Written by: Hennie Fisher
Across the world, pizza has become de rigueur. We accept the fact that pizza can be found in most countries on our planet. However, not all pizza is good pizza, and even though wood-fired ovens may be a vague indication of higher quality, that is also not always the case.
Great produce, and perhaps a long-fermented dough may give additional indication of higher-quality pizza, and of course, with some fine skills from the Pizzaioli, or more specifically, the Pizzaiuòlo when you are from Naples. But last year, at the 2025 World's Best Pizza competition, it was not a Neapolitan who won that title but rather a pizza maker from Milan, Francesco Martucci, from the restaurant Masanielli. Here is our list of the best wood-fired pizzas in Pretoria.
Holy Dough Eastside
Tucked away behind the Menlyn Boutique Hotel, you’ll find one of the best wood-fired pizzas in Pretoria. They pride themselves on the fact that their dough is fermented over several days and consists of only four ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and salt. They believe their pizzas are the closest you’ll find to the authentic Neapolitan ideal in Pretoria. Their pizzas have wonderful names, such as the “Unholy Creation,” which allows you to put anything on your pizza, the “Da Vinci” with red onion, mushrooms, and Parmesan, some ‘white’ pizzas, such as the Frank White with mozzarella, cream cheese, caramelised onion, Parmesan, chopped parsley, and a sesame seed crust.
Website: https://menlynhotel.com/holy-dough/
Pizzeria Nenna
This little neighbourhood gem is fast becoming one of Pretoria's most talked-about pizzerias. Run by a husband-and-wife team, everyone is always welcomed with open arms. They have two or three small tables outside on the pavement, some inside in the main room where the pizza oven is, and then a back area through the kitchen – real Italian style. Pizzas lean towards the poufy-edged Neapolitan style and offer wonderful choices such as Ortolana with tomato, mozzarella, grilled eggplant, grilled baby marrow, pickled peppers, red onion & a balsamic reduction, or a Filomena with tomato, mozzarella, mushrooms, onions & gorgonzola cheese, to name a few.
Website: https://www.pizzerianenna.com/