Slice Life: Edinburgh’s Best Pizza Restaurants & Takeaways

From wood-fired Old Town classics to the late-night favourite that gets you home from the pub — our guide to the city’s most-loved pizza spots.

There’s a particular kind of magic to a good slice of pizza after a day spent climbing closes and cobbles. Edinburgh, a city built on volcanic rock and Enlightenment ambition, has somehow also become one of the UK’s most surprising pizza towns — home to wood-fired Neapolitan specialists, cult Roman-style bakers, and late-night takeaway institutions that know exactly what a hungry local needs at 11pm on a Friday. Here’s our slice of life through the city’s dough-based highlights.

The Old Town Classics

Civerinos
Hunter Square · Old Town
No pizza pilgrimage in Edinburgh starts anywhere but Civerinos, tucked beside the Tron Kirk just off the Royal Mile. Its thin, blistered New York–meets-Naples bases and lively, informal room have made it one of the most talked-about pizza spots in the city, and the downstairs seating and small patio are a welcome escape from Old Town crowds.

A few streets over on Nicolson Street, Pizza Posto offers ten different styles alongside daily specials — reliable, affordable, and refreshingly unfussy, which is exactly the point when you’re mid-Fringe and running on adrenaline and street food.

Cold Town House
Grassmarket · Castle Views
For something with a view worth the queue, Cold Town House sits almost in the shadow of the Castle, its on-site microbrewery pairing surprisingly well with proper Neapolitan pizza. It’s the kind of place where the setting does half the work, and the kitchen does the rest.

SclabShop
Frederick Street · New Town

Detroit is the newest name in Edinburgh’s pizza conversation, and Slab Shop is the reason why. Tucked on Frederick Street, this is thick-crust, square-cut, cooked-in-a-steel-pan pizza — the kind built for a caramelised, lace-edged cheese crust that goes right to the corners. It’s a world away from the thin-and-blistered Neapolitan bases elsewhere on this list, and that’s exactly the point: a proper slab, sauced on top, sold by the pan. Order in for collection, or get it delivered via Uber Eats or Deliveroo if the sofa is calling.

Pala Pizza
Jane Street · Leith

For pizza al taglio done properly, Pala is the reason to detour into Leith. This is Roman-style by the slice — baked crisp, cut to order, and sold by weight from a rotating line-up that runs from a bufala mozzarella margherita to a salame piccante with friarielli and ricotta. It’s a walk-in, no-fuss operation (open Wednesday to Sunday afternoons only, so time it right), with trays and advance orders available by email for anyone feeding a crowd. Round it off with a slice of tiramisu — proof this is a proper Roman kitchen, not just a pizza counter with a good crust.

Roman Bases & Neighbourhood Gems

If your loyalties lie with a thinner, crisper crust, Pomo Pizzeria is Edinburgh’s answer to Rome — dough fermented slowly and cooked fast, with vegan and gluten-free options that don’t feel like an afterthought. Down in Leith, San Ciro’s does double duty as pizzeria and friggitoria, its more adventurous topping combinations (nduja, burrata, courgette and mint) making it worth the tram ride alone.

Meanwhile in Canonmills, One Canon Pub and Pizza has built a loyal local following on the strength of its Monday night £5 Margherita deal and Dough Dudes pizzas — proof that the best slice of life doesn’t always come with white tablecloths.

Style at a Glance
Neapolitan (soft, charred crust): Civerinos, Cold Town House, Mr Wood Fire
Roman (thin, crisp base): Pomo Pizzeria
American-style (loaded, generous): Mamma’s American Pizza, City Restaurant

Street Food & Wood-Fired Wanderers

Edinburgh’s pizza scene isn’t confined to four walls. Wanderers Kneaded, a street food van stationed at The Meadows, has built a serious reputation for proper wood-fired pizza cooked to order — ideal for a quick, quality bite between exploring the park or wandering into the Southside. It’s a reminder that some of the best pizza in the city comes without a reservation system at all.

“This city does dough brilliantly — from proper Neapolitan scorch marks to crunchy Roman slabs.”

For the Takeaway Faithful

Not every pizza night needs a table. Edinburgh’s takeaway and delivery scene runs deep, from familiar chains to independent local kitchens turning out late-night comfort food across the city. Whatever the postcode, from Midlothian’s outer edges into the centre, a decent delivery pizza is rarely more than a short wait away — perfect for the nights when the only ambition is the sofa and a film.

Planning a Trip Around It

Staying near the Old Town puts you within walking distance of most spots on this list. Browse Old Town accommodation on Booking.com for easy access, or pair your pizza crawl with a guided Edinburgh food tour via GetYourGuide if you’d rather someone else pick the route.

The Verdict

Edinburgh’s pizza identity is a bit like the city itself: layered, contradictory, and better than you expected. You can have a Roman-style lunch, a Neapolitan dinner with castle views, and a 10pm takeaway slice without ever leaving the same postcode. That’s not a bad way to spend a slice of life in this city.

Planning Your Visit?

Find the best-located places to stay for an Old Town pizza crawl, from budget guesthouses to boutique hotels.

Part of our Eating & Drinking series · Welcome To Edinburgh