If you’re looking for the best slice on the planet, you don’t need a passport — just a TTC pass to the east end. Toronto just gained massive international bragging rights as Mirko D’Agata, the mastermind behind the Beaches’ Pizzéria NO.900, beat out 750 global competitors to be named the 2026 World Champion Pizza Maker. The win, which took place last week at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, was decided by a panel of judges who blind-tasted the entries with zero knowledge of the chefs’ prestigious backgrounds.
D’Agata, Executive Chef of Pizzéria NO.900, first won the Pan Pizza Category before advancing to the final round, where he competed against the winners from all other categories and secured the overall title.
“Winning this title against the best pizzaiolo from each category is an immense honour. Being alongside Fio and Patrice in the finals is a tremendous source of pride. I’m also very proud of my team, who represented the group with great talent and dignity,” D’Agata said.
Alexandre Brunet, president and co-founder of NO.900, praised the win.
“Pizza Expo is an extremely demanding competition. Everything is judged blind, so each year the judeges have no bias whatsover. Seeing our pizzaiolo rise to the top speaks to their talent, but also to the expertise and maturity of Groupe NO.900, now among the world’s elite,” he said.
In addition to his win, D’Agata was inducted into the World Pizza Champions, a non-profit organization made up of about 70 elite pizzaiolos worldwide by invitation. He is the first Québécois and one of the first Canadians ever to join this exclsive group. This acheivement adds to his previous title as the 2025 Napoletana STG World Champion.
Gorupe NO.900 continues to build its international profile, currently ranking #42 on the 50 Top Pizza global list, up from #43 in 2024. It operates 35 locations across Canada and France and is the only chain certified by the Associazione Verce Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) in the artisan chain category.
Toronto residents can try D’Agata pizzas at Pizzéria NO.900’s Beaches Location, the group’s first Ontario outpost, which opened in Agust 2024. The resturant serves a selection pf white and red pizzas similar to those offered across Québec and internationally.
