*By Jessica Huras*
A humble pizza slice is one of Toronto’s most reliable small pleasures, and the city’s scene is having a particularly strong moment. Options span from old-school counters and New York-style shops to sourdough specialists, square-slice imports and neighbourhood spots where one slice can turn into a drink and a longer stay. Across the city, shops are moving beyond the standard cheese-and-pepperoni stop with long-fermented doughs, natural wine lists and more inventive toppings. The best of them prove that a slice can be casual without feeling ordinary.
Where To Get The Best Pizza Slices In Toronto
1. One Night Only Pizza
Friday pizza shaped Luke Pollard’s childhood, first as takeout and later as pies made from scratch by his mother. Years later, he and wife Brianna Skye turned their own pizza-night tradition into One Night Only Pizza. What started as pandemic-era porch pickups now has a permanent home at Pape and Wroxeter, designed with details from the couple’s Riverdale kitchen. The 16-inch American-style pizzas start with organic Canadian flour and dough fermented for 72 hours, producing a thin, chewy crust that holds up when folded. Try the spicy pepperoni with pickled jalapeños or the loaded baked potato topped with bacon, smoked mozzarella and green onion.
581 Pape Ave, ono.pizza
2. Pizzeria Badiali
Few Toronto slices have inspired the kind of devotion Badiali has earned since opening on Dovercourt in 2021, attracting lines that still regularly spill down the block. The pizza lands somewhere between New York and Italy, with enough chew and structure to hold its toppings well. The vodka slice, made with a creamy tomato sauce, is the essential order, while the pepperoni and Margherita show why Badiali remains one of Toronto’s defining slice shops. Its new Annex outpost adds a few sit-and-stay perks, from Peroni and Aperol spritzes to a new Grandma-style square slice layered with cheese before sauce.
Multiple locations, pizzeriabadiali.com
3. Mac’s Pizza
Mac’s Pizza makes a case for the slice shop as an evening stop, with New York-style pizza, cold beer and a natural wine list that includes a collaboration with local bottle shop Paradise Grapevine. You can drop in for a quick slice, but the low-lit room, decorated with second-hand furniture and personal knickknacks, makes it easy to stay longer. The Angry Pepperoni is a good place to start, topped with cupped pepperoni, jalapeños, basil and hot honey. The white pie is another strong order, crowned with garlic cream, caramelized onions, mushrooms, honey and pecorino.
759 Dovercourt Rd, macspizza.ca
4. Fresca Pizza and Pasta
This family-owned counter has been feeding College Street slice-seekers since 2010. The space is no-frills, but Fresca has built a loyal fanbase on slices that are generous, affordable and reliably satisfying. The Margherita is the classic order, with tomato, mozzarella, basil and pesto layered on a thin crust with crisp edges. Regulars know to ask for the house-made garlic oil, which is made with fresh garlic and herbs. At about $5 for a large slice, Fresca remains one of the better-value pizza stops downtown.
302 College St, frescapizzatoronto.com
5. North of Brooklyn
Opened in 2012, North of Brooklyn has grown from a single Queen West slice shop into a seven-location Toronto staple, but the Geary Avenue outpost is the one to know for slices, which are available after 5 p.m. on weekdays and from noon on weekends. The kale and double-smoked bacon is a long-running favourite, while the Truffle Shuffle brings mushrooms, truffle cream, caramelized onions, smoked cheddar and lemon zest together into one of the city’s tastiest vegetarian slices. The dough is made with a pre-ferment, giving it a crisp edge and more developed flavour than the average quick slice.
Multiple locations, northofbrooklyn.com
6. Prince Street Pizza
This New York-born pizzeria has earned a following among slice obsessives from Manhattan to Los Angeles for its Sicilian-style square slices, which pair thick, airy crusts with bold Italian-American sauces. The Toronto shop is made for a quick stop, decorated with exposed brick, celebrity photos and a compact counter setup that nods to the design of the original location. The Spicy Spring is the fan favourite, topped with spicy tomato sauce, pecorino and pepperoni cups that crisp as they bake.
472 Front St W, princestreetpizza.com
7. Gracie’s Pizza
Located inside Get Well bar on Dundas West, Gracie’s serves sourdough slices in a room better known for arcade games and easygoing bar energy. The crust is made with Ontario flour and given a three-day ferment, producing a base with lift and crunch. Classic orders such as Margherita and pepperoni are available, but keep an eye out for inventive specials like saucy Sicilian squares or marinated Brussels sprouts with balsamic and pesto cream.
1181 Dundas Street West, graciespizza.bycalibre.ca
8. Nice Slice
This new Harbord Village spot keeps the slice-shop format simple, with a pared-down menu that balances staple slices with a few less expected pies. Pepperoni is the classic entry point, with more playful options including a za’atar slice finished with ricotta, olives and pomegranate molasses. Drinks are part of the draw too, from wine by the glass or bottle to beer, including Nice Pils, a house collaboration with neighbouring Bickford Brewing. In warm weather, the licensed dog-friendly patio makes it an easy stop for a slice and a cold drink.
196 Borden St, niceslice.pizza
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