Lucia Pizza Of UES
Pizza restaurant · Upper East Side
1571 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10128
Highlights
Classic NY slices with chewy crust, fresh basil, and olive oil
Classic NY slices with chewy crust, fresh basil, and olive oil
"Lucia Pizza, which started in Sheepshead Bay, is one of the most reliable spots for a slice on the Upper East Side, if not in the whole city. Their plain is chewy and crunchy at the same time, and made with top-tier ingredients. Get one of those, and for something a little out of the ordinary, add on their super garlicky creamed spinach. Lucia Pizza always works for a quick meal, or you can brave a four avenue-trek over to Central Park for your next picnic—you’ll get the recognition you deserve, trust us." - sonal shah, willa moore, will hartman, neha talreja
"Big news for slice-seekers on the Upper East Side. Lucia Pizza—one of our favorite pizzerias—has a third location at 88th and Third Ave. The original is in Sheepshead Bay, and their Soho outpost opened in 2024; we love the classic NY slices at both locations, sprinkled with parmesan, drizzled with olive oil, and topped with torn fresh basil. The striped creamed spinach slice is a standout too. It’s a basic operation, but there are a few tables inside. We checked out Lucia Pizza and added it to the Hit List." - will hartman, bryan kim
"Lucia Pizza, which started in Sheepshead Bay and opened a Soho location in 2024, has a third spot on 88th Street with crust that’s as chewy and satisfying as we've come to expect from the pizza shop. Consider this your reliable New York slice experience fancied up with a few leaves of peppery basil and a glug of olive oil (a common practice at NYC top slice shops Mama’s Too and L’Industrie). Simply put, it's one of our favorite slices on the Upper East Side. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte Compared to Lucia’s downtown location, the Uptown spot is a bit larger. If you don't want to stand at the counter, there are a few tables to enjoy your slice in the great indoors. But to us, it's worth the four-avenue trek to Central Park. Food Rundown Plain Slice Light, airy, and sporting a bready crust, this is a wonderful slice of pizza. Get one. photo credit: Kate Previte Vodka For a sweeter slice, go with vodka. It’s got that same crust of course, with thick slabs of milky mozzarella. photo credit: Kate Previte Salsiccia A heavier slice, with some angry looking red chiles, juicy hot Italian sausage crumbles, and shallot. photo credit: Kate Previte Sicilian Lucia’s Sicilian slice lives somewhere between the dense, classic Sicilian you’ll find at legacy slice shops like Sal & Carmine’s and airy grandma pizzas. It gets slabs of creamy fresh mozzarella, and the crust tastes like a burnt pancake in the best way possible. photo credit: Kate Previte Sandwich Special At $10, this Saturday sandwich special makes for a very good lunch. The bun is thickly freckled with sesame and holds a mess of braised beef and a neat layer of melted mozzarella. Dunk generously in the oniony jus—the meat is a little under-seasoned without it—and alternate each bite with a chomp of pickled long hot. photo credit: Sonal Shah" - Will Hartman
"The third outpost of the Lucia Pizza slice-shop family (which started in Sheepshead Bay and expanded to Soho) with a new uptown location serving the shop’s pizza offerings." - Emma Orlow
"I followed Lucia Pizza of Avenue X from its start as a new-wave slice shop in Sheepshead Bay to a Soho slice shop with an attached wine bar, and now a forthcoming move uptown to 1571 Third Avenue at East 88th Street on the Upper East Side." - Emma Orlow
