Two Neapolitan establishments once again share the title of 'Best Pizzeria in the World'. I Masanielli, from Francesco Martucci in Caserta, and 10 Diego Vitagliano, in two locations in Naples, were proclaimed number 1 yesterday in the world ranking of 50 Top Pizza, which announced its new list at the Court Theater of the Royal Palace of Naples .
It is not the first time that two Neapolitan pizzerias tie in this list. If for years Martucci (number 1 in 2022) did it with another Casertano, Franco Pepe, from Pepe in Grani, now he once again has a rival with Vitagliano, who has managed to climb 5 positions in the ranking.
Both opponents have points in common. Both Vitagliano and Martucci have had to endure criticism from purists incapable of accepting that in Italian Campania, the birthplace of pizza, it could be prepared under a different perspective than the traditional recipe. Both are lovers of long fermentations, without obviously giving up the flavor of the best product.
"My pizza is like the 60s for music, pure avant-garde. I have always had a lot of respect for the classic, but I don't understand what the problem is in trying to improve it," explained the second in an interview with La Vanguardia.
Second place in the ranking is now occupied by Una Pizza Napoletana, owned by Anthony Mangieri in New York, and third, by Barcelona-based Sartoria Panatieri. This establishment, owned by Rafa Panatieri and Jorge Sastre, last May also managed to be proclaimed the best pizzeria in Europe (not counting Italy, of course) in the 50 Top Pizza ranking. Now in the World Cup, he has suddenly climbed a total of 19 positions, with a curiosity: neither Panatieri nor Sastre are Italian.
Since yesterday, in fourth position on the 50 Top Pizza list is The Pizza Bar on 38th, led by Daniele Cason in Tokyo, and in fifth is I Tigli, in San Bonifacio (Verona), owned by Simone Padoan.
Furthermore, in the new ranking, 4 Spanish establishments have also achieved a position. These are the Madrid-based Fratelli Figurato (42) and Baldoria (64); Barcelona's La Balmesina (50) and Bilbao's Demaio (81).
