Part 2 of 2: Flat crust-style pizzerias ranked

A slice of the City: The Mainstreeter’s Ottawa pizza taste-off

In this final instalment, Quinn Abugov checks in on five of Ottawa’s trendy new-ish pizza parlours to sample and rank their delicious thin-crust Neapolitan, Roman and New-York style pizzas.

QUINN ABUGOV

Ottawa may be best known for its thick, cheese-heavy local pizza tradition, but over the past two decades a quieter revolution has been taking place. Since the early 2000s, a new wave of Italian- and Italian-American-inspired pizzerias has blossomed across the region, bringing with it styles rooted in Naples, New York City, Sicily and Rome. These pies favour lighter doughs, higher heat ovens, thoughtful restraint with toppings and a renewed focus on technique and quality ingredients.

With so much buzz surrounding this new generation of pizza, The Mainstreeter set out to see what all the hype is about. In this final installment of our pizza taste-off, we visited five establishments representing different styles and philosophies and rated each pizza on a percentage scale out of 20. Here is what we found.

Bravi Ragazzi

Our first stop was Bravi Ragazzi, a newcomer to Alta Vista that opened in 2024 in the former Fat Albert’s location on Bank Street. The shop specializes in square Sicilian-style pizzas, defined by a thick, puffy crust and toppings layered above the cheese, a common theme among several spots we visited.

We ordered the Roni Pepperoni, which contained pepperoni, hot honey chili oil and mozzarella cheese. The crust was thick yet airy, with a satisfying chew and enough structure to support the generous toppings without collapsing. While the bake was solid, the dough could have benefited from a little more salt to bring out its full flavour. The toppings were abundant, though the meats were noticeably saltier and greasier than those at any other stop, at times overpowering the balance of the slice.

The cheese was high-quality mozzarella with good coverage and melt. But the sauce was the clear standout this day—bright and tomato forward, minimally seasoned and refreshing compared to the heavily spiced sauces we encountered in our Part 1 “Ottawa style” pizza review.

Pizza Nerds

Pizza Nerds gained popularity during the pandemic after City Goose pivoted its concept, and it remains one of Ottawa’s most talked-about Neapolitan pizza destinations. The pies feature a puffy crust and a thin, crisp base. At their Centretown location, we ordered the Frank Deluxe Pizza, topped with house-made sausage, green peppers, mushrooms and mozzarella.

The crust earned a perfect score—well fermented, expertly cooked and lightly charred, striking an ideal balance between softness and structure. The toppings were also a highlight, with fresh ingredients, excellent sausage and high-quality vegetables that worked well together.

The sauce had good flavour but was applied unevenly, leaving some sections of the pizza dry. The same inconsistency affected the cheese. While the high-moisture mozzarella was excellent, uneven distribution meant some bites were overly rich while others lacked cohesion. Even so, the flavourful mix kept Pizza Nerds firmly among the city’s top-tier pizza spots.

Anthony’s Pizza

Located across from the West Park Bowling Alley, Anthony’s serves Neapolitan-style pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven. Visually, the pies were appealing, with attractive charring and a pronounced, puffy crust. For this round of the pizza tour, we ordered the Canadense pizza, which had pepperoni, green peppers, mushrooms and mozzarella.

The crust, however, proved too chewy for the style, making each bite more taxing than expected. The sauce was tomato-forward but under-seasoned and slightly watery, dulling its impact. The toppings were the weakest element, lacking both vibrancy and taste, though the use of cup and char pepperoni on the deluxe pizza was a welcome touch.

The cheese was the standout feature. The fior di latte was well cooked, and the buffalo mozzarella on our second pie was rich and indulgent, elevating the experience despite the pizza’s other shortcomings.

Schoolhouse Pizza

Schoolhouse Pizza is one of Ottawa’s fastest-rising pizza success stories. After opening in New Edinburgh in 2024, the team expanded quickly, and their Preston Street location shows what the fuss is all about. Theirs were the standout pies of the entire review. The Made in Brooklyn is the pizza that caught our eye—loaded with cup & char pepperoni, confit garlic ricotta, pecorino & parmigiano, basil and hot honey.

Specializing in Brooklyn- and New York-style pizza, Schoolhouse excels at the fundamentals. The crust was nothing short of exceptional—thin, light and airy with a subtle sourdough quality. It held up beautifully under the toppings and delivered the best crust we have had in Ottawa across all the styles we reviewed.

The low-moisture mozzarella was plentiful and integrated seamlessly into the crust rather than sitting on top of it. There was no dramatic cheese pull, but the cohesion of the slice was excellent. Sauce was used sparingly, typical of the style, but had a gentle garlicky flavour enhanced by the confit used on the Made in Brooklyn. The toppings were top quality, including excellent cup and char pepperoni, grated parmesan and ricotta balls finished with honey that added balance without excess.

Heartbreakers Pizza

Heartbreakers Pizza is another of Ottawa’s great pandemic success stories, having built a loyal following before recently expanding with a new Westboro location that shows no signs of slowing its momentum. The growth feels organic and well-earned, and the excitement around the brand became immediately clear once the pizzas arrived at the table.

We ordered the Sweetheart pizza topped with pepperoni, jalapeños, hot honey and mozzarella, along with the Ricotta and Cheese pizza finished with honey and rounds of ricotta. Heartbreakers specializes in New York-style pizza and the fundamentals are strong. The crust had excellent flavour and a great cook, with perfect leopard spotting around the rim.

On the Sweetheart, the generous toppings caused the centre of the pizza to become slightly soggy after a few minutes. In contrast, the Ricotta and Cheese pizza held up very well, suggesting this is more of a balance issue than a problem with the dough.

The sauce was plentiful, tangy and full of flavour, though it leaned a bit salty. Still, we appreciated the confident amount they used. The cheese was high quality across the board but softened and became slightly soggy as the pizza sat.

Overall, here’s the rankings we came up with:

Look for more of Quinn Abugov’s dining out features in future issues of The Mainstreeter. His columns about knownonly-to-locals restaurants and new and emerging eateries throughout Ottawa’s urban core communities will also be featured regularly in The Sidestreeter.