pepperoni pizza at Brklyn Hong Kong

Time to Make the Power Moves & Get the Mozzarella: The Best Pizza Restaurants in Hong Kong

Asia, Food, Hong Kong BigBody

“It’s time to make the power moves and get the cheddar. And buy the real nice things that make life better.” I have no doubt in my mind that Big L was rapping about pizza when he said that. He just used ‘cheddar’ instead of ‘mozzarella’ to fit the rhyme scheme. I know that’s at least 50% why I slug it out with these thankless robots devoid of any form of common sense or empathy each day – to get the cheddar mozzarella. The other 50% is, as Mr. Bizkit himself said, “for the nookie.”

While Hong Kong may not match up to cities like New York or Naples when it comes to the pizza game, it is a powerhouse in the cheese and crust colosseum of Asia. Occasionally, like Commodus in Gladiator, I’ll have to empathetically flip my thumb down in disgust at what took place before me. But more often than not, I find myself not only pleasantly surprised but coming back for more. 

From light, airy, and traditional Neapolitan pizzas to hefty, toppings-packed, foldable New York pies (and New York-Neapolitan hybrids), and crispy, saucy Detroit-style squares, here are 10 of the best pizza restaurants in Hong Kong for gastronomic ‘amore’. 

Pale Ale Travel Note: If you disagree with any of my pizza picks below, please feel free to challenge me to hand-to-hand combat and include a picture of David Hasselhoff in your email challenge. Also, if you don’t love a half-and-half cheese-stuffed crust pizza from Pizza Hut, then please also mail a challenge via courier pigeon. 

Table of Contents hide
1. Rossi’s Pizza & Smoked Meats – The New Kid
2. Fiata – The G.O.A.T.
3. Hygge – The Sleeper
4. Falcone – The Date Night
5. Brklyn – The New Yorker
6. Florence Trippa – The Thin Crust Extraordinaire
7. Amalfitana – The Barbara Walters
8. Jack’s Pizzeria – The Hybrid
9. Mother of Pizzas – The King of Toppings
10. Carbs – The Wildcard
11. Pizza Makes Anything Possible

Rossi’s Pizza & Smoked Meats – The New Kid

pesto and ricotta pizza at Rossi's Pizza

If you aren’t singing ‘Summer Girls’ by the late ‘90s, early 2000s boy group LFO when reading that superlative and filling it in with the rest of the lyrics, then I’m disappointed in you.

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As a newcomer to the Hong Kong pizza scene, Rossi’s has quickly made a name for itself as not only the pizza savior of Sai Kung but a BBQ and brisket behemoth as well.  

This mom-and-pop shop serves up 12-inch hand-stretched Neapolitan pizzas that emphatically prove that the best pizza in Hong Kong isn’t just on Hong Kong Island. My personal favorite is Rossi’s pesto and ricotta thin-crust pizza. It’s everything right in the world. It’s creamy, silky, and crisp – one of those types of pizzas that you can throw back all by yourself and still be mobile (or pick up one of their low-and-slow smoked, juicy brisket sandwiches to round the night off). 

To kick things up a notch, consider squirting on one of Rossi’s signature ‘Yaka’ hot sauces – which is essentially an elevated version of Sriracha pizza (of which I’m a sucker as I used to do this as a young buck back in New Hampshire).    

I am no authority on pizza in Hong Kong but there is one person that I would trust almost as much as an Italian nonna and that is Prof. Dr. Pizza. Señor Pizza recently named Rossi’s Pizza and Smoke Meats as his top newcomer in his 2023 pizza awards. 

Having reviewed over 600 pizza joints in his Hong Kong tenure (some, multiple times over), I can’t argue with the reps that this man has put into his pizza review craft. He’s the Swiss Kobe Bryant of Hong Kong’s pizza game. However, instead of sinking 400 practice shots each day, the Prof. unapologetically sinks doughy, saucy, circular pies of ‘Zah’ down the gullet. 

Pale Ale Travel Tip: If you’re looking for a more in-depth review and write-up on Rossi’s, make sure to check out my post breaking down why I think their brisket sandwiches and pizza are some of the best in Hong Kong.

Fiata – The G.O.A.T.

A’ Salsiccia Fiata Hong Kong

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Of all the pizza restaurants in Hong Kong, I still consider Fiata to be the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time). The labor, the love, and the intensity are all felt in each bite. And, if we are talking about the most decorated pizza spot on the list, Fiata has more medals and awards than that one Seal who killed Osama bin Laden (who I was not a fan of – please comment below if you also disliked him). 

Owner Salvatore Fiata (behind the eponymous establishment), a gregarious Italian hailing from Caserta, and crew fire up only the freshest D.O.P. ingredients (a designation to ensure authenticity and quality of ingredients) to craft flavorful, harmonious, and perfectly spotted pizzas that I imagine would give any pizzeria in Naples a run for its money. This is also your spot if you yearn (YEARN) for creamy, fresh buffalo mozzarella (my old man can’t get enough of the stuff). 

The A’ Salsiccia, a pie consisting of fresh Italian sausage, Alife onion cream, Fior di Latte (mozzarella), and caramelized onions – is the single best bite of pizza I’ve eaten in Asia. I hesitate to say anywhere in the world as I’ve eaten at Lucali and John’s of Bleecker in New York (humble brag) and would pledge allegiance to those if required. The Alife onion cream is what makes the A’ Salsiccia a pizza giant amongst mortals. 

It’s sweet, savory, and slightly aromatic, providing a nice creamy (and more complex) contrast to the sweetness of the caramelized onions and liberal Italian sausage chunks scattered on top. It’s also an accelerator for the fresh, somewhat mild Fior di Latte (mozzarella). 

The Bronte 3.0, a Fior di Latte Napoli, mortadella lemon zest, and burrata amalgam is another masterpiece that should be ordered in tandem with the A’ Salsiccia. Mix in one or two of Fiata’s antipastas, my favorites being the beef tartare and caprese (both humble in ingredients but dynamic in flavor), and you’ve got an Epicurean excursion ahead of you.

Finally, don’t sleep on the cannolis to round off your meal. While they aren’t as fat as the bones that Snoop and Wiz smoke like Mike’s Pastry in Boston’s North End, you’ll be thankful Salvatore and fam aren’t having to roll you out in a wheelbarrow like that one rotund Zombie lady in Dawn of the Dead. 

Pale Ale Travel Note: It’s worth noting that I still haven’t been to Italy and am planning on finding true love to row the Venice canals while wearing my finest beret at some point in my life – so that perfect bite may still very well be ahead of me. 

Hygge – The Sleeper

Camembert and porchetta pizza at Hygge

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I knew it was fate before even stepping foot into this Tseung Kwan O-situated Scandinavian restaurant, as my mother is a habitual wearer of a sweatshirt with the word ‘Hygge’ written across the chest. As a non-Danish and non-Norwegian speaker, the term seems to describe more of a feeling (or set of feelings) that celebrates “everyday togetherness” and the coziness, contentedness, and comfort brought about by the little things in your day-to-day life. 

That’s exactly what Hygge does, provide a cozy, intimate wood-paneled venue that will make you feel as if an elusive, bearded gnome dressed in red and white, known as the ‘nisse’ in Danish folklore, might come rapping at the door of your log cabin one winter solstice (I grew up referring to this creature by its Norwegian name – the ‘tomte’ and/or ‘tomten’).

side profile of porchetta, camembert, and rocket pizza at Hygge

If that isn’t a side profile of a pizza right there then I don’t know what is. 

And what better way to experience the ultimate comfort and conviviality of this beautiful planet we call Earth than with a milky, garlicky, salty, and slightly runny camembert and porchetta pizza (with a healthy sprinkling of rocket for color) that is as airy and light as Thumbelina (I’m going heavy on the Danish references here)? These are ingredients you didn’t know you needed on a pizza and didn’t know worked so well together, until now. 

While they fire up traditional Margherita, guanciale, and anchovy Neapolitans, made with their in-house lactic-fermented tomato sauce (San Marzanos and some secret Nordic herbs), you can also find unconventional yet deliberate pies like their ‘Pizza Tom Yum Goong’ (with shrimp, squid, shrimp oil, mushroom, lime leaves, and lemongrass). Hygge isn’t afraid to push the limits. But they do so because they know they can – as the fundamentals aren’t just sound, they are perfected.

Hygge is the real deal and a sleeper in Hong Kong’s pizza scene. They also back each pie up with one of the best pumpkin risottos I’ve ever eaten, along with a Murderers’ Row of savory French galettes and sweet crepes (by the crepe load). I can’t remember the last time I walked out of a meal with more pep in my step than Steamboat Willie – and I can’t wait to go back.

Falcone – The Date Night 

Salsiccia e Zucca at Falcone Hong Kong

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Having befriended more than a handful of Italians over the last several years, with one, in particular, becoming a very close roll-dawg of mine, Falcone has been a much-discussed topic when it comes to the best pizza in Hong Kong. It has also been one of the more polarizing picks amongst the Italians. 

If you want to step straight into the chaos and vibrant streets of Napoli, Falcone – brought to you by the one and only Black Sheep hospitality group – should be at the top of your list. Serving up neo-Neapolitan pies (a fantastic term in all senses of the word), which combine modified Neapolitan baking and cooking methods (slow brick oven cooking rather than the standard 90-second high heat punch) and non-traditional (and innovative) ingredients, toppings, and flavors. 

Take the Salsiccia e Zucca (you’re probably seeing a theme with the pizzas I order), which incorporates familiar mild, creamy little pillows of Fior di Latte mozzarella, sweet Italian sausage, and rustic and slightly earthy gorgonzola, with chunks of sweet, fibrous Japanese pumpkin. The result? A nostalgic slice with an atypical twist that strikes the balance Minneapolis rapper Slug of Atmosphere so pensively longed for (one of my favorite songs is ‘Trying to Find a Balance’). 

With Black Sheep restaurants, there is always a baseline of quality, ambiance, and service that you can expect. However, in my humble opinion, Falcone far supersedes this baseline and reaches into the next gastronomic stratosphere, with the likes of Jupiter, Minerva, and my roll-dawg Bacchus (my profile picture).

And, if you’re stepping back into the hustle and bustle of Napoli, you might as well add on one of Falcone’s signature pastas, my go-to being the Rigatoni alla Genovese with braised beef cheek – a dish that balances tender, salty, and savory braised beef with sharp parmesan and satisfyingly chewy rigatoni. 

While Falcone is on the pricier side, just don’t make the mistake of ordering several HKD$60+ double espressos like I did and your bill should be a lot more reasonable than mine. This definitely isn’t a daily or weekly spot that you’ll frequent to pick up a pizza for the sad, sad trip back home on the Mid-Levels escalators, as it may put you out of house and home financially. But it is a special treat and especially perfect for a date night or big night out where you’re looking to splurge a bit extra. 

I don’t know why I avoided Falcone for so long. I think because I just assumed it was far too overhyped and would never live up to the praise. Mea culpa. I wish I had come here sooner as everything about it blew me away. The only thing I don’t like is that it’s located in IFC and even after six years, I still have no idea where I’m at walking around the circular gauntlet of bourgeois consumerist communion.

Pale Ale Travel Tip: Quality pizza in Hong Kong is definitely one of the redeeming factors of what I find to be a generally overpriced Western cuisine landscape. Read more about what I consider the pros and cons of living in Hong Kong and let me know your thoughts!

Brklyn – The New Yorker

pepperoni pizza at Brklyn in Hong Kong

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Look, I’m from the United States. I’m an East Coaster who grew up with large, hand-tossed, pliable New York slices right around every corner. This is what I’m most familiar with and crave at the end of the day. It’s also the style of pizza that, gun to my head, I’d choose if I could only pick one style of pizza to eat for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, there is a glaring lack of New York-style pizza restaurants in Hong Kong. It’s all about the Neapolitan.  

However, that sizable pizza gap has been emphatically closed with the entry of Brklyn into Hong Kong’s pizza landscape. Opened by an Italian-speaking New Jerseyan, Marco, Brklyn is serving up chewy, bubbly, and sturdy Neo-New York-style pizzas right in the heart of SoHo. To capture that New York  “Je ne sais quo,” Marco informed me that he had consulted the likes of top New York pizza giants and had a custom deck oven built and installed – all in the name of ensuring that even heat distribution and perfectly crisp crust with a chewy interior we know and love.

Brklyn quickly rose to the top of my Hong Kong pizza rankings due to its tangy, cheese-packed familiar creations that incorporate a mix of premium Italian products and local ingredients and is now one of my most frequented spots on the list. I can’t really think of too many spots in the city where you can get a classic pepperoni pizza that ticks all the boxes: slightly spicy, not-overly greasy thin pepperoni slices, tangy and vibrant tomato sauce, whole milk mozzarella (with grated pecorino), and an easily foldable crust.

On top of classic Margherita pies, I also recommend Brkyln’s ‘Smoked Moozadell & Sausage’ and ‘Chili Chorizo’ pizzas, the latter blowing your metaphorical taste buds off with spice and heat (in the best way possible). Oh, and if you aren’t ordering the garlic knots when you’re at Brklyn, what are you even doing? We used to eat these by the dozen as kids, which may explain why my moniker is ‘Big Body’. It was well worth it though.

Finally, It’s the perfect place to kick the night off, sitting out in the back alley, absorbing the palpable energy of the city and passersby, and throwing back liberal Aperol Spritz pours by Marco’s wife Bella. Make sure to call ahead for a reservation or swing by a bit before the dinner rush, as it can pack up quickly.  

Florence Trippa – The Thin Crust Extraordinaire

Sausage & Broccolini pizza at Florence Trippa Hong Kong

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Florence Trippa may be my most frequented pizza shop on this list because I live just a stone’s throw away from it and pass by every single day on my way home from the gym and work. This is the definition of thin crust pizza – a crust even thinner than the lips of that one person you dated where you had to angle your head like a curious golden retriever just to figure out where their mouth was and then it felt like you were sipping out of a tiny espresso cup the whole time. 

Oh, and it’s home to one of my favorite sandwiches in Hong Kong – the lampredotto. I won’t go into any detail about it here but you can read more about it in my post breaking down everything I love about Florence Trippa. 

But this is all about ‘the Zah’, baby. Florence Trippa’s thin crust pizzas rock a sturdy undercarriage that delivers an audible crunch (sans flop), tangy, thicker tomato sauce, and more than a gaggle of toppings to choose from – my favorite and most consumed being the ‘Sausage & Broccolini’). The notable crunch is further amplified by the snap of the bittersweet broccoli stalk, which also offers up a nice flavor contrast to the slightly sweet yet salty fresh Italian sausage lining the top of the pie like checkers on an 8×8 board. 

Florence Trippa’s pizzas may also be the most affordable on this list, with pies clocking in between HK$100 and $130. This easily makes it one of those spots that you can’t help but mix in more frequently than your new pair of khakis and its waistline is capable of withstanding. 

I also can’t end this little write-up without mentioning what a breath of fresh air Claudio is, the Florentine proprietor and pizza extraordinaire. He has truly solidified Florence Trippa as a quaint little Cheers-esque pizza joint for the Mid-Levels crew (myself included) to pop in for a cold Ichnusa (a very drinkable unfiltered Sardinian beer) and warm “Hello” after a long day of spreadsheets and getting boned where the sun don’t shine.

Pale Ale Travel Tip: I thought about including the popular Roman teglia chain ‘Alice Pizza’ (situated in Wan Chai), on the list but if you’ve read my Alice write-up and thoughts, I don’t think I would rank it on my completely arbitrary and ill-defined list of best pizza restaurants in Hong Kong. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Amalfitana – The Barbara Walters 

Barbara Walters was one of the main hosts of the television show ‘The View’. 

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Pizza with a view (and an Aperol Spritz in hand) might take the cake as the greatest pastime known to mankind. If you’ve read my post on what I consider to be the perfect day in Hong Kong then you already know that it involves ending up at Amalfitana’s Repulse Bay (post-hike) for an Aperol Spritz and a pizza while watching the sunset. 

Serving up artisanal Italian pizza inspired by, you guessed it, the Amalfi Coast, Amalfitana’s casual, open kitchen allows a front row to witness your pizza’s origin story and come up – which is personally my favorite way to get amped on the meal I’m about to consume. Amalfitana’s brick oven pizzas include all of the favorites, including authentic (D.O.P.), airy and slightly spotted Neapolitan pies, melty, four cheese (Quattro Formaggi) unions of bliss, and salty, rich carbonara comfort wheels. 

There’s a decorum and reliability to Amalfitana that won’t only have you satisfied on the gastronomic front but mentally refreshed and unencumbered thanks to a feeling of being able to temporarily step outside this beleaguered city, even if just for a hot minute. The interior decor’s balanced and soothing Amalfi Coast whites and blues also make me want to dress like Blink-182 in their ‘All the Small Things’ music video. 

No, not the part where they streak down Santa Monica but where they sport all-white, oversized suits and seductively gyrate in front of a plane at Van Nuys Airport.  

If you aren’t able to make your way down to Repulse Bay to pretend that you’re at the Amalfi Coast while throwing back several pies, you can still get your fix over at Amalfitana’s Wyndham Street location (which is also a fantastic people-watching spot and and place to “beat up the beat” to one of countless DJs like Pauly D in Jersey Shore).

Pale Ale Travel Tip: Maybe you’re not in the mood for pizza but still want something equally as delicious. Make sure to check out my post breaking down my favorite ramen restaurants in Central. 

Jack’s Pizzeria – The Hybrid

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Possibly the least-known pizza restaurant in Hong Kong on this list, Jack’s Pizzeria in Sai Ying Pun has a special place in my heart. 

This is for two reasons: (1) it’s home to a spicy, alla tandoori pizza that just confirms Indian-Italian fusion might be the Mike Tyson in his prime of fusion cuisines (without all the ear biting and face tattoos), (2) it was the main stomping grounds where I spent a lot of time with a good friend of mine when I first moved back to Hong Kong (before the irretrievable breakdown of our relationship). 

[Insert defeated Charlie Brown walk with a rain cloud hanging over my head].

Yes. That was meant to be typed instead of an actual GIF.

Jack’s Pizzeria is definitely one of those ‘jack-of-all-trades’ restaurants where you’ll also find BBQ pork ribs, buffalo wings, and nearly every single appetizer you’d conjure up if you were on Jeopardy! and the category was ‘Top Appetizers’. “What is bruschetta, Alex?” (R.I.P. to the legend). 

While Jack’s bills itself as using authentic Italian ingredients, I’d go out on a limb and say that their ‘Pizza Napoletana’ isn’t using certified D.O.P. ingredients. However, that doesn’t mean the pies should be overlooked. Their thin-crust Italian pizzas generate an audible crunch and remind me of more of a well-done New York slice, or slightly larger New Haven-style pie – a drier, less melty, crisper bastard child of Italian innovation. 

And, as far as I know, it’s one of the only places in Hong Kong (other than the late-night chain Big Pizza) that has bridged the gap between Italian and Indian for pizzas – which is the primary reason I keep returning. 

My major recommendation is that this is a pizza best eaten there or out on the street nearby with several beers, as the cheese does tend to coagulate rather quickly. 

Mother of Pizzas – The King of Toppings

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I’m more than likely late to the game with Mother of Pizzas but this was a pizza joint that I only recently got into and have been pleasantly surprised by. This is the go-to pizza for one of the dawgz and me when I make my way out to his apartment in Happy Valley for concerted reflections on mid-thirties inadequacies and failures, Jomboy Media and true crime YouTube videos, and Korean BBQ eating strategies.  

Mother of Pizzas is a bit of a Frankenstein’s Monster when it comes to their pies, tossing and firing up mammoth 13’ and 18’ Neapolitan-New York hybrids in their wood oven that incorporate traditional fleshy, sweet San Marzano tomatoes (a staple for Neapolitan pies), chewy, crispy, charred crusts, and “wet” centers, with more toppings than you can shake a stick at. 

If you contain pizza multitudes and not only enjoy a classic, light, airy Fior di Latte Margherita but also a monstrous Hawaiian or meat lover (or even a pie topped with ranch), then this is your spot. When I want to ensure that I hit my protein intake for the day, you can find me with Mother of Pizzas’ ‘Meat de Caveman’ – a Capicola, Italian sausage, and pepperoni-stacked pie with generous handfuls of red onion to draw out the natural sweetness of the meats. 

The best way I can describe Mother of Pizzas is that it’s a guilty pleasure spot where you can go for polished yet quirky takes on familiar staples that won’t actually have you feeling guilty due to the high-quality ingredients and care behind each pie. It’s the best of both worlds – Naples and New York.  

Pale Ale Travel Note: When I get some better pictures of the few I used their Instagram pics for, I’ll update. I was wondering why one of my photos from Mother of Pizzas was so smudged but then I realized it was from my greasy pepperoni nubs for fingers touching the lens.

Carbs – The Wildcard

Carbs Notorious P.I.G. pizza Hong Kong

I’m going to be honest with you here. The above is just a terrible picture and kind of makes the pizza look sickly. But I assure you, that’s not the case.

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This may be a controversial one but the heart wants what the heart wants. I told one of my best buddies about this article that I was writing and he asked for a rundown of my top pizza restaurants. After rattling off several and then mentioning Carbs, he incredulously blurted out, “You can’t be serious.” Well, I am. This is my pizza party and I’ll cry if I want to. 

I never gave Carbs much credit when I first used to order from there. Detroit-style rectangular pan pizza takes some warming up to and is not a style of pizza I’d consider eating every single day. However, sometimes the mood strikes and a crispy, polygon pan pizza drizzled with hot honey is all this Big Body wants (and needs). 

After a self-imposed moratorium on Carbs, primarily because I started looking like someone the villagers should be chasing out of town with pitchforks and torches, I returned. It was even better than I remembered. 

At Carbs (brought to you by the man behind Cookie DPT), pizza enthusiasts can mix and match by the slice or opt for their own personal or large pan pizza. I oscillate between compiling my own freakish Monstars squad of individual slices and a personal (four-slice) pizza – my most ordered being the Notorious P.I.G., a salty, crunchy, slightly greasy square of everything hog drizzled with viscous, sweet hot honey (that packs a pygmy-sized punch of heat). 

“Piggy, piggy, piggy, can’t you see? Sometimes your pepperonis just hypnotize me.” – Notorious P.I.G.

Other favorites include Carbs’ ‘Everything’ pizza, which is essentially the Notorious P.I.G. in ‘supreme form’ (with the usual onions, peppers, and mushrooms), and ‘Last Call’, a spicy vodka sauce-driven slice topped with little balls of fresh mozzarella. 

I’m sure it would make some Italians weep but Carbs has a medicine cabinet full of assorted dipping sauces to go with your rectangular slice(s), including their potent garlic butter sauce (which honestly reminds me of a better version of Little Caesars’ garlic dipping sauce that was so good you could drink), sweet chili ranch, and spicy vodka sauce. 

Finally, I’d be remiss not to mention the pain I saw in a friend from Rome’s eyes when I asked him if Roman teglia pizza was just the Italian version of Detroit-style pizza. 

Pizza Makes Anything Possible

Classica pizza at Fiata Hong Kong

The Classica at Fiata – you really can’t go wrong with this bad boy.

I know there were some snubs and omitted pizza restaurants in this article but you have to remember, this is a completely arbitrary list based on what I consider to be the best pizza restaurants in Hong Kong. I’m also American and grew up with the quintessential New York slice that was never more than a stone’s throw away, so there is a nostalgia that drives my neophyte pizza constitution. 

While Hong Kong isn’t hurting when it comes to quality pizza restaurants and takeaways, it is worth noting that the F&B landscape is relatively volatile. There were at least 4 to 5 Hong Kong pizza spots I had initially made note of in my culinary dream book that are no longer with us. So, this is a call to arms to get out there and support the pizzerias in Hong Kong before they pave pizza paradise and put up a parking lot – which likely means some cookie-cutter Instagram bakery or overpriced Japanese restaurant. 

Don’t surrender that final slice to a friend or partner so easily next time, order an extra pizza or two (as everyone knows cold pizza after 13 beers and a break-up just hits differently), and don’t sleep on a pizza restaurant just because it’s off the beaten path (and not in Central). 

If you have any favorite restaurants or shops that you think are behind the best pizza in Hong Kong, I’d love to hear from you in the comments! Are you more of a traditional Neapolitan type of person or like me, a New York-style slice fiend?

Eat well everyone,

Big Body

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