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
photo credit: Kate Previte
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: Sonal Shah
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.
