Buzz
by Kirsten Howard
Stepping away from standard chain pizzas and indulging in a more luxurious option can significantly dent your budget. In 2017, Bodega Negra in New York City collaborated with Patrón to craft the Platinum Margarita Margherita Pizza, a $500 creation featuring glazed lobster, mango, Osetra caviar, black truffles, and avocado. The contrast between a $40 artisanal pizza and a $12,000 extravaganza is staggering. Watch out: truffles are everywhere!
1. Domenico Crolla's Pizza Royale 007
In 2007, the Pizza Royale 007 was crafted to support the Fred Hollows Foundation, an organization dedicated to eliminating preventable blindness in developing nations. The pizza was purchased for a staggering £2150 (approximately $2830 in 2019) at a charity auction by lawyer Maurizio Morelli as a Valentine’s Day surprise for his wife, Sabrina.
Renowned restaurateur Domenico Crolla traveled from Glasgow to Rome to prepare this exquisite pizza, adorned with edible gold, lobster marinated in cognac, venison medallions, Scottish smoked salmon, and caviar soaked in champagne.
"This is the ultimate romantic Valentine's gesture,"
2. Industry Kitchen's 24K Pizza
The 24K Pizza from this New York eatery holds the Guinness World Record for the “most expensive commercially available pizza.” Its crust is enhanced with black squid ink and layered with white Stilton cheese, foie gras, Osetra caviar, truffles, and real gold leaves. For an additional $700, you can include an ounce and a half of Almas caviar, pushing the total cost to $2700.
The former record-holder, Gordon Ramsay’s £100 ($132) pizza at his now-shuttered Maze Restaurant in London, featured a luxurious blend of white truffle paste, fontina cheese, pancetta, cep mushrooms, onion puree, and mizuna lettuce. The final price of the pizza depended on your truffle preference. It was garnished with an exceptionally rare Italian white truffle, and as it was shaved onto your pizza at the table, you had the power to decide when to stop. If you didn’t, and the chef used the entire truffle, the bill could skyrocket to a jaw-dropping amount. The truffle alone was valued at up to $2500 per kilogram.
3. Favitta’s Pizza for Lovers
Although the restaurant has since closed, Favitta's Family Pizzeria in Henrietta, New York, once offered the “Pizza For Lovers,” a seemingly affordable pizza that came with a twist. The $19 pizza, designed for romantic couples on Valentine’s Day, was accompanied by a $160 bottle of champagne and an $8000 diamond ring, which accounted for the $8180 total cost.
"We'll bring the ring, and I'll personally deliver it, with a little white cloth over my arm, and open the bottle for them," said owner Tom Favitta.
4. Nino’s Bellissima Pizza's Bellissima
In 2012, this now-closed New York City pizzeria offered the “Bellissima,” a $1000 pizza that justified its cost with $820 worth of caviar generously layered on top. (Previously, in 2007, it was known as the "Luxury Pizza.") The pizza featured heaps of beluga and black Russian Royal Sevruga caviar, complemented by lobster slices and a touch of crème fraîche.
"Caviar enthusiasts adore this pizza," remarked owner Nino Selimaj. "We serve it to politicians, Wall Street professionals, and couples marking special occasions. It always sparks curiosity—people ask why it’s so pricey and how many we sell. Everyone is intrigued."
5. Renato Viola's Louis XIII Pizza
Behold: the world’s most expensive pizza.
Crafted by Italian pizza maestro Renato Viola, the 8-inch Louis XIII pizza is adorned with mozzarella, three varieties of caviar, Norwegian lobster, and hand-harvested pink salt from Australia’s Murray River. The real standout, however, is the meticulous preparation process.
Ordering the $12,000 pizza brings three culinary experts—a pizza chef, a sommelier, and a dedicated chef for ingredient preparation—directly to your home from Italy. They’ll craft the pizza in your kitchen, earning it the title of the world’s priciest delivery pizza. Still craving Pizza Hut?
