Italian | Kitchen Salvatore Cuomo
Helmed by a chef hailing from Naples–the birthplace of the Italian thin crust pie–Kitchen Salvatore Cuomo knows pizza. Cuomo’s crusts are crisp and well-executed in their copper wood fired oven and are well worth the trek across the Huangpu. Boasting imported buffalo mozzarella straight from Italy, it’s no wonder their pizzas are so good. Our favorite is the sausage, broccoli, basil and mozzarella cheese (¥138), but their artichoke, parma ham and olive pie (¥148) is also one of the best in town.
Find it: 2967 Lujiazui Xi Lu 陆家嘴西路2967号, Tel: 5054-1265

Pizza | La Strada
Longing for your neighborhood pizzeria complete with house made limoncello? Find your way to La Strada, Craig Willis’ pizza joint. The melenzane (¥72)–featuring eggplant, spicy salami and chili–is delicious. Another good choice is the arugula (¥48). Fired in an exposed brick oven and finished with olive oil, it boasts enough prosciutto to satiate any carnivore’s need for meat. On weekdays enjoy a half portion of any pizza with your choice of antipasto for just ¥68.
Find it: 1/F 195 Anfu Lu 安福路195号1楼, Tel: 5404-0100

Bars | Velvet Lounge
If you’ve got a late-night craving for something wickedly cheesy, Velvet Lounge dishes out some serious pies. Fired in a stone brick oven, the pizza at Velvet boasts only imported ingredients from the land where pizza was created: Italy. Their spicy sauce is what sets their pizzas apart from others; it complements the salty buffalo mozzarella they use nicely. Enjoy their basic margarita (¥88) or our favorite, the savory parma ham (¥102). The best part? They offer up pies until 3am.
Find it: 1/F, Bldg 3-4, 913 Julu Lu 巨鹿路913号3-4号楼1楼, Tel: 5403-2976

■ Jake DeLois