Two Scottish restaurants named among Europe's best for authentic Neapolitan pizza
Scotland's thriving pizza scene has earned fresh international praise, with two of the public favourites in two Scottish cities named among Europe's top pizzerias in a prestigious new guide.
Paesano, which now has three bustling venues across Glasgow, is one of only two Scottish spots featured in the newly released 50 Top Pizza list for 2025.
The respected ranking, compiled annually by industry experts Barbara Guerra, Luciano Pignataro and Albert Sapere, highlights the best places to enjoy authentic pizza across the continent, excluding Italy, Glasgow Live reports.
While no Scottish venue made the top 50 this year, Paesano and Edinburgh's Salerno were included in the wider 'excellent pizzerias' category, recognising outstanding quality and consistent craftsmanship.
For Paesano, the accolade comes hot on the heels of opening a new southside location and earning recent praise from Big 7 Travel, further cementing its status as one of the country's most celebrated pizza destinations.
According to 50 Top Pizza: 'The space is furnished in a post-industrial style with iron and wood, featuring a large bar counter that dominates the room.
"However, the name and wood-fired oven bring us back to the typically Italian dimension where food is the result of artisanal craftsmanship with fresh products.
'The goal of this Scottish establishment is very clear: to be obsessed with Neapolitan pizza, with a dough that is left to rise for 24 hours in the Coccia style, and a traditional menu where the great Neapolitan classics are combined with local flavours and seasonality.
"Perfect and efficient service, great atmosphere in the dining room, and an unmissable drink selection.'
Edinburgh's Salerno was also singled out for praise, earning its place among Europe's finest pizza joints.
The guide's reviewers noted: 'A pizzeria called Salerno that serves a perfect Neapolitan pizza: something that may have seemed strange until a few years ago, just as in the Campania city, a fantastic Mediterranean experience is also lived in the Scottish capital.
'The atmosphere is very beautiful and personalised with wicker baskets used as chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, a large counter with a visible oven.
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"The pizzas have a good leavening and in addition to the classics, many are 'reinforced' according to local tastes but always with Italian products: ham, salami, dairy products.
'The service is cheerful and youthful, with a menu of Italian wines, beers, and excellent cocktails that complete an unmissable offer of quality when in this magnificent city.'
Explaining the expanded scope of this year's guide, the curators said: 'Because quality continues to grow nonstop, this year too we wanted to emphasise the growing value of the European evolution, by including the category 'excellent' to the guide.
"About 150 pizzerias scattered around the Old Continent, where you can eat an excellent pizza, which are added to the 50 positions in the ranking.'
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