Crosta Pizzeria, the Makati-based pizzeria known for its sourdough-style pies, placed 31st in the 50 Top Pizza World 2026 list, marking its fourth consecutive year among the world’s top 100 pizzerias.
The ranking was unveiled during an awards ceremony at the historic Teatro Mercadante in Naples, Italy, in mid-September where Napoli on the Road in London, led by chef Michele Pascarella, was crowned the world’s best pizzeria for 2026, unseating New York’s Una Pizza Napoletana, which placed second this year.
Crosta announced the recognition on its Facebook page, with a post reading: “Fourth year on this stage. Still pinching ourselves. Still flying the Philippine flag alongside some of the world’s best pizzerias.”
50 Top Pizza is an Italy-based guide considered one of the most influential rankings in the pizza industry, curated by Barbara Guerra, Luciano Pignataro, and Albert Sapere. Its World list evaluates 100 pizzerias for their Neapolitan-style pizza, with anonymous inspectors around the globe assessing restaurants on food quality, service, wine, décor, and ambiance.
This year’s result keeps Crosta on an upward trajectory since its debut on the list. The pizzeria first broke into the World ranking in 2023 at 54th place, before climbing to 12th in 2024. It placed 5th in the Asia-Pacific edition for 2025, and now stands at 31st worldwide for 2026 — one of only three Philippine pizzerias to make this year’s Asia-Pacific-linked cut, alongside sister restaurant a mano, which placed 48th.
Crosta was founded in 2015 by restaurateur Ingga Cabangon Chua and her husband, Thomas Woudwyk, and now has branches in Makati, San Juan, and Alabang. The pizzeria is known for its sourdough-style round pizzas as well as Detroit and Sicilian-style pies, and offers vegan options.
Chef Yuichi’s Journey
Leading Crosta’s kitchen is executive pizza chef Yuichi Abellare Ito, a Filipino-Japanese chef whose multicultural roots and international training have helped shape the restaurant’s menu. Ito was born in Japan to a Japanese father and Filipino mother, and moved to the Philippines as a child.
He studied French cuisine at the International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management in Katipunan and later trained under chef Roberto Cimmino at Edsa Shangri-La. He went on to build his career in Japan, eventually joining the team that opened The Pizza Bar on 38th at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo — a restaurant that became the top-ranked pizzeria in Japan and earned recognitions including the Bib Gourmand for seven consecutive years. During his time there, Ito had the opportunity to prepare meals for renowned chefs including Pierre Gagnaire, Carme Ruscalleda, Daniel Calvert, Enrique Olvera, and Santiago Fernandez.
In 2022, at a 50 Top Pizza awards ceremony in Bangkok, Ito met Crosta co-founders Ingga Cabangon Chua and Thomas Woudwyk and later decided to join the pizzeria as head chef, bringing his Filipino roots back into his cooking.
Under his leadership, Crosta’s Cherry Culatello pizza was named World Pizza of the Year in 2023, and Ito himself earned the Pizza Maker of the Year 2024 (Ferrarelle Award) from 50 Top Pizza. He has since expanded his work to Niseko, Japan, where he now also runs Baby Crosta, Bianca Omakase, and Nani Kore Kani.
