A rule that applies to practically everything in life is that it takes more effort to maintain something than to achieve it. That’s why the fact that, for yet another year, Baldoria (100 José Ortega y Gasset Street) remains the best pizzeria in Spain and second-best in Europe speaks to the excellence of the team led by Ciro Cristiano in this little corner of Naples right here in Madrid.
Rounding out the podium is IMperfetto in Puteaux, France—led by Tonino Cogliano and Simone Lombardi—with the bronze, while the gold went to Napoli on the Road (London), owned by Michele Pascarella, who has opened his third location in Soho.
The rest of the list is packed with Spanish entries, with Sartoria Panatieri (Barcelona) in fifth place, Fratelli Figurato (Madrid) at number eleven, Oura (Santiago de Compostela) at number fourteen, and Demaio (Bilbao) at number sixteen.
What the guide says about Baldoria’s pizza
As for what sets Baldoria apart and makes it the best pizzeria in Spain—yet again this year—it could be summed up in the words the guide dedicates to Ciro Cristiano in its review:“reinventing Italian cuisine in a chic setting, based on truly extraordinary ingredients.”
Regarding its pizzas, specifically, the 50 Top Pizza guide highlights the use of top-quality ingredients, such as Abruzzo truffles, Joselito ham, and Parma ham, and how they are combined in two styles of pizza: Neapolitan and padellino. Their Búfala Fest—pictured above—is, in the words of 50 Top Pizza, “undoubtedly one of the best pizzas you can taste in Spain.”
Another point highlighted in the review of Baldoria is its wine list, “a journey through Italian wine culture, unique in Madrid,” and its cocktails, “a magnificent Italian reinterpretation.”
A trend that continues to grow every year
The guide’s judges—Barbara Guerra, Luciano Pignataro, and Albert Sapere—see “boundless” growth in the European pizza movement: a sign of this is the fact that, for this tenth edition, the ranking of the 50 best pizzerias had to be expanded to 60 spots.
The country with the largest presence in the guide is Spain, with a total of 29 pizzerias, followed by France with 24 and England with 22. The city with the most pizzerias is Paris, with a total of 17, followed by London with 15 and Madrid with nine.
