The top 5 UK cities for pizza lovers

Need an excuse to order takeaway this week? Enter National Pizza Day – the annual event you never knew you needed. Celebrated on 9 February every year, National Pizza Day is a chance to indulge in the famous Italian dish that’s become a firm favourite around the world. And to help you find the most mouthwatering margherita and the tastiest tricolore, we’ve picked out our top five UK cities for pizza lovers. Head to any of these with megabus and you’re in for a triangle-shaped treat…

1. Manchester
The city of Manchester is awash with amazing pizza joints, so you can pick somewhere to suit your tastes. If you’re after an authentic recipe that would give the best pizzerias in Naples a run for their money, head to Double Zero 00 Neapolitan Pizza in Chorlton. This place is TripAdvisor’s number-one in Manchester for good reason, and diners rate their soft Neapolitan-style pizzas, the great gluten-free options, and the BYOB policy. At the other end of the spectrum, try Crazy Pedro’s on Bridge Street if you’re after something totally different. This bar-style joint is best-known for its frozen margaritas and bonkers pizza toppings – fried chicken and waffle, anyone?

2. London
Thanks to an influx of Italians in the 19^th century, the area that lies between London’s Clerkenwell Road, Farringdon Road and Rosebery Avenue is now known as Little Italy. So it’s no surprise that Santore, on Exmouth Market, serves up some of the best Italian food around. The menu’s not limited to pizzas, so you can bookend your main with antipasti and tiramisu. Prefer to try your hand at crafting the perfect pizza instead? Try the Bread Ahead Bakery School. They run half-day workshops at Borough Market and in Wembley, so you can become a pizza-making pro.

3. Birmingham
Proof that you don’t need to be a big-name place to serve a properly good pizza, Otto is a hidden gem in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. The wood-fired pizzas get rave reviews from guests, as do the charcuterie boards – and they do takeaway if you don’t fancy stopping in.

4. Bristol
Heading to Bristol in search of pizza? Make tracks for Bertha’s in Whapping Wharf – the sourdough base here is fermented for days then wood-fired for chewy and charred results. There’s seating upstairs as well as outside, and it would be rude not to order a gelato for dessert. If you’re less partial to a pud and more tempted by a pint, the aptly named Beerd is likely to go down very well. A regularly updated array of craft beers from local breweries features on the drinks menu alongside pizzas that are lauded as some of the best in town. The vegetarian and vegan pizzas are particularly good here – try the Hey Pesto and you’ll see what we mean.

5. Edinburgh
Dining out in the New Town or just looking for a cracking vegan option? Novapizza Vegan Kitchen serves vegan versions of classic Italian dishes – think spaghetti carbonara with homemade smoked seitan, and an 100% vegan meat feast pizza.