Viral Toronto pizza spot honoured as one of the best in the world
A Toronto pizza restaurant was just ranked as one of the best in the world, making it one of just two Canadian restaurants to earn the distinction.
Sure, Naples and Rome might get all the glory when it comes to pizza — heck, even New York City, Chicago and Detroit get plenty of recognition — but, for its part, Toronto all too often tends to fly under the radar. It shouldn't be that way, but that's the way it is.
As the third annual Best Pizza Awards took over Milan on June 25, though, pizzerias, from around the world got the chance to put their pies centre stage and earn some well-deserved credit for their renditions of the Italian staple.
It should come as no surprise to those in the know about the city's sublime pizza scene that one Toronto pizzeria actually did end up ranking among the world's top 100 pizza restaurants at the 2025 awards.
Coming as even less of a surprise, the sole Toronto pizzeria to make it on the ranking was none other than Dovercourt's Pizzeria Badiali.
If you've ever found yourself in the centre of a debate about the best pizza in Toronto, it's nearly guaranteed that at least one (but, more likely, a handful) of the participants fervently defended Badiali's spot at the top of the list. And, if you've ever tried Badiali for yourself, it's possible that that person could have been you.
Wracked with never-ending lines and buzz since, more or less, the day it opened, Badiali has earned itself a permanent place at the top of the Toronto pizza scene, and, now, that of the entire world.
Executive Chef Ryan Baddeley and Badiali managed to land in 51st place on the ranking, beating out chefs from New York City, Boston, Naples and Sao Paolo, to name just a few.
This is Ryan's second consecutive year landing on the list, following his 2024 ranking, which saw him land in 32nd place. While his ranking may have slipped slightly this year, 51 is nothing to sniff at, especially when new pizza places seem to pop up every week in Toronto.
Specializing in classic, nothin'-fancy New York-style pizza, the appeal of Badiali extends far beyond the street credit that keeps it buzzing seven days a week; the pizzas are simple, high-quality and let each element, from the tomato sauce to the cheese, sing on their own.
It sounds easy, but it's just not something you find every day.
As for those pizzerias that ended up topping the list, the top five all hail from various cities in Italy, including Francesco Martucci of Caserta's I Masanielli, who pulled in a first-place finish.
While Badiali was the only Toronto pizzeria to land on the list, one additional Canadian chef was recognized, too, as Cedric Toullec of Halifax's Lou Pécou Artisanal Pizzeria earned a spot on the list at 93.
Badiali currently only operates their sole location just off West Queen West at 181 Dovercourt Road, they're due to open a second one at the up-and-coming Mirvish Village development in the coming months, ensuring even more people can get a taste of Ryan's world-renowned pies.
