The best pizza in Cluj-Napoca

Ask ten people in Cluj where the best pizza is and you get ten answers. Yet what separates a good pizza from an ordinary one comes down to things you can check: dough left to mature for two or three days, fior di latte mozzarella rather than processed cheese, San Marzano tomatoes and an oven that goes past 400 degrees, from which the pizza emerges in under two minutes. Besides the Neapolitan pizzeria that opened in 1998, the city now has several places that work exactly like that, plus a master pizzaiola with a separate kitchen for gluten-free pizza and a pizza acrobatics champion.

For this guide we read the ratings and reviews on Google Maps on 4 October 2026 and went through the menus the venues publish, so we can tell you not just where to go but also what to order once you get there. The Google rating is the starting point, not the verdict: a 4.9 from more than two thousand opinions says more than a 4.9 from eighty-eight, and a pizza praised at the table can arrive cold and limp when a courier brings it.

Under each name you will find the rating, address and opening hours as they appeared on Google Maps on 4 October 2026. Prices are those on the menus on the venues' own websites, read the same day; some are online ordering menus. All of it can change.

1. HomeMade Pizza: our pick

A 4.9 from more than 2,100 opinions: no other pizzeria on this list holds a rating that high across that many reviews. HomeMade Pizza is a small place on Strada Baba Novac, a few steps from the National Theatre, and it does one thing. Its website tells no stories about the oven or the dough, just a promise, that it strives to serve the best pizza in town, and a long menu: 31 pizzas, made with fior di latte mozzarella, plus a separate list of fasting pizzas (pizza de post, with no meat or dairy).

On weekdays it opens at 7:00, with single-origin coffee from Colombia. Google reviewers describe the pizza as Neapolitan, made in full view.

What to order

• Margherita: tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella, Grana Padano, basil and olive oil (42 lei)
• Baba Novac, the pizza named after the street, with no tomato sauce: fior di latte, bacon, gorgonzola, rocket and Grana Padano (51 lei)
• Burrata e Mortadella: mortadella, pesto, burrata, Grana Padano and pistachio (58 lei), the most expensive on the menu
• Nduja, spicy, with honey and basil (50 lei)
• Crudo e Rucola: prosciutto crudo, rocket, Grana Padano and cherry tomatoes (56 lei)
• Țărănească: Milano salami, sausage, peppers, red onion and olives (51 lei)
• for fasting days: Marinara (35 lei), Terra Verdi (47 lei) or Tonno de post, made with real fish, as the menu is keen to point out (49 lei)

The vibe: a small, rustic room where you watch the pizza being made, with a few tables outside in the warm season. There are Byzantine icons and paintings on the walls, a detail customers often mention, and one writes that the place reminded her of a pizzeria in Sicily. Good for dinner for two or a pizza before the theatre.

What people praise

• the pizza: "one of the best Neapolitan pizza spots in the city", writes a Google reviewer who took a detour from the airport to have dinner here
• the staff, friendly and attentive, mentioned in almost every review
• the fasting pizzas, varied and generous, with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options
• the tiramisu and the coffee

Good to know

• the place is small for the number of people who want in, especially in the cold season, when the outdoor tables are gone
• opinions on delivery are more reserved: one customer writes that the dough had hardened after an hour, so eat it there
• Monday to Friday it opens at 7:00; on Saturday not until 11:00, and on Sunday at 12:00
• a pizza costs between 38 and 58 lei; the fasting ones, between 35 and 49 lei

Why it is number one: it has the highest rating on the list, from a number of reviews that only Napoli Centrale exceeds, and it is a pizzeria, not a restaurant that also makes pizza. It loses points only on space.

2. Il Forno: Neapolitan by the book, next to Piața Unirii

Il Forno is the most Neapolitan address on the list, and not only in name. Vlad Macicasan says on the website that he studied in Naples, at the school of a pizzaiolo with 30 years of experience, who taught him the secrets of the dough. The pizza is baked in a Visciano oven and the ingredients come from Naples: San Marzano tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella and Italian flour.

In a reply to a Google review, the venue says the dough is proofed for at least 72 hours and baked at around 450°C, hence the browned bubbles on the rim. The pizzaiolo works in plain sight, with a camera and a screen on which you can follow his hands, and the shelves hold Italian wines, pasta and sauces to take home.

What to order

• Margherita: San Marzano tomato sauce, fior di latte, parmigiano and basil (41 lei)
• Il Forno, the house pizza: smoked scamorza, salsiccia and oregano (51 lei), among the most popular on Google
• Bufala, with mozzarella di bufala DOP (50 lei)
• Al Tartufo, with no tomato sauce: truffle sauce, mixed mushrooms and speck (60 lei)
• Il Forno Dolce: pear, gorgonzola, walnuts and honey (47 lei)
• Marinara, at 34 lei, or Vegan Affumicata, with smoked tofu, mushrooms and artichokes (55 lei)
• panuzzo, the sandwich made from pizza dough, with prosciutto crudo or bufala (38–42 lei)

The vibe: a very small place at the start of Strada Memorandumului, a stone's throw from Piața Unirii, more counter than restaurant. Many people take their pizza away or grab a slice on the go, and service is quick. Google reviewers estimate under 40 lei per person.

What people praise

• the base, thin and airy, baked just right
• the ingredients, from the tomato sauce to the mozzarella
• the prices, good for the quality of the pizza, several customers say
• the staff, who accommodated without hesitation the requests of customers who eat halal

Good to know

• the place is tiny: one customer calls it overrated precisely because of the space and the hurried service
• most complaints are about delivery, which goes through apps: pizza arriving late and cold; the venue recommends picking it up yourself
• the dark spots on the rim come from the very hot oven, but not everyone likes them
• one customer finds the Margherita slice too small for its price

Why it is number two: it is the best-documented Neapolitan pizza in the city, with a 4.8 from more than 1,300 opinions. It loses first place on space and on delivery.

3. Pizzones: dough matured for 48 hours, on Strada Soporului

Pizzones is the pizzeria on this list that describes its pizza down to the last detail: dough matured for 48 hours, San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte mozzarella grated on the spot and an electric infrared oven at 450°C, in which the pizza spends about 90 seconds. The result is a Neapolitan-style pizza with a thin base and a puffy rim.

It sits on Strada Soporului, in the east of the city, far from the tourist routes, and presents itself as a movement for pizza made properly. Its website also announces a Bucharest location for 2026.

What to order

• Margherita: tomato sauce, fior di latte, parmesan and basil (44 lei)
• Noccioline, a sweet-and-salty white pizza: prosciutto crudo, gorgonzola, pear, honey and walnut (53 lei)
• Picante, with ventricina and basil (48 lei)
• Capricciosa: prosciutto cotto, mushrooms, olives and artichokes (48 lei)
• Prosciutto Funghi (48 lei) or Pepperoni (44 lei), for those who want a classic
• to finish, the tiramisu, praised in reviews almost as much as the pizza

The vibe: a small, relaxed place with a communal table where you sit alongside other customers, cocktails and good coffee. One customer writes that it was very pleasant on a rainy day. Good for a night out with friends, less so for an intimate dinner.

What people praise

• the dough, singled out in many reviews
• the team, friendly, and replying to almost every review
• the combinations, including a pistachio pizza, and the panini
• the tiramisu and the cocktails

Good to know

• the communal table is not to everyone's taste: some customers have complained about it
• the hours differ between Google Maps (10:00–22:00) and the website (12:00–23:00): call ahead on 0739 678 888
• the oven is electric, not wood-fired: to purists that matters
• it is far from the centre and parking is harder to find; the rating comes from 364 reviews

Why it is number three: it has the same rating as HomeMade Pizza, but from almost six times fewer opinions, and it is not in the centre. On the other hand, no place says more clearly how its pizza is made.

4. Napoli Centrale: the pizzeria from 1998, with a garden in the centre

Napoli Centrale is where it all started: its website calls it the pioneer of Italian cooking in Cluj, open since 1998 and family-run. It has the most reviews on the list, more than 4,000, a leafy garden a few minutes from Piața Avram Iancu and, besides Neapolitan pizza, pasta made in-house. A second restaurant has since opened in Florești.

What to order

• Margherita Fior di Latte (44 lei) or Marinara, with just tomato sauce and garlic (36 lei)
• Napoletana: tomato sauce, mozzarella, anchovies and capers (45 lei)
• Pulcinella: mozzarella, provola and friarielli, the bitter greens typical of Naples (49 lei)
• Montanara: porcini and speck (57 lei)
• Diavola (47 lei) or Capricciosa (48 lei)
• from the Pizze del Maestro list: Mortadella e Pistacchio, with provola, mortadella and pistachio added as it leaves the oven (57 lei), or Battilocchio, folded in half, with stracciatella (54 lei)

The vibe: a classic Italian restaurant, with an interior in shades of blue and a garden terrace that stays quiet even at lunchtime. It draws families, tourists and locals who have been eating here for years.

What people praise

• the dough: crisp on the outside and soft inside, as one customer describes it
• the garden, an oasis of calm in the middle of the city
• the pasta made in-house
• the friendly staff and quick service

Good to know

• it has the lowest rating on the list, 4.5: recent reviews include long-time customers who say the pizza is no longer what it was
• the pasta portions are on the small side, one customer notes
• the bill climbs easily: several Google reviewers report more than 100 lei per person
• in the evening the dining room can be noisy; the garden is quieter

Why it is number four: no other place has the history or the number of opinions of Napoli Centrale, but the rating points to a more uneven kitchen than those of the first three.

5. Pizza da Giulia: a master pizzaiola and a separate gluten-free kitchen

Behind the name is Giulia Apa, a master pizzaiola with more than 20 years in the trade, learned in Italy and in Romania. According to the website, she is a founding member of the Romanian Association of Professional Pizza Makers and of the Food Art Guide pizza school, and an instructor for the Federazione Italiana dei Pizzaioli. The Facebook page is still called Pizza da Giulia al Taglio, but today the venue is an Italian restaurant on Calea Dorobanților, with pasta, main courses and cocktails.

What sets it apart from all the others: the gluten-free pizza is made in a completely separate kitchen, with dedicated staff and utensils, so there is no cross-contamination. The menu has 32 gluten-free pizzas alongside the classic, vegan and vegetarian ones, and the dough is slow-matured.

What to order

• Margherita (44 lei) or Margherita Fresca, with fresh mozzarella and olive oil (48 lei)
• Parma: fresh mozzarella, prosciutto crudo, parmesan and tomato pesto (53 lei), one of the pizzas the venue features on its home page
• Diavola, with spicy salami and chilli (51 lei)
• Porchetta: spinach, porchetta, garlic and parmesan (53 lei)
• Delizia: purple potato cream, pancetta, parmesan and basil (50 lei)
• Mortadella: mortadella, pistachio, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto and stracciatella (56 lei)
• gluten-free: Bruschetta (51 lei) or Parma (59 lei)

The vibe: a new, nicely fitted-out restaurant east of the centre, with table service. It draws many families and many people with coeliac disease, some from other towns: one customer writes that he travelled a hundred kilometres for the pizza here.

What people praise

• the gluten-free pizza, which one customer calls the best he has ever eaten in a restaurant
• the base of the regular pizza
• the gluten-free desserts, from the tiramisu to the cake of the day
• the staff, who know how to answer questions about gluten and allergens

Good to know

• the gluten-free base is not like the classic one and is harder to cut, one customer notes; gluten-free pizzas cost a few lei more
• reservations on 0769 231 218
• parking is paid and hard to find; there are two steps at the entrance and no ramp
• the rating comes from 321 reviews

Why it is number five: for anyone who cannot eat gluten it is, in fact, number one. In the overall ranking it is held back by the small number of opinions and by having become a restaurant that does a bit of everything, not just a pizzeria.

6. Pizza Acrobatica: the freestyle champion, now in Piața Muzeului

Lucian Stoian has been making pizza since 2000, when he took a job at the pizzeria of a Neapolitan who had settled in Cluj, and since 2003 he has been throwing it in the air as well. The pizzeria's website says he won an online pizza freestyle contest in 2012 and, in 2015, the grand prize at the Bucharest International Pizza Competition with two recipes of his own, Padrino and St Tropez, both still on the menu.

Pizza Acrobatica has been delivering in Cluj since 2014 and has moved several times. Since February 2026 it has been in Piața Muzeului, at Virgil Fulicea 2, with the entrance on Strada Roosevelt: about 40 seats inside, a terrace at the front and another in the inner courtyard. The restaurant on Strada Piezișă closed in June 2026.

What to order

• Padrino: chicken breast, sun-dried tomatoes, gorgonzola, pesto, porcini and lime (52 lei)
• St Tropez: goat's cheese, cream, honey, walnuts, figs, mint and herbes de Provence (50 lei)
• Acrobatica: bacon, walnuts, prunes, caramelised onion and balsamic cream (50 lei)
• Abruzzo: mozzarella bocconcini, Ventricina salami, cherry tomatoes, olives and truffle oil (50 lei), which one customer says she orders every time
• Bella Italia 2.0: burrata, bresaola, rocket and truffle cream (62 lei)
• Margherita (38 lei) or Quattro Formaggi, with goat's cheese, taleggio and gorgonzola (46 lei)

The vibe: a sit-down restaurant, not just a pizzeria: the menu also has pasta, salads and risotto. Its strong point is the terrace in the inner courtyard, with vines, quiet in the evening. One customer says he was given olive paste with toast on the house.

What people praise

• the pizza, generous and made with good ingredients; for some, the best they have had lately
• the courtyard terrace
• the quick service: pizza on the table in under 20 minutes
• the staff and the coffee

Good to know

• the 4.9 rating comes from just 88 reviews, all the new address has so far
• this is not Neapolitan pizza: many recipes include cream, fruit or nuts, which is not for purists
• the prices above are those on the delivery menu on the website
• parking in the area is hard to find; reservations are made through a form on the website

Why it is number six: it has the pizzaiolo with the longest story on the list and the most personal recipes, but a rating that is still young. If it holds after a few hundred opinions, it moves up.

7. Cut & Crust: the neighbourhood pizzeria in Grigorescu

Cut & Crust lit its oven in 2018 on Strada Donath, in the Grigorescu neighbourhood, and has since reached almost 1,500 opinions on Google and a second restaurant, in Gheorgheni. The menu is long, with about 40 pizzas split into classics, specialities, gourmet and vegan, made, the venue says, to the recipes of an Italian chef and only with ingredients from Italy.

What to order

• Margherita (from 41 lei) or Marinara (from 39 lei)
• Cut and Crust, the house pizza: aubergine, courgette, roasted peppers, cherry tomatoes, spicy salami and olives (from 53 lei)
• Salamino Piccante e Nduja (from 53 lei), for those who like it hot
• Porchetta e Gorgonzola, with no tomato sauce, with basil (from 55 lei)
• Margherita D.O.P., with mozzarella di bufala DOP and grana (from 59 lei)
• Valtellina: rocket, bresaola and grana (from 71 lei), the most expensive on the menu
• vegan: Pomodoro e Verdure, with aubergine, peppers, courgette and cherry tomatoes (from 41 lei)

The vibe: a neighbourhood place with a terrace, where the pizza reaches the table very quickly; one customer writes that within two minutes she was on her first bite. At its eighth anniversary this summer, customers made their own pizzas.

What people praise

• the speed: the pizza arrives almost at once
• the ingredients and the tomato sauce
• the staff, cheerful and welcoming
• the way the venue responds to criticism: one customer softened her review after talking to them

Good to know

• it is uneven on delivery: several reviews describe pizzas that arrived unlike those in the restaurant, and the venue admits it has had bad days
• one customer writes that prices in the delivery apps are higher than on the venue's own website
• the chairs on the terrace are not very comfortable, one customer notes
• the prices above are the starting prices on the venue's online menu

Why it is number seven: it is the neighbourhood pizzeria you wish you had close to home, with a huge menu, but the 4.6 rating and the delivery reviews keep it below the places in the centre.

8. Il Trancio: pizza by the slice in Piața Unirii

Trancio means slice, and the venue in Piața Unirii is, as its own website puts it, a slice of the history of the family that opened Napoli Centrale. It is first and foremost an all-day brunch restaurant, but the display case holds pizza al taglio and focaccia, in varieties that change daily: you walk up to the counter and choose.

What to order

• Trancione di Margherita, a 500 g piece (55 lei)
• Trancione Quattro, with all four basic varieties: Margherita, Cotto, Salamino and Nduja & Cipolla (62 lei)
• Trancione di Mortazza: mortadella, pistachio pesto and burrata (85 lei)
• among the round pizzas, Bufalina 2.0, with confit tomatoes and mozzarella di bufala (60 lei), or Desiderio, with provola, spicy salami and nduja (62 lei)
• focaccia: Mortadella, with burrata and pistachio pesto (31 lei), or Dolce Crudo, with prosciutto crudo, stracciatella and fig jam (30 lei)

The vibe: a modern, nicely designed place right on Piața Unirii. On Thursday and Friday evenings there is aperitivo, with cocktails. Good for a slice between two walks around the centre or for a long brunch.

What people praise

• the pizza by the slice, which one customer finds exactly like in Italy
• the focaccia and the variety in the display case
• the design and the location, right in the centre

Good to know

• it is a brunch restaurant that also makes pizza, not a pizzeria: one customer writes that they would come back for the slices and the focaccia, but not for a full meal
• the 4.7 rating comes from 179 reviews, with mixed opinions on the main courses and the service
• a trancione costs 55–85 lei, more than a whole pizza elsewhere on the list, but it weighs 500 g
• on Google Maps it opens at 9:30, on the website at 8:30; on Saturday it stays open until midnight

Why it is number eight: it is the place on the list where pizza al taglio is at home, and it has the Napoli Centrale family behind it. The rest of the kitchen, however, gets mixed reviews.

In short: where to go, depending on what you want

• the best pizza in Cluj: HomeMade Pizza
• Neapolitan like in Naples: Il Forno
• pizza by the slice: Il Trancio, on Piața Unirii, or a slice on the go from Il Forno
• gluten-free: Pizza da Giulia
• fasting or vegan: HomeMade Pizza; Il Forno and Cut & Crust also have vegan options
• a quiet terrace in the centre: the garden at Napoli Centrale or the courtyard at Pizza Acrobatica
• in the neighbourhoods: Cut & Crust, in Grigorescu, or Pizzones, on Strada Soporului
• after 22:00: Il Forno, Napoli Centrale and Pizza Acrobatica, open daily until 23:00

A few tips

• eat it there: almost all the bad reviews in this guide are about delivery; a Neapolitan pizza is at its peak in the first minutes out of the oven
• the dark spots on the rim are the sign of a very hot oven, not of a burnt pizza; the base should stay soft and elastic
• compare the Margherita: it costs between 38 and 44 lei at seven of the eight places and tells you everything about the dough, the sauce and the mozzarella
• order directly from the venue: prices in the apps can be higher, and the courier does not work for the pizzeria

Opening hours, menus and prices change, and Google ratings shift as new reviews come in. Everything here was read on 4 October 2026; check each venue's page before you set off.