, don’t forget to try their good old classic “tomato pie”.

Photography by: Tom McGovern for USA Today

2. Sally’s Apizza

This restaurant has been around since the late 1930s and has always been known for its distinctive tomato sauce recipe. When “Ol Blue Eyes” himself, Frank Sinatra gives you the big thumbs up, you know that the pizza here is something special.

Sally’s Apizza is the true king of the “tomato pie”. Their signature tomato sauce, with its proprietary blend of tomatoes and spices, is something that any pizza lover should put on their bucket list.

The signature pie at Sally’s Apizza is their Garden Special which includes fresh tomatoes, zucchini, basil, onions, and mozzarella.

Photography by: Sally’s Apizza official Facebook Page

3. Modern Apizza

Modern Apizza has a very interesting story. First established in 1944 by Louis Persano who was trained as a baker a few years earlier by Frank Pepe himself.

This pizzeria is considered one of New Haven’s best pizza places alongside Frank Pepe’s and Sally’s.

Modern Apizza is best known for its Italian Bomb pizza. This pie is prepared with a mozzarella base, and it’s loaded with bacon, sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, and garlic.

Photography by: Scott Lynch from MTA Away

4. Zuppardi’s Apizza

Zuppardi’s Apizza was founded in 1934 by master bread-baker Dominic Zuppardi. In those days, Dominic called his shop Salerno’s Bakery where he offered artisan Italian bread and of course pizza. In the late 1940s, his son Anthony took over the business and renamed it Zuppardi’s Apizza.

With its new focus on pizza pies, Zuppardi’s has been a staple in the New Haven pizza sean ever since.

Our favorite pick at Zuppardi’s Apizza is the Spicy Shrimp Casino pizza. This pie packs a big flavor punch with its white sauce base, garlic, bacon, hot cherry peppers, mozzarella, and of course shrimp.

Photography by: Zuppardi’s Apizza official Facebook Page

5. Zeneli Pizzeria & Cucina Napoletana

One of New Haven’s newer offerings is Zeneli Pizzeria and Cucina Napoletana. The Naple-born brothers Gazmir, Aleko, and Jeshar Zeneli, opened this restaurant with a mission. To bring Naple’s food and culture to the pizza capital of the US, New Haven, Connecticut.

While other New Haven pizza places insist that mozzarella is just a topping, at Zepeli’s it’s a must-have. This is because they use amazing buffalo mozzarella (mozzarella di bufala) which the brothers make fresh for their customers.

It’s no surprise that our favorite pizza at Zeneli Pizzeria and Cucina Napoletana is their Margherita Verace pizza. It’s made with a tomato sauce base, basil, extra virgin olive oil, and the star of the show fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese!

Photography by: Thomas Breen from the New Haven Independent

6. BAR

Rounding up our list is a bar restaurant that has captured the attention of the local college crowds that’s simply called BAR. This spot serves up great music, a nice selection of house-brewed beer, and very interesting pizza toppings considering its neighbors.

While we simply love the fact that they serve a weekend brunch special pizza with bacon and fried eggs, our favorite BAR pizza is their Mashed Potato and Bacon Pizza.

This unique pizza’s crust is impossibly thin and crispy, and it’s topped with creamy garlic mashed potatoes and crispy bacon bits.

Photography by: BAR official Facebook Page

Tips on making your own New Haven-style pizza

Ready to try your hand at making your own New Haven-style pizza? Here are some tips to help you along the way!

The key to great New Haven-style pizza is a delicious tomato sauce. Use San Marzano tomatoes for the pizza sauce base. They will give your sauce a sweet deep tomato flavor, and make your sauce less acidic.

Photography by: LIZ THOMSON from iheartvegetables.com

For the crust, start with Neapolitan-style pizza dough. You can check out our Perfect Pizza Dough Recipe from Chef Chris Bianco. Aim for a thin and crispy crust that can stand up to hearty toppings.

If you’re interested in making your own New Haven-style pizza I highly recommend getting a small coal-burning pizza oven to achieve that authentic flavor profile. My favorite pizza oven is the Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven. Not only can you use coal to bake your New Haven-style pizzas, but you can also use wood chips for other styles of pizzas. You can get your own Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven on Amazon.

So that’s New Haven-style pizza!

New Haven, Connecticut is one of the top destinations in the United States for those in search of a great slice of pizza. The 6 top pizza places in this city provide a variety of options with something to suit everyone’s tastes.

From traditional, coal-fired tomato pies to more creative selections, each establishment has tons of personality and offers amazing experiences. With so many great choices, there’s no wrong answer when it comes to finding the best pizza in New Haven, Connecticut!