A neighbourhood restaurant in Sydney's Balmain and a small pizzeria in Melbourne's northern suburbs have been named among the world's top 50 for 2026. 

Gigi's came in at 16th on the 50 Top Pizza World list, making it Australia's highest-ranked pizzeria. SHOP225 in Pascoe Vale South placed 42nd, while London's Napoli on the Road claimed the top spot. 

The recognition goes beyond 'good pizza', too. 

Inspectors visit restaurants anonymously and assess the entire experience, including the quality of the dough and ingredients, service, atmosphere, cleanliness, drinks offering and how diners are treated while they wait.  

The guide doesn't favour any particular style of pizza either. 

For two independent Australian restaurants to feature in a global ranking alongside celebrated pizzerias in Italy, the US and Japan is a remarkable achievement.

And for Gigi's, there was another big reason to celebrate. Owner and pizzaiolo Daniel Semrani was also named Pizza Maker of the Year for 2026. 

'I've literally achieved beyond anything I could have ever imagined,' Semrani said, sharing photos of the awards ceremony in Naples. 

He has previously put his many accolades down to 16 years of persistence and hard work, saying 'there are people who talk, and there are people who show up'. 

The delighted chef also met Francesco Martucci, one of the world's most renowned pizzaiolos, at the ceremony and described their conversation as life-changing. 

'Thank you, my friend, for your wise words and for what you said on stage yesterday. You probably don't realise how much it meant to me, but you genuinely changed the way I'm looking at everything moving forward,' he said.

So what should diners order at Gigi's? The classic Margherita, made with San Marzano tomato, fior di latte and basil, is a great starting point. From there, the menu's 'innovation' section takes pizza in a new direction.

The Spicy Botox combines vodka sauce, spicy salami, fresh ricotta and chilli honey, while the Chilli Crab pairs crab and fermented chilli with smoked bottarga. 

The namesake Gigi is topped with bresaola, rocket and truffle pecorino over a horseradish base while Semrani's butter chicken pizza has also become one of the restaurant's most talked-about menu items this year. 

In Melbourne, SHOP225 has built its reputation on Neapolitan-style pizza and a menu designed to include diners with different dietary needs. 

Founded by Lorenzo Tron and Roberto Davoli in 2016, the Pascoe Vale South restaurant offers gluten-free and vegan options alongside its regular menu.

Its attention to the rest of the meal has also been recognised: SHOP225 won the guide's Best Pasta Proposal award in the Asia-Pacific rankings earlier this year.  

For pizza, its Zio Pino brings together fior di latte, mushrooms, Parmigiano Reggiano, parsley and truffle oil. The guide also singled out the 2807, topped with fior di latte and porcini mushrooms. 

And it is worth leaving room for more than pizza as inspectors praised the restaurant's cacio e pepe arancini and pasta too. 

A third Australian pizzeria made the wider top 100, with 48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar in South Yarra coming in at number 79. 

Run by Michele Circhirillo and Fabio Biscaldi, the Melbourne restaurant takes its name from its dough, which is fermented for 48 hours. 

The pair have brought traditional Italian techniques to a menu that also makes use of Australian native ingredients. 

Among its most distinctive dishes is a kangaroo pizza topped with kangaroo salami, tomato, warrigal greens, macadamia pesto and wild herbs.  

See the full list here