The Best Pizza in Durham

Pizza is the great crowd-pleaser, and Durham covers every version of it: a smart sit-down dinner near the cathedral, a homemade slice in a characterful old station building, or a stone-baked box carried home from a Gilesgate takeaway. Here is where to go for the best pizza in and around the city, whatever the occasion.

PizzaExpress, Saddler Street

PizzaExpress occupies a grand, high-ceilinged building on Saddler Street, right in the heart of the city just off the Market Place, and keeps many of the property's original features. It serves the familiar thin-crust range, from the Margherita and American to the Padana and Fiorentina, alongside dough balls, salads and puddings, with the consistency and easy family welcome that make it such a dependable standby.

As well as eating in, it does collection and delivery through the usual apps, and runs pizza-making parties for children. Being so central, it is handy for a bite while sightseeing or shopping, though it is worth booking a table at busy weekend times.

Best for: Best for a reliable, central sit-down pizza in a lovely old building.

La Piazza, Gilesgate

La Piazza is a spacious family Italian set in the former Durham Gilesgate railway station, which closed to passengers in 1966. The pizzas are stone-baked and made in-house, and sit on a broad menu that also runs to homemade pasta, risotto and classic mains, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options and a terrace for warmer days.

It is well regarded for friendly service and good value, with keenly priced lunch deals, and the generous dining room suits a family meal, a larger celebration or a pre-theatre dinner before a show at the Gala. It opens daily for lunch and dinner, just up from the centre in Gilesgate.

Best for: Best for homemade pizza and pasta in a characterful setting.

LA Pizza, Gilesgate

For pizza at home, LA Pizza on Empire Buildings in Gilesgate is a popular local takeaway turning out stone-baked pizzas alongside garlic breads, kebabs and burgers. It is an easy, good-value choice for a night in, with collection and delivery around Gilesgate and the surrounding neighbourhoods.

As a takeaway it is geared towards food to go rather than sitting in, so it is the one to keep in mind when you would rather stay on the sofa. As always, confirm the delivery area and opening hours when you order.

Best for: Best for a good-value stone-baked pizza delivered to your door.

Choosing where to go

Durham's pizza spread comes down to the occasion. PizzaExpress is the easy central choice for eating in near the cathedral; La Piazza is the one for homemade pizza and pasta with a bit of character, and works well for a family celebration; and LA Pizza is the dependable takeaway when you want it at home. All three get busier at weekends, so book ahead for a table where you can.

Think we have missed a great Durham pizza? Get in touch and we will take a look.