Who would have thought that hidden within the heart of Cape Town’s southern suburbs lies the eighth-best pizza in the world?
This is according to global media and hospitality giant Time Out, which tasked its travel writers and international editorial staff with identifying their ‘absolute favourite spots for when they’re craving pizza, from Cape Town to Lisbon, Buenos Aires to Miami’ before ranking them in a list of the 19 best pizzas in the world.
The result? The Fellini pizza from NOVO – which opened its doors just over a year ago on 8 March 2024 – claimed spot number eight on the list, beating the likes of Paris, Madrid, Chicago and other global greats.
‘NOVO is a new kid on Cape Town’s pizza block, but this family-owned place in Little Mowbray has quickly built up a loyal following among locals. Why? The quality of the toppings, that’s why,’ explains local Time Out expert, Richard Holmes.
The Fellini pizza is topped with fennel sausage, caramelised red onion and fior di latte mozzarella.
‘Simplicity on a pizza only works when the ingredients are top-notch, but you don’t need to worry about that here: fennel sausage from renowned cured meats producer Richard Bosma; fior di latte from Italian cheese specialists Puglia; dough slow-proved over 48 hours.’
Beyond The Fellini, the young pizzeria serves a compact offering, which Holmes says allows NOVO to focus on getting each pizza perfect.
As for the other pizzerias that made up Time Out’s list, the title of the world’s best pizza was aptly awarded to the Pizza Margherita from Pizzeria da Attilio, a third-generation establishment in the birthplace of pizza – Naples, Italy.
Second place was snatched by Scarr’s Pizza in New York City for its Cheese Slice that gives justice to the original with its airy, slightly tangy crust, while third place offered a spotlight on the creative flair of Tokyo’s Pizza Marumo for its Japanese Umami pizza.
Time Out’s list of the 19 best pizzas in the world:
- Pizzeria da Attilio, Naples – Pizza Margherita
- Scarr’s Pizza, New York City – Cheese Slice
- Pizza Marumo, Tokyo – Japanese Umami pizza
- 180g Pizzeria Romana, Rome – Pizza Capricciosa
- Bella Brutta, Sydney – Clam pizza
- Diamond Slice, Copenhagen – The ‘Nbluja
- Dough Hands, London – The ‘Jode’
- NOVO, Cape Town – The Fellini
- Oobatz, Paris – Number 6
- Baldoria, Madrid – Búfala Fest
- Milly’s Pizza in the Pan, Chicago – A thick-crust pie that represents the pinnacle of Chicago’s most iconic dish
- Official Local, Rio de Janeiro – The Umbria
- Civerinos, Edinburgh – New Haven style pizza, by the slice
- Eleventh Street Pizza, Miami – The Hot Honey Sicilian
- Lupita, Lisbon – Pineapple Pizza
- Fiata by Salvatore Fiata, Hong Kong – A’Salcissa
- Güerrín, Buenos Aires – Porteño-style pizza
- nNea, Amsterdam – Terra
- Mercado 20 de Noviembre, Oaxaca – Tlayuda
Also read:
Green Point sees the return of Cape Town’s favourite ‘Step Brothers’
Picture: @novopizzact / Instagram
