Ceres
Pizza restaurant · Little Italy ·
Thin, crispy sourdough pizza with San Marzano tomatoes
Thin, crispy sourdough pizza with San Marzano tomatoes
"A $40 price tag for plain cheese pizza is pushing it. Especially when you can’t currently order it by the slice. But if you value innovation in the field of pizza science, put Ceres on your to-do list. At this Little Italy shop from a pair of Eleven Madison Park vets, slices are cracker-crisp and inconceivably thin, with minimal flop and puffy, baguette-like crusts that will wear out every muscle in your jaw. The plain one’s great, and the tomato variety has a sauce that’s tart as a granny smith apple. But the obvious winners are a white pie with pancetta, chives, and crème fraîche—think fancy Lays dip—and one with aged balsamic, puddles of ‘njuda with a roasted chili flavor, and globs of creamy burrata." - bryan kim, willa moore, kenny yang, carlo mantuano, molly fitzpatrick
"When it opened in early 2025, Ceres Pizza raised some eyebrows selling plain cheese slices that, at $6 a pop, were some of the priciest in the city. But those slices—cracker-crisp and inconceivably thin—were remarkable. Drizzled with Tuscan olive oil that tastes like summer, and topped with Parmigiano Reggiano made from the milk of the reggiana red cow, the slices had minimal flop and elegant peaks of charred mozzarella. From our very first visit it was obvious: Ceres was necessary eating for anyone who values innovation in the field of pizza science. Then mogul/pizza critic Dave Portnoy showed up, awarded the place a 9.2 out of 10, and poof. The slices were gone. photo credit: Bryan Kim Ceres got so busy, they couldn’t keep up with the demand. Their oven can only fit six pizzas at a time, so they only do whole pies now—around 165 of them a day. Getting your hands on one is a hassle. You need to stop by the store and sign up for a time slot. When we showed up at around 3pm on a Wednesday, the next slot available was 6pm. By 6:30pm, they were sold out. photo credit: Bryan Kim Unfortunately, the 'nduja pie with burrata and balsamic is worth the inconvenience. It costs $63, yes, but factor in that each pie has at least $7 worth of nine-year-aged balsamic on it, as well as burrata and heaps of ‘nduja. The tomato pizza, with a sauce that's tart as granny smith apple, is also very good—as is the white pie topped with pancetta, chives, and crème fraîche. Sure, the puffy sourdough crust could use some more flavor, and it would be nice if Ceres had straightforward options like a pepperoni pie. But if you want to taste some of the thinnest, fussiest pizza in New York City, Ceres should be on your list. Food Rundown Cheese Pizza Every cheese pie gets a big ladle of sauce made from two types of San Marzano tomatoes, in addition to around one-and-a-half fistfuls of shredded mozzarella, and a few cubes of scamorza. Nothing too elaborate, just quality ingredients on an razor-thin crust. photo credit: Bryan Kim 'Nduja Pizza Seems like a gimmick, but it isn't. This pizza is topped with aged balsamic, little puddles of 'nduja with a roasted chili flavor, and globs of creamy burrata. It's a touch sweet, a little spicy, and overall fantastic. photo credit: Bryan Kim" - Bryan Kim
"A downtown slice shop from a duo who both worked at Eleven Madison Park; the sleek storefront space (with several tables) serves plain, tomato-ricotta, and mushroom slices." - Emma Orlow
"Opened in late January on Mott Street, this wood-paneled pizzeria — founded by Julian Geldmacher and Jake Serebnick, who met while working at Eleven Madison Park — pairs fine-dining rigor with premium pricing: whole pies run roughly $40–$63 while slices are $5–$6. Long lines and frequent sellouts have formed a ritualized demand, with many patrons buying slices to tide them over during waits. The operation emphasizes precision (sieving flour, slowly shaping dough, spiral‑spreading sauce, piping crème fraîche, and monitoring oven temperature with an infrared thermometer) and will even pause service to catch up and ensure each pie is correct. The sourdough thin crust is lightweight yet sturdy, with dark char, a moist, webby interior and tiny bubbles; the San Marzano tomato slice is concentrated and tangy, the white pie with pancetta, onion, and piped crème fraîche reads like a worthy Flammkuchen, and a shaved‑mushroom slice topped with crème fraîche and onions delivers a savory, roasted top. Higher-end pies feature components like ’nduja and stracciatella/burrata with balsamic, and the reviewer feels the focused labor, ingredients, and technique largely justify the cost and the hour-long waits." - Tammie Teclemariam
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