On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Spring St-Lafayette St (6)
Bowery (J, M)
Prince St (R, W)
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Loading...
as it states in my profile, if i was able to have one last meal before getting the electric chair, it would be lombardi's... the all white pizza is literally a slice of heaven, but so is just the regular cheese...
let me put it to you this way, after leaving the east coast to be implanted in the west, i have done it a couple times where i catch the red eye out, grab a couple of pies from lombardi's, inhale them, and then catch the red eye back to LA... insanity?? maybe, but once you have a lombardi's, you will understand...
Yumfest.
My mom and I worked up an appetite walking around SoHo/Nolita/Little Italy for a few hours and wanted some pizza. I google mapped on my phone and saw that Lombardi's was listed and I remembered that this is one of the places that has the best pizza in NYC.
We put our name in, sat at the bar for 30 minutes, and got to our table. I loved walking thru the kitchen...why, no clue, but I did.
We sat, ordered the house salad to start with. No clue what dressing was on it but it was good. We ordered a small, 6 slices, pizza with pepperoni and sausage. We got the pizza before the salad was finished and quickly dug in. It was amazing. The perfect amount of sauce, cheese, and topping. Upon reading the article that was posted on the wall next to us, I learned that their coal oven is 800-900 degrees and most of their pizzas cook in 3-5 minutes. Now, that's HOT!
Yeah, the tables are small and really close together and you are basically eating with the people around you. And yeah, they don't take credit cards at all, which I don't understand why places like this do that, but it's so good that I don't care.
BEST PIZZA HANDS DOWN. We came here after shopping in SoHo, and since it was close by, walked down Spring St. and ordered carryout. There were so many people waiting in line for tables, and people who ordered carryout. It was around $19 per pizza, but to add toppings would be an extra $3 (2 toppings), or $6 (3 toppings) and the price would go on and on depending on how many toppings you order. The sausage, meatball, bacon, and pepperoni was so flavorful and so fresh. Of course, the best part is the DOUGH of the pizza. It was perfectly baked and in perfect alliance with the rest of the meats. We tried Ray's Pizza yesterday and this place was 10x better. Ray's is good for fast, drunk food pizza.
Definitely go out of your way to try it.
3.5 stars -- I prefer Grimaldi's more. It's not bad, but it's not as exciting as some people say it is. Came here on a Wednesday night...seated right away (which was good). Shared a medium sized pizza, topped with mushrooms and sausage. Perhaps I should never have pizza without garlic.
Anyway, the space was not that big and I even got a quick, 2 second view of the kitchen...mainly because the table was in the inner section of the restaurant. Additional door in the back so that you won't have to go through the kitchen again when leaving.
I've loved this place for years, and just had the pleasure of devouring my first ever clam pizza! Wow, have I been missing out! I guess now on my NY trips I'll have to hit Lombardi's twice....once for a delicious regular pizza, and again for a fantastic clam pizza!!!!
Don't try to get too fancy with your pizza. Stick with Gennaro's Original Pizza (made thin crusted with fresh mozzarella, a San Marzano tomato sauce and topped with roman and fresh basil). If you start adding extra toppings, you take away from the wholesomeness of the pizza. Just leave it be and you'll be happy. I got a small 14" pizza ($15.50) and shared it with a friend. We finished it all!! None to go. It was that good. I will definitely come back.
One day after class, some friends and I decided to go play pool down by SoHo, but since we hadn't eaten lunch, we decided to check out "that famous pizza place that's nearby." Apparently it's the first pizzeria in NY, and from the looks of it, things probably haven't changed *that* much since it first opened - the tables are on the small side and cramped together, and the restaurant still doesn't take credit cards. We ordered one large pepperoni for the four of us to share, and it was enough for all of us to be satisfied (although I think I could have gone for another slice, haha). I missed Di Fara's buffalo mozzarella, but apart from that the flavor was relatively similar (which is good).
Warning - if you're stopping by, try to get there earlier than peak lunch/dinner hours. Luckily, our group arrived around 3pm when there weren't that many people, but it didn't take long for a huge crowd to accumulate outside, and there's very little waiting space inside. Save yourself the trouble and come earlier or in between "standard" meal times.
5 stars! Lombardi's is a classic. Adorable red and white checked table clothes, old school bubbly plastic soda cups and the best THIN crust pizza NYC has to offer. Fresh Mozzarella on every slice. Yumm!
Note: cash only.
Pizza or ramen?? I guess NYC pizza it is!!
After hearing that Ippudo Ramen had a 1 hour wait.. we decided to go for NYC pizza instead at Lombardi's, and boy was it a journey to get there...
There wasn't a wait for our party of 8 and after we went through a maze in the restaurant we were seated upstairs in the additional seating area. From what I remember, original pizza was about $20 that included cheese, basil leaves, and tomato sauce?? If you wanted to add toppings I believe 5 toppings was an additional $8 and so forth.
Personally, I didn't like the pizza that much, it was very thin and the toppings seemed to fall right off of it. Took the leftovers home and didn't even eat it and usually next day pizza is supposed to taste better right??
The pizza was great. Tried a traditional cheese pizza and I liked it. It wasn't greasy... it was perfectly cooked. There is a nice history (seeing how it is the first pizza place in America... even though they moved from their original location) and that is a cool place to eat at with friends from out of town. I will go back and bring friends!!!
NY trips always require pizza. I don't know WHY the pizza is so damn good here, but I'm not gonna question, I am just going to consume. While this place is a TOTAL tourist trap, I was happy to take the boyfriend here on what could be considered one of "the" pizza destinations in NYC.
The wait here is absurd - but we put our names in, and went for a walk around SoHo while we waited (and I quietly considered eating both my arm and my boyfriend's arm off). We FINALLY got seated, and settled in for some pie. I let him decide both the size (large) and one of the toppings (meatballs), and also took his incredulous look when I suggested we get SOME kind of vegetable on it as well (which then became mushrooms). We both ordered a beer, and the waitstaff was very quick about coming around. The place is charming, and it seems like they pretty much know what they are doing here.
The plus side of Lombardi's? While the wait for a table is something close to forever, the wait for pizza is like, a millionth of that. This is due to the fact that their oven is set at about 900 degrees, and so pizzas cook in there in about 4 minutes. Best cooking time I have EVER heard of. Pizza also comes out ridiculously piping hot, and I have one thing to say:
"mmmmmmmmmmmm"
I didn't talk to the boyfriend for most of the meal, and he responded in kind. We DESTROYED a large, and happily sat there sipping our beer, and got the very nice couple across from us to take our picture.
Another one of those CASH ONLY places. I am always prepared in NYC for this type of shenanigan. My cousin says it's because of the crisis - I think it's just some kind of weird exclusive thing that is "only in New York".
Damn them for making such delicious pizza though, because they TOTALLY get away with it.
Sometimes really popular and touristy restaurants get to be that way because the food is good, and has been for a long time.
That's why I still like going to Lombardis. The pizzas are NY to a "T", the ceasar salad shaves the parm and the dressing has strong hints of garlic and anchoive paste, and the tables are uncomfortable and close enough together that it still feels NY.
I think the earpieces for the staff is a bit overboard, however. Lombardi's is popular and busy, there's no need to incorporate TGI Friday's into it.
We wanted to try some real NY Pizza and Lombardi's was on the spreadsheet that my brother's friend sent him before going to NY. So off we go on our first dinner out in the City. Thin crust pizza is my favorite, you get to taste the toppings and not have a mouthful of dough and crust.
The wait was less than expected for a table of 4. I believe they told us 30-40 mins and that was about how long we waited. (+1 for telling the truth about the wait!) Good thing we had the entertaining bartender to keep us preoccupied prior to being seated. To get to our table, we walked thru the kitchen to another side room...just walking thru there made my stomach grumble!
We ended up ordering a Caesar Salad and Bread Sticks as appetizers. DO NOT order the Bread Sticks, they were AWFUL - no flavor, even when you covered it with the marinara dipping sauce, we left half the basket (-1 for yucky breadstick, we even told the waitress and she just shrugged her shoulders and took the basket away!).
As for the Pie, we ordered Mushroom and Italian Sausage. It was delivered to our table piping hot and looked wonderfully delicious! The cheese was super melty and the crust wasn't burnt. The first bite was Nom-licious.
It was a good choice as the first dinner meal in NY. Price was reasonable, food was good and the company was even better!
Don't know the price...Never had a chance to foot the bill.
Service is awesome.
Meat lovers - great.
Sometimes you're craving pizza, but you're on a date, so when you don't want to look like a cheapskate and take them to 2 Bros Pizza, you can bring them to Lombardi's - one classy brick oven restaurant!
Two words - clam pie! The thought of it might gross you out, but the taste of it will be in your memory forever. Of course this is not the primary pie, you should get a heavily loaded pizza as your first pie. This is incentive to bring more than a friend to this place.
If you go early enough, there might be a minimal wait, but one thing you must know is that EVERYONE MUST BE PRESENT TO BE SEATED. I've disowned friends because they have made me wait longer than I should. They will end up sitting by themselves a few booths over.
It is on the pricy side for (gourmet) pizza, but it is definitely my favorite non $1 slice location!
OK yes... the pizza is good and the place is classic. But seriously, no credit cards? I understand wanting to hide profits and keep profits, but just because you are over 100 years old doesn't mean you can't keep with the times!
Everything is a bit overpriced, and the wait does stink most of the time. But, the pizza is good... dare I say one of the best in NYC.
I am sorry Lombardi's, I do not like you. You make a decent slice, but you are overpriced and under-cheesed. The wait takes a long time, and so does the service. Can I please get a refill of water? My mouth is parched, and I want to pay and leave.
First time: White pizza - /cancel hype
Second time: Large pie with Pepperoni & sun dried tomatoes - hands washed.
2 underwhelming experiences, and I must say: Never again. I'm going elsewhere.
Grimaldi's is better.
Ricotta, Spinach and Meatballs= pure heavenly bliss.
prices are pretty reasonable.
waits are excessive but worth it.
waited 20 min at 6 pm last saturday so not bad at all.
crust is awesome. def worth it.
cash only.
A friend of mine told me Lombardi's was a staple in NYC. I had never heard of it, so we decided to check it out. Now I know why there is so much hype. The pizza was simply fantastic - no frills, nothing fancy, just basic coal oven pizza with simple ingredients. The crust stayed perfectly crispy throughout the entire meal and my arms weren't drenched with oil. The mozerella cheese was so fresh and tastey. I also would recommend the house salad because of the homemade dressing...how can i describe this....it's like being punched in a face - POWWWW!!! So much flavor, oh so good. Lombardi's lives up to the hype - best pizza in town.
Tip: Cash Only so be sure to hit up the ATM beforehand.
They already have over 700 reviews, so who needs mine?
But with that said... WOW. My favorite pizza in the world. Great smoky taste to the crust. Perfect toppings (meat lover is the way to go), tangy sauce and yummy cheese.
I really wish I were eating it now instead of typing this review!
One of the places you "have to go" as a tourist. The pizza was pretty good, but I don't know if it was as great as the hype. We weren't very hungry when we went there, but our visit was short and we knew we wouldn't be coming back to little italy.
The restaurant is too small for strollers so they 'check' it for you at the door. No room for high chairs either, only booster seats. Forget about a changing table, not so convenient with a toddler.
Wow! Need I say more? My first time in NYC and we were told to visit this place for the best pizza...were they correct! Our food server was a bit depleted on personality but the experience and the awesome pizza overshadowed it!
When we were ready to leave...I saw Jerry..my partner had looked up at a picture and back down at this guy sitting there. This was Mr. Lombardi...the owner of this place! This was very cool and such a nice guy and we had our picture taken with him! Definitely go visit this place in Little Italy.
This is the best pizza I've ever had. It was recommended by a friend who grew up in the area and I'm glad I took his advice.
I've had both the margarita (margherita) and pepperoni pizza and both were amazing. The pepperoni is probably the best I've ever had; I would love to just take some of the pepperoni slices to munch on. I've taken several visiting family members here and they have all loved the pizza as well.
Lombardi's is usually packed at lunch and dinner (go a bit off the lunch and dinner rush if you want quicker seating), but be prepared to wait a little bit at any time. The restaurant is actually fairly large with a backroom and more seating upstairs. The staff is quick with serving you so once you're in you don't have to wait too much longer for food.
The location is great too since it's right near Little Italy and Soho (so you can shop and go get gelato afterwards)!
Good!
I used to live near this place. It was always jammed, so I never went in. The same goes for Pink's Taco on La Brea in LA... but I digress.
The pizza is NYC, old school thin. They've got great toppings. The wait isn't too unbearable.
It's a fun place to grab a traditional slice of pizza.
Food = B+
Service = B
Atmosphere = C-
Overall = B
This is a damn good slice of pizza. The reason for 4 instead of 5 stars is that there was a piece of string accidentally baked into my piece of pizza! Yuck! I didn't complain because it was a saturday night and I'm sure the restaurant staff was already overworked. And because it is NYC and we are all probably eating far worse things that have accidentally fallen into our food. But still...yuck. So a 1 star deduction.
Another redundant Yelp review but I need it for my own reference!!
So I've done the Grimaldi's thing and the Lombardi's thing and I would have to agree that I see them equally. The styles are relatively similar and I would have to praise both for their fresh toppings. They're both different from your typical NY hole-in-wall pizza joint because it isn't as greasy and tastes relatively healthy.
Lombardi's restaurant is bigger so the wait may not be as bad. Actually on a Monday night, I waited about 5 minutes. Pizzas come out fast and Italian sodas are a delight to drink too (tell them to be less generous with the whip cream though otherwise it'll take up half your cup). My pizza toppings included pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, and spinach... pretty standard I would say. It came out delicious but I do think that Grimaldi's pepperonis are more flavorful. I did notice some extra charred-ness on the crust though but it was negligible. A large pizza with the toppings I got ended up being about $26.
As for ambiance, Lombardi's has two levels - the main floor which is kind of old school and wooden and the lower level which is a well-furnished, quieter basement. Service is top-notch.
Quick tid bit for dat ass: Lombardi's is one of the oldest eateries in NY and the oldest Pizzaria in the USA. Get your permission slip signed & take a historic field trip. Maybe you'll learn a thing or two....smart guy.
Thin crust pizza just does not get any better than Lombardi's. Wait time is acceptable. Space is old school...duh! And the pizza is phenomenal!
Lombardi's is a solid 5 star....until i try something better. Keep praying i don't fellas.
2 stars seems slightly low but the saying says "Meh. Ive expected better" and that is literally how I felt. I guess I pumped myself up for so long and expected such amaziness from this place that when it was not happening, I was sad.
I went on a weeknight and was seated immediately, walked through the entire restaurant to the back of the second room. Shared a pizza with sausage and mushroom and it was plenty to eat for 2 people. Slightly undercooked which I generally like but something just wasn't doing it for me. Edible for sure, even pretty good, but deliciously the best pizza in town, it was not. I also got a sangria which was a sad excuse for one. A tiny cup, no fruit, no buzz. Boo. Waitress was not receptive to us being there at all.
Side note, they only take cash but "luckily" you just have to walk outside to the ATM.
So I heard a lot about this place
"It's the oldest pizza place in the US... "
"It's always jammed pack etc..."
"The best pizza in the world... "
The first two statements are probably true. Not sure about the third. Don't get me wrong, I really liked it. Their pizza was fantastic! In my opinion it's just not the best in the world...
Came in from our flight after 1PM. We were starving so my wife and I decide to walk from our hotel in Chelsea to try and hit Lombardi's. After the long walk and wait, we get our pizza around 3:30. I'm not even hungry anymore, that time had already passed. Oh, and I'm from Chicago. So I had every reason to hate this hyped-up pizza they profile on Food TV all the time.
Well, it was simply fantastic. While I was eating it, I struggled to think of where I've had a better pizza - I couldn't so I just kept eating. Maybe there's better pizza than this in NY, but there definitely isn't in Chicago - there are a million places trying to imitate this style of pizza in Chicago and they just plain fail.
My only annoyance was not directly related to Lombardi's. We were surrounded by idiot tourists who couldn't contemplate that they are CASH ONLY. Stupid, it says that all over the menu and there are ATMs outside and INSIDE the place. Don't argue with them because you are too dumb to notice - the terms are clear. And definitely don't argue with them if the table next to you had just argued with them. I feel bad for you natives that have to deal with these idiots all the time.
This is NOT New York street pizza, and that's a good thing. Like most things in the city, the average pizza is overhyped and underwhelming. This Little Italy pizzeria, however, easily makes up for 100 crappy Ray's because this pizza is the. Real. Deal.
Loaded with fresh toppings, made to order at a sit-down atmosphere, no rush, and great for groups and out-of-towners, this is THE place for pizza in Manhattan. The awkward, U-shaped layout around the kitchen and oven makes for some cramped times (particularly right before showtime in the Village theatre scene), so get there early. You WON'T be disappointed.
FOOD: Great pizza and other Italian fare. I don't even LIKE white pizza, but one bite of Lombardi's concoction made me wonder what I've been missing for so many years.
SERVICE: A little crazy. The place gets packed and hot, so don't blame them. Remember to tip well: they remember regulars.
For Anchovy-lovers, this is truly the best pizza in the city. Fresh anchovies, lightly cooked into the cheese, with fish flavor that isn't overwhelmed by salt. Mmmmm-mmmmmmm.
Best pizza in the city either goes to this place or Grimaldi's.
That being said, what separates this place from Grimaldi's is the lack of a wait time. My friends and I were promptly seated and our order was taken after a short while. We got a pepperoni pizza, which was delicious. The pie was piping hot, and all the toppings felt were fresh. If I lived in the city, I'd definitely go here more often than not.
What a fantastic pizza. What stuck in my mind the most was the taste of the coal oven clingling slightly to the crust, and the fantastic, amazing sauce. The sauce combined with the smokey crust really make this pizza pie shine. Be sure to eat it with a beer, and don't fill up too much on that amazing salad with the special dressing. I think it was some sort of house Caesar with some garlic.
I start with a warning: If you come to Lombardi's, you will NEVER settle for regular pizza again.
I stepped in on a rainy day, feeling curious as to whether this really beats out Grimaldi's or not (not too much of a difference). The place is well-illuminated and the service is on-point. The waiters are all very nice and talkative, and the area where the pizza is made is open, so anyone can see and take pictures of it.
The one thing I hate about these old-world pizza parlors is that they don't serve by the slice, or serve pies which can *easily* be consumed by one person. Thus, I chose to get their $15 pie, which is actually about the size of a regular pizza pie. (I guess it's a good thing that I haven't eaten pizza for about a month prior to then, right?)
The pizza is as good as it gets. The sauce is a little sweeter than Grimaldi's, but still has that great, natural taste. The bread is nice and soft, and the mozzarella is phenomenal. If you're a beer drinker, this probably goes down very well with Peroni; I just had water. (A sin, yes I know!) I ate the whole thing with absolutely no problems and no regrets.
In short, it would be a sin to not eat at Lombardi's, Grimaldi's or Patsy's at least once. Few can say they match up to this.
749 reviews already? I guess I just make a quick comprising...
TOMATO APIZZA ARE STILL BETTER.... but not by much
COULD NOT wait to eat at this place! It's definitely a NY pizza place you want to check out. I read on the menu that this place was the first licensed pizza place in America. We actually didn't wait long. We probably waited longer for our waitress to come and take our order.
We ordered the 18" pizza which came with 8 slices. Garlic roasted spinach and meatballs (beef and pork) as our toppings. The slices were the most thinnest pizza slices I have ever had in my life. I loved it. I had to fold them up so none of my toppings would fall off. The cheese was so soft. Not the rubbery kind we have in LA. We had juicy meatballs and the spinach was full of garlic flavor. It was heavenly!
This place is bigger than you think. We sat in the front and I thought it was small as heck but one of their employees led us through this long maze through their kitchen and to the back. It was still a narrow long room, and the tables and chairs were totally cramped, but it wasn't too uncomfortable. This place was definitely a winner.
Next stop. Grimaldi's!
This pizza joint was on my friend's massive things to eat list for NYC. I thought it was one of those places where you can walk in and get a slice of pizza to go. But it turned out that it's a sit down restaurant where they make your pizza fresh when you order. That kinda set back my stomach a little since I was only planning on taking one bite just to say "I had NY pizza."
We ordered a small Margherita pizza with extra sauce and mushrooms. It come with fresh mozzarella cheese chunks all over the pizza and the crust is crispy and moist. I loved it! We ended up finishing up the whole pizza. Can you say fatty? Burp! It was worth every last calorie. You definitely have to try this place if you're in NYC!
i typically try to steer clear from the thin crust pizza (which means the ones from pizza hut/dominos and other chain pizzarias) but obviously I've never had a LOMBARDI'S PIZZA!
Everything tasted so fresh!
Everything was so good!
Though the crust was a bit on the chewy side - I still ate it all! (Which, again i normally dont)
This would be what I call a real pizza because it doesn't leave your mouth feeling all drenched in oil (hey and sometimes that's fine too).
I walked pass their brick wall oven as well!!!!
Only thing was my little glass of sangria costed way more than it should have been =(
(Actually a 4.5.......what's up with no half-increment ratings for users Yelp?)
Great, original Pizza.
It's excellent and definitely the oldest (you can taste this from its oven -- all in a good way of course).
I would say its the best pizza I've had, NEXT to Pizzeria Mozza in LA. I'm not sure if everyone would say this is the 'best' pizza in NYC however, as some people are obviously not afraid to voice that on here.
For me it was one of the best i've had, but at the same time it's the only NYC pizza staple I've experienced....If I had the other famous ones around this city, not sure if i could keep telling you that this is 'the best in NY.'
Bottom line though, this is definitely a must try if you are a pizza lover.
Great thin crust with a great sauce, which is what really stuck out at me...the flavor of the tomato was amazing.
Come and get cosy at La…
Neighborhood: Meatpacking District
The $$ FIVE $$ Pastabilities
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Brooklyn, NY
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: West Village
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: West Village
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: West Village
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Midwood
Category: Pizza
I love pizza! How can I not love it? I am…
Pizza Parlors, Pizzerias, Pizza Centric…
The places I ventured during my NY trip in March…
The soles of my birthday Bib have 1 star on each…
Places I take my family and friends when they come…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Why blue? Because I was only in NYC for a few days…
