PIZZANISTA! DTLA Arts District

Gabe Sanchez Edited 3 months ago

I’ve traveled all over the world and eaten pizza everywhere imaginable — Italy, France, New York, Chicago, all over Southern California. And yeah, New York has legendary spots, Chicago had some decent pies too, but I’m telling you right now… nothing compares to Pizzanista!. This place is straight-up one of the OG pizza spots in Los Angeles and hands down one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had in my life. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been obsessed with pizza. Back when I was surfing nonstop up and down the California coast, I’d hit different pizza joints after sessions almost every day. I’m talking pizza 4–5 times a week for years. So yeah, I know my pies. The crust, the flavor, the sauce, the balance — Pizzanista just hits different. It’s one of those spots that stays burned into your memory because it’s that damn good. You can debate all day about the “best pizza,” but for me, this spot still sits at the top. If you haven’t been yet, do yourself a favor and go check it out. LA is lucky to have a spot like this.

Bob Fang 6 months ago

Kinda pricey for pizza. But good to come check it out for a date or cheat day. They have $1 cold 1 day old pizza slices. Gluten free options and fancy fountain drinks. Got 6 pizzas. Garlic knots and 2 diet cokes cost be about $50. I wish the pizza was softer but it was crunchy. Also got the Mac and cheese pizza. They have a free parking lot right next door. You might miss it if you drive too fast. You might actually miss the whole pizza place tbh.

Douglas Shin 7 months ago

This was our first time visiting, and since it’s a place that so many people seem to go to, we decided to give it a try. We ordered a 12-inch pizza and a salad. The salad was pretty good and enjoyable, but the pizza was very thin and quite crispy. For my personal taste, the texture felt a bit too hard—almost like it was slightly overcooked. It looked like most people were ordering slice by slice rather than whole pies, which makes sense for the area. As for the price, it was reasonable considering it’s located in Downtown. Overall, it was a decent experience, though the pizza texture just wasn’t quite my style.

Jude B 8 months ago

Great New York–style pizza with amazing flavor. The cheese and crust were really good and hit that classic NYC style. The only small downside was that the dough was a bit dry, likely because I grabbed slices from the counter — I’m sure a fresh slice would be even better. Service was fast and friendly, the place was clean, and overall it was a great experience. Definitely worth checking out!

Sam Khandelwal a year ago

TLDR: Divey pizza place with vegan slice options. On a food tour, I came across Pizzanista on a Sunday. Any other day, I wouldn't risk braving DTLA traffic and parking, but I was able to find easy free street parking. The place is dark, with loud music, and features 12+ slices, of which 4 are vegan. The place is solid, but not necessarily the best pizza in LA. It satisfies your cravings and isn't obtusely priced. 4 vegan slices plus tip around $30. Service is friendly and I got my 4 pizza slices in under 4 minutes, perhaps helped by the fact that there were no competing orders. It tasted great while fresh, with a bit of chewy mouthful. I ordered 3 thin crusts: vegan pepperoni, vegan veggies, vegan seitan meats Jesus, and a Sicilian style focaccia thick crust. My favorites were vegan seitan meats Jesus (what loaded name) that had bits of crispy vegan bacon and pepperoni, and the vegan veggies (very juicy). The other 2 were passable. Overall, Pizzanista was a better than average vegan pizza experience. Not in the same league as Hot Tongue, but if you are in DTLA arts district, a solid choice.