John's of Bleecker Street
Best Pizzeria in New York · NY
Coal-fired, whole pies only, no slices. Since 1929.
John's of Bleecker Street has been baking coal-fired, brick-oven pizza in Greenwich Village since 1929, when Italian immigrant Giovanni "John" Sasso dismantled his original oven and rebuilt it at 278 Bleecker Street. It's one of the last of New York's original coal-oven pizzerias and helped define the city's thin-crust tomato pie.
The rules are famous and unbending: whole pies only, never by the slice, blistered in an 850° coal-fired oven, eaten in wooden booths carved with decades of initials. Nearly a century on, it's still turning out the same char-edged pies.
That old-school constancy is exactly what the 2025 Centurion Award for New York recognizes.
What they're known for
- Coal-fired brick-oven pizza
- Whole pies only — no slices
- Classic tomato pie & calzones
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This record was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Selection follows the published criteria; John's of Bleecker Street met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in New York since 1929 — 97 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in New York.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: New York has kept John's of Bleecker Street busy for 97 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by New York regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best pizzeria in New York for 2025 for nearly a century of coal-fired pies from the original Bleecker Street oven, with carved-up wooden booths to prove it.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
The details, verified.
- Legal / trading name
- John's of Bleecker Street
- Category
- Restaurant
- Founded
- 1929, New York, NY
- Founders
- Giovanni "John" Sasso
- Location
- 278 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014
- Centurion Award
- Best Pizzeria in New York — 2025
- Record last verified
- July 2026
Frequently asked questions.
What is John's of Bleecker Street?
Greenwich Village pizzeria opened in 1929, still baking whole pies in its original coal-fired brick oven. No slices, and the regulars like it that way.
Is John's of Bleecker Street award-winning?
Yes — John's of Bleecker Street is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Pizzeria in New York, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best pizzeria in New York for 2025 for nearly a century of coal-fired pies from the original Bleecker Street oven, with carved-up wooden booths to prove it.
Where is John's of Bleecker Street?
John's of Bleecker Street is in New York, NY.
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. The verification above is from the latest published award. Open a year for that year’s citation.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Pizzeria in New York New York, NY · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
Visit John's of Bleecker Street
A signal you can check.
This page is the standing record for John's of Bleecker Street (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear.
Own this business? Claim the listing for free to manage it, correct it, or remove it. If you want the award kit (badge, certificate, and announcement), you pay after you claim. Through December 31, 2026, publishing is $99. The evaluation itself is free. The $99 covers the first year only. Renewals are $199/year. That fee never buys selection.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.