• Two Romanian restaurants have achieved a notable position in the prestigious 50 Top Pizza Europe 2026 ranking, confirming the increasingly high quality of the local gastronomic scene dedicated to pizza.
Pizzeria ZANO from Iași has consolidated its international presence, appearing for the third consecutive year in the main ranking. It occupies the 51st place in the expanded top of 60 positions. At the same time, Animaletto Pizza Bar from Bucharest was included in the "Excellent Pizzerias" section, which brings together establishments with outstanding performances at the continental level.
The rankings were revealed on June 30, 2026, in Madrid, during an elegant ceremony hosted by Spanish journalist Veronica Zumalacárregui. The event ended with a party at Bernabéu Market, the gastronomic space located inside the famous Santiago Bernabéu stadium.
The 50 Top Pizza guide, launched in 2018 by experts Barbara Guerra, Albert Sapere and journalist Luciano Pignataro, began as a project dedicated to Italy and has gradually expanded to a European and global scale. The 2026 edition reflects this growth: the main list now includes 60 pizzerias, and the guide evaluates over 200 establishments in total from 35 countries. Spain dominates with 29 representatives, followed by France (24) and the United Kingdom (22). Paris remains the best-represented city (17 pizzerias), followed by London (15) and Madrid (9).
In first place in Europe, for the second year in a row, is Napoli on the Road in London, run by Michele Pascarella. Second place goes to Baldoria in Madrid (Ciro Cristiano), also named the best in Spain, and third place goes to IMperfetto in Puteaux, France (Tonino Cogliano and Simone Lombardi). The top 20 positions ensure automatic qualification for the world ranking, which will be announced in September in Naples.
ZANO – the story of an authentic passion
ZANO Pizzeria was opened in November 2022 in Iași by entrepreneur Alex Gafitianu together with his father. With no previous experience in the restaurant business, the two chose to build a space centered on human connection, considering pizza a symbol of friendship and shared moments.
After rigorous research, the decisive collaboration was with Giovanni Santarpia, a Florentine pizza chef with internationally recognized experience. Santarpia contributed to the development of the menu and the training of the team, ensuring that authentic Neapolitan standards were respected. The basic ingredients come mainly from Italy, complemented by local and seasonal products. Among the most appreciated dishes is the Quattro Carne.
According to the 50 Top Pizza Europe 2026 guide, ZANO is the best pizzeria in Romania.
This international recognition underlines the rapid evolution of the art of pizza in our country and provides a reason for pride for contemporary Romanian cuisine, increasingly integrated into the European gastronomic circuit.
Article source: Two pizzerias from Romania, in the ranking of the best pizza restaurants in Europe in 2026.
Article written by Gabriela Dan, Editor-in-Chief Arta Albă
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