The European Country That Italians Say Has The Best Pizza (Outside Italy)

If you're a foodie, you probably dream of heading over to sunny Sicily or Naples to enjoy a slice of authentic Italian pizza. While the birthplace of pizza is definitely a great place to learn about the dish's history, another European country may actually beat Italy when it comes to gourmet pizza. Even Italians believe Spain is home to some of the world's best pizza, especially one pizzeria in particular. 

Sartoria Panatieri, a pizzeria located in Barcelona, Spain has been declared the best pizza restaurant outside of Italy, according to the prestigious Italian pizza ranking guide, 50 Top Pizza. The restaurant offers farm-to-table style pizzas and gets the majority of its ingredients from its partner farms located close to Barcelona. While you won't find a Meat Lovers or Hawaiian pizza on the Sartoria Panatieri menu, the restaurant features pizzas with a number of unlikely ingredients including cauliflower, Brazil nuts, and even egg yolk. The innovative ingredients found on the menu are part of what makes the dining experience at Sartoria Panatieri different from other pizzerias.  

Rafa Panatieri, the man behind the pizza and one-half of the Sartoria Panatieri team had an interesting journey into the world of gourmet pizza making. The chef first discovered his passion for pizza during his childhood in Brazil where he learned to embrace his Italian heritage while cooking with his grandparents. Panatieri briefly worked as a veterinarian before trading the operating room for the kitchen for good when he opened his now-famous pizzeria in the Gracia district of Barcelona, per Sartoria Panatieri. 

Even though Italy is still largely known as a pizza heavyweight, Spanish pizzas have been giving their Italian counterparts some stiff competition, even before Sartoria Panatieri's big win. While Italian pizzas focus on the subtle flavors of a few carefully selected ingredients, Spanish pizzas incorporate a myriad of creative elements that bring complementary flavors together. In addition to the first place spot on the Top 50 list, Spain also snagged six additional spots on the list, more than any other country included in the competition, 50 Top Pizza. 

Spain's impressive number of wins speaks to pizza's popularity in the country, which has been on a steady incline since the 1980s (via Scott's Pizza Tours). With all the gourmet options available, tourists may soon be flocking to Spain for pizza in addition to paella.