Lisbon's culinary scene celebrates a historic achievement as Forno d’Oro, led by chef Tanka Sapkota, secures the 10th spot in the prestigious 50 Top Pizza Europa 2025 guide. This marks the first time a Portuguese pizzaria breaks into the European top 10.
At the heart of Forno d’Oro's success is a gold-clad wood-fired oven, a dough rested for 36 hours, and a dream cooked at 450 ºC. The restaurant's journey to this accolade began with a risky yet visionary decision during the 2010 crisis, when Neapolitan pizzas were a rarity in Portugal. Chef Sapkota's relentless pursuit of perfection, after hundreds of trials, finally paid off with the perfect pizza dough.
créditos: Divulgação
The restaurant's concept is built on three pillars: pizza, oven, and craft beer, combining the world's best oven with artisanal beers and meticulously selected ingredients. This year, Forno d’Oro also won the "Performance of the Year 2025 – Robo Award", recognizing excellence in quality, service, hospitality, and the use of local and seasonal ingredients.
Chef Sapkota, originally from Nepal, shared his pride in this dual achievement, highlighting the daily efforts of his team and the talent of pizzaiolo Ram Chandra Bhusal, "the soul of the house." The 2025 edition of the guide was topped by London's Napoli on the Road, with Forno d’Oro climbing two places from its 2024 ranking.
Portugal's presence in the international pizza scene is no fluke, with other national pizzerias like Arte Bianca also making strides. However, Lisbon's Lupita, previously ranked 45th, did not make this year's top 50 but was recognized as "Excellent" by the guide.
Sapkota's journey from Nepal to becoming a key figure in Lisbon's gastronomy is a testament to his resilience and vision. Forno d’Oro reflects his commitment to Neapolitan tradition, slow fermentation, and a fusion of Portuguese and Italian ingredients, resulting in a light, crispy, and award-winning pizza.
The 50 Top Pizza Europa gala, held in Madrid, is the most reliable and prestigious reference in the pizza universe, with evaluations based on surprise visits by anonymous inspectors.
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