A woodfired, crisp, thin-crusted base topped with just the right amount of garlicky tomato sauce and deliciously stringy melted mozzarella. We've eaten our way around the country in search of this perfect pizza. If you're a pizza fan, check out this list of pizzas to eat before you die.

Johannesburg

Café Picobella
Try the: Spicy chicken with herbs, mushrooms and avocado.
Price: R69

Ciao Baby Cucina
Try the: Smoked mozzarella, mascarpone cheese, chicken, rocket and pine nut pizza.
Price: R65

Doppio Zero (Greenside)
Try the: Leo-Leone, topped with bacon, chorizo, mushrooms, green pepper, onion and chilli.
Price: R75

Il Giardino Degli Ulivi
Try the: Il Giardino, topped with ham, bacon, mushrooms, mixed peppers and chilli.
Price: R80

Lapa Fo
Try the: Mozzarella, gorgonzola, pear and prosciutto pizza or the bacon, dark chocolate and feta pizza.
Price: R96

Luca’s Pizzeria Pastificio
Try the: Pizza topped with roast lamb, roasted red and yellow peppers and fresh rocket, or the Salmonata, which is topped with smoked salmon, mascarpone cheese, capers and caviar.
Price: R87

Next Door Pizza
Try the: Mint jam, walnuts and camembert pizza or the blue cheese, roasted beetroot and onion marmalade pizza.
Price: R66

Piza e Vino
Try the: Cool Runnings, topped with jalapenos, chicken, roasted peppadews, basil pesto and aioli. 
Price: R51-74

Polpetta Pizza and Pasta
Try the: Ivano pizza, named after the owner and topped with fillet steak, grilled onion rings, cherry tomatoes, avocado and rocket.  
Price: R70-75

Satori
Try the: Satori special, topped with artichokes, ham, salami and haloumi cheese.  
Price: R64-R70

Pretoria

Bravo Pizzeria
Try the: Sidewalk Vendetta, topped with bacon, feta and avocado.
Price: R45

Ciao  
Try the: Fettuccini Alfredo, topped with creamy ham, mushroom and chicken.
Price: R68

La Cantina
Try the: Capricciosa, topped with mozzarella cheese, ham, olives and oregano.
Price: R59

Toni’s Fully Furnished Pizza Company
Try the: Pizza Pesto, topped with basil pesto, peppadew pesto, goat’s milk cheese, roasted walnuts, avo and prosciutto.
Price: R89

Durban

Mad Italian
Try the: Pizza 2010, topped with bacon, camembert cheese, garlic, rocket and green fig preserve.
Price: R69,95

Pizzetta Pizzeria
Try the: Pizza topped with smoked salmon, capers, leeks, cream cheese and wild rocket. Or, go for the pizza topped with gorgonzola, onion marmalade and wild rocket. 
Price: R69

Cape Town

Balducci
Try the: Balducci’s pizza, topped with bacon, feta, creamed spinach and avo.
Price: R78

Carlyle’s on Derry
Try the: The brie, blue cheese and fig preserve pizza.
Price: R70

Col’Cacchio Cape Town
Try the: Morituri, topped with bacon, chicken, avo, feta and red pepper.
Price: R82

Da Vinci’s
Try the: Da Vinci, topped with bacon, avo, mushrooms and garlic.
Price: R73-88
 

Fireman’s Arms
Try the: Fireman Special, topped with your choice of ham, bacon or salami, as well as chilli, peppers, onion and garlic.
Price: R93,50

Green’s on Park
Try the: Stagioni, topped with mushrooms, olives, artichokes and salami
Price: R75

Massimo’s Pizza Club
Try the: Pancetta, topped with crisp pancetta and pan-fried mushrooms.
Price: R84

Meloncino
Try the: Meloncino Freddo Napoletana, topped with buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomato, basil, olive oil, a pinch of salt and oregano.
Price: R89

Posticino
Try the: Posticino, topped with mushrooms, olives, asparagus, green pepper and artichokes.
Price: R64

Winelands

Bread and Wine
Try the: Cape Malay lamb pizza, with a base of baba ganoush, topped with lamb confit, peppadews, St. Catherine’s cheese. 
Price: R55

Marc’s Mediterranean Kitchen
Try the: Mediterranean Chicken, topped with char-grilled chicken, tomatoes, black and green olives, a little bit of feta and mozzarella, olive oil and sweet basil. 
Price: R82

By Annette Klinger

Do you have a favourite pizza restaurant which isn’t listed? Drop us a line and have your say.