Anthony Bourdain's Favorite Pizza In NYC Came From This Brooklyn Pizzeria

It's safe to say that New York City and pizza are two things that have grown to be synonymous with one another and it's unlikely that'll ever change. While there are plenty of popular candidates for the absolute best pizzeria in NYC, many prefer to listen to someone whose opinion they trust to truly discover the best of the best during a visit to the Big Apple. If there's one person who knew both NYC and delicious cuisine better than anyone else, it's the late, great Anthony Bourdain. The New York native often touted his love for a great slice of pizza throughout his career, with one specific pizza joint standing out above the rest in the legendary chef's mind. In a 2005 article for The Guardian, Bourdain revealed that he strongly believed Di Fara's Pizza in Brooklyn was "the best of the best."

Located in the Midwood neighborhood of South Central Brooklyn, Di Fara's Pizza has been around since 1965, when Domenico "Dom" DeMarco first opened up shop. The founder himself was making the pizza for decades before he died in 2022. DeMarco was known for making one of the most delicious slices of pizza in the city, using San Marzano tomatoes, three kinds of hand-grated cheese, and a double-baked dough that's practically impossible to replicate. Although Bourdain never featured Di Fara's Pizza in any of his television shows (and even noted in The Guardian article that it was a bit too far from his apartment in Manhattan), his love for the restaurant is no surprise to those who have gotten the chance to try Di Fara's for themselves.

While Di Fara's took the cake as Anthony Bourdain's top pizzeria in New York, its remarkable pie is far from the only one that Bourdain held near-and-dear to his heart. Bourdain was never afraid to show love to his favorite restaurants across the United States, but when it came to pizza he was always selective about which spots he gave his cosign to. One place that did get the Bourdain stamp of approval was Lombardi's, an old-school pizzeria located in the Little Italy section of Manhattan. Known as "America's First Pizzeria," Lombardi's is credited with playing a massive role in developing the New York Style Pizza; and thus, American pizza as a whole. Bourdain explained that, whenever he felt like remaining in Manhattan but still wanted to enjoy a pizza nearly as good as Di Fara's, Lombardi was very often his top choice.

Another pizza spot in New York that Bourdain shone a light on is Roberta's in Brooklyn. While Bourdain's televised visit to Roberta's in the last episode of "No Reservations" in 2012 didn't feature him trying out the exquisite pie on air, the chef praised the Bushwick establishment for its remarkably fresh ingredients and incredible food. Considering Andrew Zimmern's statement that Queens is the greatest food city on earth, Bourdain's pizza recommendations might indicate that Brooklyn is a worthy challenger for the crown — at least as far as pizza is concerned.