Haifa, Jerusalem pizzerias make 50 Top Pizza list for Asia-Pacific region
Haifa’s NeoPolitan takes 25th spot and new entry of the year award and Jerusalem’s La Piedra is at 37 on the prestigious guide
Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
The 50 Top Pizza list, considered an influential guide in the world of pizza, included two Israeli pizzerias in its ranking of the 50 best pizzerias in the Asia-Pacific region for 2025, awarded in Tokyo on Sunday.
Haifa’s NeoPolitan won 25th place and received the New Entry of the Year award, while La Piedra, located in Jerusalem, placed 37th, marking the third consecutive year that the kosher pizzeria made the list.
The pizza ranking, often called the Michelin of the pizza world, after the French travel guide that grants stars to restaurants, evaluates pizzerias, rather than individual pizzas, emphasizing authentic Italian ingredients, customer service, and ambience, with points for a pizzeria’s selection of wines and beers, and extra points if the beverages are Italian.
It also focuses on Neapolitan pizza, the round, soft, thin dough pizzas that originated in Italy’s Naples region.
NeoPolitan is Oren Avni’s five-year-old vegetarian pizzeria located in the Haifa port, with his “wild and dynamic” pizzas made from fermented sourdough that change in flavor between the seasons, and even during the hours of the day.
Avni posted his award on Instagram, noting how lucky he is to do what he loves, making pizza, working with his staff and local farmers, and serving his customers.
“Any pleasure or achievement this year feels distant, as long as our brothers and sisters are in Hamas captivity, for over 500 days now,” said Avni. “It is inconceivable and we need to return them soon and begin their rehabilitation and that of our society.”
Jerusalem’s La Piedra was noted for its soft, well-leavened dough and airy crust, and the high standards maintained throughout three locations, two in Jerusalem and one recently opened in Petah Tikva.
Avi Sinclair, the chef and co-owner at La Piedra, received the award wearing an orange cap in memory of the three members of the Bibas family, who were murdered in captivity in Gaza, and dedicated his win to the return of the hostages.
