In our city tour in search of pizza, The Dot got served styles ranging from Detroit-style rectangular pies to authentic Neapolitan creations. This is our quest to find the best pizza in Ho Chi Minh City.
In our city tour in search of pizza, The Dot got servedSo, this is a celebration of pizza as a cultural phenomenon that transcends traditional boundaries, showcasing how our local pizzaiolos blend international techniques with Vietnamese creativity. From street art-inspired Lamie Pizza to authentic Italian spots like Terraviva, we’re here to argue that great pizza is less about geography and more about passion and innovation.
Our Search For The Best Pizza In Ho Chi Minh City
The concept of our recent Pizza Domino shoot was simple – pick a pizzeria, ask the pizzaiolo what to order, and between mouthfuls of gooey tomato-laced cheese, ask where to go next for pizza and what to order when we get there. Chefs know best. In our search for pizzas in Ho Chi Minh City, we discovered a rich underbelly of the city rarely seen.
We started at Lamie Pizza, a Detroit-style pizzeria, opened by a street artist, Suby One. The rectangular pan pizzas – particularly the Italian Sausage and the 4 Bros – caught the edge of the hot pan, turning the cheese into a salacious crunchy joy. Suby One sent us across town to a magical foodie enclave off Cong Quynh.
A couple of doors down, Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ has pioneered a kind of fried chicken cooked by a waterfall of hot oil. But we came for Tran Pizza, a homely, one-man pizzeria with street food-style seating. With a full house, the classics-loving Chef Hieu dispensed pizza after pizza from his Ooni oven, serving us a fresh and flavorsome half-and-half marinara and margherita, before sending us to Terraviva’s District 1 location – right in front of Ben Thanh Market.
The stairs helped us shake off the previous pizzas, and although Terraviva is an Italian restaurant as much as a pizzeria, we ordered their signature and a classic margherita – just as Hieu instructed.
The team at Terraviva suggested we continue on to District 7 for the popular Pizza Margheri, but we’d hit the wall and called it a night, content in the knowledge that the pizzas in Ho Chi Minh City span a range of styles and encompass a variety of experiences.
Pizza: The Ultimate Culinary Chameleon
Somehow, even in Vietnam, pizza has transcended food to become a cultural phenomenon. From grimy late-night slices to fancy-ass artisanal pies, pizza in Vietnam is popular.
The classics start with the Neapolitan pizza, the OG of the pizza world. Born in Naples, this is basically the grandaddy of all pizzas. Thin crust, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella – it’s so simple.
Then there’s the New York slice, the street food that fuels an entire city. Massive, foldable, greasy as hell. You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten a slice while dodging taxi cabs and questionable subway performers.
Then things get weird. Chicago Deep Dish isn’t so much a pizza as it is a cheese-and-sauce-filled bread swimming pool. One slice is basically a full meal that’ll put you into a carb coma. Meanwhile, California Pizza is the confluence of hippy ideals crashing headlong into Italian cuisine.
Suddenly pizza got goat cheese, arugula, and a whole lot of attitude, transforming the humble pie into a culinary canvas that would make traditional pizzaiolos cringe.
Global pizza variations take the weirdness to another level. Japanese Squid Ink Pizza comes black as your soul. Brazilian pizza goes even further with ingredients like banana, cinnamon, and cheese – a combination that sounds like a drunk college student’s fever dream.
For the true hangover saviors, look no further than Detroit Style pizza. It’s a rectangular masterpiece with crispy cheese-bordered edges. St. Louis Style takes it further with a cracker-thin crust and Provel cheese – a mysterious processed cheese blend that’s part science experiment, part comfort food.
Want the best pizza in Ho Chi Minh City?
Want the perfect pizza in Ho Chi Minh City? Here’s the secret: Don’t overthink it. The beauty of pizza is its universal appeal. It doesn’t judge. Pizza loves you unconditionally, grease stains and all. It’s the ultimate comfort food, the perfect late-night companion, the meal that brings people together. Whether you’re a purist or an adventurer, there’s a slice out there with your name on it. We’re here to help you on your way with a list of the best pizzas in Ho Chi Minh City.
So eat hard, slice harder. Pizza isn’t just food – it’s a way of life.
The Best Pizza In Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City’s pizza scene is a delicious rebellion against culinary expectations, where street art meets wood-fired ovens and traditional techniques collide with Vietnamese creativity. Ho Chi Minh City proves that great pizza isn’t about geography, but about the love and creativity poured into every single bite.
Margheri Gourmet Pizza & Eatery
The debate about the best pizza in Saigon continues, but Ciro Sorrentino is determined to settle it. His pizza expertise is so profound that he’s even taught pizza-making at the Pizza News School. Margheri is even good enough to justify a jaunt out to District 7 (if you don’t already live there).
His culinary journey began early. “I think I was only 13 years old when I started making pizzas!” he laughs. “But I still love it.” His achievements include being named among the 50 Top Pizzas in Italy and featuring on the TV show Pizza Challenge.
Before opening Margheri Gourmet Pizza & Eatery in District 7, Ciro worked as a chef at The Long Bar – Times Square. “In between that and opening Margheri Gourmet Pizza & Eatery in District 7 me and my wife opened a pizzeria back in Italy,” Ciro Sorrentino shares.
What sets Margheri apart is its commitment to authenticity and quality he understood more deeply back in Italy. “We import the finest products from home weekly,” Ciro says proudly, “and we make fresh pasta daily.”
The pizza dough is particularly exceptional. “We use sourdough with a 48-hour proofing, aim for a high hydration of around 75%, and use a mixture of different Italian flours to give our guests unique flavors, colors and aromas to experience.”
Where: R3-60 Hung Phuoc, District 7
What: A daily District 7 masterclass in making pizzas.
Tran Pizza
A true Saigon original – a pizzeria that combines our love of the streets with fresh, fun ingredients.
Pineapple on pizza? Hieu, Tran Pizza’s young founder and pizzaiolo, has an anything-goes spirit. But, at heart, he prefers the classics – honest margherita, with the perfect balance of cheese and tomato, fresh basil and a swirl of good quality olive oil. Or keep one foot safely on the ground while the other reaches for the unknown with a half-half of Hieu’s tuna, with big hunks of fish topped with red onion, or the chicken and homemade pesto, with extra basil sauce served on the side.
Where: 117/20 Cong Quynh, District 1
What: Self-taught, stylish, street-style pizzas.
Leonardo Pizza
In the world of Leonardos – from actor Leonardo DiCaprio to Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci, and even Leonardo the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle – we remind Jon, CEO of BỜM Hospitality, the creative minds behind BỜM Kitchen & Wine Bar, SÓNO restaurant, and now Leonardo Pizza, about the many bearers of this name.
“Nah,” he shakes his head. “The only Leonardo that matters to us is Leonardo Da Vinci – but that’s not because he was Italian. It’s because he’s the great inventor of modern science!”
“We want to take that spirit and transfer it to our pizzas. What we do is not the typical classic Napoli-style, Roman-style, or even New York-style pizza. It is Leonardo-style!” he proclaims.
The kitchen’s creative force combines the expertise from their previous ventures: the baking mastery of Chef Kien, Head Chef of SÓNO, and the operational brilliance of Chef Thanh, Head Chef of BOM. Together, they’ve embraced the universally loved Italian dish, pizza.
“I think its appeal is because it has the minimum number of components whilst providing the maximum satisfaction,” Jon continues. “It’s simple, with three main ingredients: flour, olive oil, and tomato. But it’s super hearty, quick, and delicious when done right with the right ingredients!”
At Leonardo Pizza, the ideal dining experience unfolds on the first floor, at the table overlooking the entrance—a spot that offers a street view while maintaining the dining room’s intimate ambiance. An airy atrium lies just behind. “At either spot, order The Last Pesto pizza,” Jon recommends. “It’s made with Ca Mau prawns and our proudly homemade pesto. The pesto uses a mixture of local basil and herbs like shiso, cilantro, and mint. Or try The Mona Limone, a white sauce pizza with a lot of lemon,” Jon says, his mind drifting back to Leonardo Da Vinci again.
Where: 229 Nguyen Cong Tru, District 1
What: Leonardo-style pizza pioneers!
Jimmy’s New York Pizza
Convince a native, and you’re doing something right. And so when New Yorker Dana Bradley tipped us to Jimmy’s New York Pizza we knew it was legit. “As a proud New Yorker, I think Jimmy’s has the best slice,” she declared in a recent episode of our series, The One.
Maybe that’s because all the pizzas at Jimmy’s use his homemade family sauce recipe, and imported cheeses and tomatoes – ingredients that help to create pizzas that are as big and brash as the Big Apple itself.
And handily, there are Jimmy’s District 1, District 7, and District 2, meaning pizzas like their cheese-loaded, topping heavy Supreme, with Pepperoni, sausage, beef, bacon, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, and black olives, are never far away. Fuggedaboutit.
Where: Canh Vien 3, Block A, Tan Phu, District 7 & 29 Nguyen Ba Lan, Thao Dien, District 2 & 50 Dang Thi
What: New York pizzas….approved by New Yorkers.
Contact: Instagram | Facebook | Website
Pizza 4P’s
No surprise. Pizza 4P’s are an obvious choice for this list. But, the Saigon-born pizza brand deserves all the acclaim they get.
They’ve remarkably managed to grow from a small back-alley pizzeria (off Le Thanh Ton) into a 20+ location behemoth, while retaining their sustainable spirit, and desire to bring peace through pizzas. However, when we caught up with co-founders Yosuke and Sanae Masuko at the end of 2022, they reminded us of those difficult early days, when they lived in a small room with their young daughter above that Le Thanh Ton restaurant.
These days, if peace on earth isn’t imminent, satisfaction usually isn’t far away. There are hearty cheese fondues, and oven baked potatoes, an organic rocket salad with tomato and burrata straight from Dalat. The Crab Tomato And Cream Spaghetti is dreamy. But we’re here for the pizzas – consistently more-ish whether served at a Pizza 4P’s in a shopping mall (such as Takashimaya, or in a heritage building, like Pizza 4P’s Ben Thanh – which include classics like the Pizza 4P’s Margherita, or more outre offerings like their Salmon Miso Cream Pizza. And to wash those all down, Pizza 4P’s serve exclusive natural wines and even a natural sake, and their own brand of craft cider and stout.
Where: Multiple locations nationwide.
What: If the goal of peace isn’t imminent, satisfaction is guaranteed at Pizza 4P’s.
Contact: Instagram | Facebook | Website
365º Napoli Pizza
Another pizzeria regularly name-checked among the best, 365° Degrees Napoli Pizza will have you twirling with delight. Proudly authentic, from Italy with love, this Thao Dien pizzeria is a family-run wood-fired spot serving homemade pizzas and fresh pastas.
Pizzas like their Napoli Pepperoni come with thick, generous slices of pepperoni and fragrant basil, the Napoli Margherita is stacked with peppery rocket atop bountiful shaving of prosciutto and homemade mozzarella cheese, and the simple set up, down an alley off Thao Dien’s Ngo Quang Huy only adds to the atmosphere.
Where: 50 Ngo Quang Huy, Thao Dien, District 2
What: A traditional, Thao Dien spin on the Neapolitan.
Terraviva Pizza & Italian Cuisine
As the name announces, Terraviva Pizza & Italian Cuisine is about more than pizza pies alone. Even the Negronis are a joy, served in tall glasses with a (sustainable) straw.
The amiable Italian staff wander contentedly around the kitschy, Italian-village inspired space, dispensing stories and extolling the virtues of their authentic dishes.
Their wood-fired oven is the centerpiece of the kitchen, producing pizzas with perfectly crisp crusts and carefully balanced toppings. The restaurant offers a mix of classic Italian dishes beyond pizza, including fresh pasta, antipasti, and carefully curated wines – in case it’s too early for Negronis – that complement their menu.
Where: 194 Le Thanh Ton, District 1
What: Classic Italian with Negronis and wood-fired pizzas.
Brio
Brio hangs out, a little modestly, off Thao Dien. But inside, there’s a warm Italian welcome, in a decadent, date-night atmosphere, with precise, downright pretty dishes like their Risotto ai Gamberoni where sweet shrimps dance upon a rich bed of rice, and edible flowers add ornate decoration.
Their Cacio e Pepe is a masterpiece of simplicity – each strand of pasta coated in a perfect balance of pecorino and black pepper, a dish that speaks to the elegance of Roman cuisine.
The Fettuccine and Cavatelli Ragu follows, each bite revealing layers of depth and complexity. But the true showstoppers are the pizzas – big-favored, crispy-crusted pies like their Brio Marinara with White Anchovy Pizza with marinara sauce, creamy mozzarella, fresh herbs, some salty white anchovies and fresh stracciatella.
While an Aperol Spritz might cut through the richness of the dishes, its bright, citrusy notes provide a perfect counterpoint, the dizzying number of wines by the glass – thanks to an oversized wine dispenser – are irresistible too.
Where: 55B Ngo Quang Huy, Thao Dien, District 2
What: A warm Italian welcome in a decadent, date-night atmosphere.
Chico’s Pizza Bar
Chef-owned Chico’s Pizza Bar might not look like much. But, like Huynh Chi Khang reminded us recently, he’d rather, for now, focus on the food at Chico’s Pizza Bar and neighboring Roast & Smoke. To him, he tells us, “Italian food means using ingredients that are at their peak.”
“That’s why it touches the hearts of so many people around the world, because it’s really down to Earth,” he smiles.
That ingredient-driven philosophy influences lots of his cuisine too – from smoked-beef short ribs to stacked BLT sandwiches where smoky pork belly replaces the bacon. But his pizzas are a marvel – whether crispy and creative, like his Hainanese Smoked Chicken Pizza, or big-flavored vegetarian options like his cashew, ricotta, spinach, mozzarella, gorgonzola, and almonds.
Where: 188BE14 Nguyen Van Huong, Thao Dien, District 2
What: Ingredient-driven and delicious.
Pendolasco
As thrillingly iconoclastic as salmon sashimi pizzas can be, or a sip of natural wine with your margarita, the OGs abide because of their consistency. Pendolasco is one. Remarkably, for such a fast-changing city like Saigon, they’ve been serving up Italian flavors since 1998 in which time Thao Dien’s gone from marshland to foodie enclave.
And it’s not just the pizzas and pastas that taste like home, the sun-dappled yard adds some Tuscan charm, and mamma would approve of the homely dining space. Their big-hearted calzones – the ham and mushroom Farcito, the ricotta and mozzarella stuffed Magro, and their signature cheese, tomato and salami Pendolasco – are sensationally satisfying, and their handmade pizzas are the perfect balance of crispy crust and fluffy inner. All of which is available to Pendogo on their easy-booking website.
Where: 30 Tong Huu Dinh, Thao Dien, District 2
What: True Saigon pizza OGs since 1998.
Contact: Instagram | Facebook | Website
Capone’s Pizza and Beer
There’s a refreshing honesty at Capone’s. Any visit revolves around those two things in the title: pizza and beer. And, preferably, the perfect storm where the two collide.
Sure, there are Crazy Sticks and Chicken Wings, Beer Nuggets and Chorizo Nachos, Ball Park Dogs and the Maxwell Street Polish, a true Chicago favorite hailing from the city’s Maxwell Street Market.
There are foldovers too, sandwich-ingredient loaded pizza crust that’s folded over before serving. And there are hard sodas, and even Malort, a liquor popular in The Windy City. But all those are merely the sideshow to the deliriously deep-dish, double decker or tavern-style thin crust pizzas, and beers that go from commercial Saigon Special and Carlsberg to draft Capone’s Bootlegger Whitbier and Origins Crispy Buoi.
Where: 8/3 Street 49B, Thao Dien, District 2
What: A slice of The Windy City – with deliriously deep-dish, double decker or tavern-style thin crust pizzas -here in Saigon, The Pearl of the far East.
Contact: Instagram | Facebook | Website
Lamie Pizza
The first Detroit-style pizza in Ho Chi Minh City, Lamie Pizza, from the Strasbourg-born, French-Vietnamese artist and pizza connoisseur admits.
Back in France, his father was a baker, so, he explains, it’s kind of in the DNA. Due to the success of Lamie Pizza, he doesn’t have much time to paint, although he quickly threw up a piece to decorate the wall at Lamie Pizza Thao Dien, their second location. Next door is cocktail bar Bardo, with a soundproofed live music room upstairs, making Lamie Pizza the perfect pre- and post-party spot. And you can order the chunky, topping loaded rectangles as a whole pizza, or just a couple of slices which come with the option of extra sauces like their self-explanatory Hot ASF, and Cheesy Cheddar, that you can decorate your pizza with, imagining you’re an artist – just like Lamie Pizza’s proprietor.
Where: 158/4 Nguyen Cong Tru, District 1 & 14 Street 11, Thao Dien, District 2
What: Hot ASF, arty, Detroit-style pizzas.
Brick & Barrel
For all things American, Brick & Barrel’s James Joloika has got you. And that includes bringing the heat at the Brick & Barrel Hot Sauce Fest, the hottest day of the year. There, and on any normal night at Brick & Barrel, in pride of place on the menu is El Diablo – The Spiciest Pizza in Vietnam. The toppings include run-of-the-mill tomato sauce and mozzarella, and then…scorpion tail, Korean chili powder, Thai chili, pepperoni, paprika, and some jalapenos.
Thankfully, there are lots of great classic cocktails elsewhere on the menu – everything from a Last Word to a Long Island Ice Tea – and some cool signatures too, their Paradise Daiquiri and a spiced rum fueled King Kang.
But you don’t have to wish disaster upon your tastebuds to have a good time at Brick & Barrel. On the Classic Pizza menu, there’s already an Umami Bomb that includes oysters, king oysters, porcini, and enoki mushrooms.
Where: 171 Calmette, District 1
What: Diabolically spicy pizzas and Pisco Sours to wash the self-hate away.
Mila Mushroom Underground Pizza
Another curveball we’re pitching into the mix is Mila Mushroom Underground Pizza. They’re precisely the kind of forward-thinking pizza shop we gravitate towards. There are the free-flow Fridays soaked in Asahi, Beer Lao, and Crazy Duck German Beer, and the ladies’ nights, on a Wednesday, when there’s 50% pizza and cocktails. “From the dough to the toppings, every detail is considered to create a truly unforgettable experience,” the people at Mila Mushroom Underground Pizza assure us. They’re best enjoyed at the hip and homely Thao Dien restaurant they share with Bondrunk – Eccentric Drinkery or via their newly launched delivery portal.
The pizzas are succinct enough for you to snarf a whole one, while remaining relatively guilt-free. There’s the Roasted Pumpkin & Chorizo, the ominously delicious White Widow with grilled chicken and lots of cheeses, and the jalapeño-powered 12th Planet. Plus there’s chicken wings, a hearty Caesar Salad, and AW Root Beer to wash it all down.
Amid all the big-budget restaurants and bars, Mila Mushroom Underground Pizza is a reminder that Thao Dien is a neighborhood, with some of the city’s most laid-back hangouts.
Where: 32 Street 46, Thao Dien, District 2
What: Guilt-free good times in Thao Dien’s Mila Mushroom.
7 Bridges Craft Beer
Slice. Slice. Baby. 7 Bridges is, first and foremost, a craft beer taproom, but that’s not stopped their slices becoming legendary mid-session sustenance. These are big, brash slices, cut from a 50cm pizza and slathered in their addictive, beer-based dragon hot sauce.
Originally from Danang – the name comes from the Central beach town’s assortment of bridges – from Chairman Stanley Boots and CEO Saori Ushimi, they “went from garage to gold medals” in the two years after opening. And, with lots of Japanese spirit, you can find them, and their illustrious slices at the entrance to Japan Town, on Le Thanh Ton, and close by, on the corner of Dong Du and Hai Ba Trung.
Where: Multiple locations including: 15B/12 Le Thanh Ton, District 1 & 38 Dong Du, District 1
What: Craft beer and big, brash pizza slices dipped in 7 Bridges’ beer-based dragon hot sauce.
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