Ireland’s own Little Pyg, based in Dublin’s iconic Powerscourt Townhouse, has once again made history on the global pizza stage. At the prestigious World Pizza Awards held last night, Sept 10th, in Naples (commonly referred to by foodies as ‘The Worlds’). Little Pyg was proudly named Ireland’s #1 Pizzeria and officially earned a spot last night in the Top 100 Pizzerias in the World. This recognition places Little Pyg among the highest echelons of global pizza standards, following its prior success at the Pizza Europa Awards held in Barcelona last May, where it secured #15 in all of Europe and hence was selected to solely represent Ireland at ‘The Worlds’.
Over 2,000 independent judges have been travelling the globe reviewing 500,000 pizza restaurants anonymously, ensuring the highest level of impartiality. This is how Little Pyg was first selected to take part in the Pizza Europa Awards earlier this year, after placing first in Ireland, and at the glamorous Barcelona awards ceremony, the Dublin restaurant placed #15 in all of Europe, automatically selecting them to represent Ireland at ‘The Worlds’ last night.
Dublin’s Little Pyg is now the only Irish restaurant to break into the world’s top 100, marking an incredible achievement for the Irish food scene. After last night’s awards, Little Pyg restaurant now officially offers the #1 pizza in Ireland, the 15th best pizza in all of Europe and is the 78th best pizza restaurant globally.
Head Pizza Chef Federico Rapali and his world-class team at Little Pyg have been the driving force behind this success. Rapali revealed, “Our secret lies in the constant drive to improve, alongside using only the best ingredients available. Our dough ferments for 48 hours and is baked in a pizza oven made from the rock of Mount Vesuvius, we had brought over from Italy. The dedication and time we put into every pizza is what sets us apart.”
The award ceremony held in Naples last night is not just an event but a benchmark for pizza excellence, dictating the highly regarded ‘Top 50 Guide’ every year. The guide is overseen by renowned Italian food critics Barbara Guerra, Luciano Pignataro, and Albert Sapere, and every restaurant in it is reviewed anonymously.
Owner of Little Pyg, Paul McGlade said, “It’s an incredible honour to represent Ireland on the world stage, and a proud moment for both me and the overall Irish food scene. Today I dedicate this achievement to my late father, Paul McGlade Snr, who passed away last month. He always believed in offering a great product at a great price, a value he instilled in all of us. His legacy continues to inspire everything we do.”
Little Pyg’s meteoric rise has been nothing short of remarkable. In addition to this latest accolade, it was earlier named Ireland’s #1 Pizzeria for the second year running and #15 in Europe at the renowned Pizza Europa Awards. The restaurant has also earned a place in the Michelin Guide, with their pizzas praised for their authenticity and excellence. The recognition of Ireland’s only Michelin Guide pizza has further solidified Little Pyg as a staple of Dublin’s culinary scene.
Behind Little Pyg’s success is not only the high quality of its pizzas but also its commitment to accessibility. The restaurant offers Michelin-quality pizzas at unbeatable prices, a value offering now so rare in notoriously expensive Dublin. In addition, each of their pizzas containing 50% fewer calories than the standard equivalent, thanks to Rapali’s meticulously crafted recipes.
As Little Pyg continues to make waves internationally, Dubliners can enjoy these world-class pizzas right in the heart of the city. Reservations are available online at Little Pyg’s Website, and the restaurant offers an exceptional two-for-€22 deal on their signature ‘Pygtails’ cocktails, available seven days a week.
