It's more than just dough and cheese at Singapore's top gourmet pizza joints: expect lovingly hand-crafted pizzas with an imaginative array of toppings and perfectly blistered crust. And watch out for the new contenders.

Alt. Pizza

This contemporary pizza bar has a maverick, multiple-flour recipe for the crust and a DIY customizable concept with toppings like Manchego cheese, chipotle chicken, chorizo, white truffle oil and more. They also stock craft beers from California’s Lost Coast Brewery. Their original branch still stands at Suntec City. #01-06 60 Robertson Quay, 6836-9207, www.facebook.com/altpizza. Open Wed-Thu 5pm-10pm; Fri 5pm-11pm; Sat 11am-11pm; Sun 11am-10pm.

Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar

This Aussie import has proven itself with the quick takeaway concept and solid pizzas. Not only do they do a dizzying array of nine sauces like hoisin, satay and sweet chilli, they do delicious thin-crust rectangular pizzas with progressive options like roast duck complete with bok choy, spring onions and sesame seeds; salmon benedict drizzled with Hollandaise sauce; and classic reinventions like smoked ham and pineapple, and a new version of a Hawaiian made with brie cheese and basil. 34B Lorong Mambong, 6467-2224, www.crustpizza.com.sg. Open Mon-Thu noon-11pm; Fri-Sat noon-1am; Sun noon-midnight.

Spizza

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Spizza

This casual but classy Italian restaurant at the very pretty Capitol Piazza has the full breadth of stuff: antipasti, pastas, panini and more, but particularly exciting is their selection of over two dozen thin-crust pizzas, all cutely named after women. Seafood lovers, get the Sofia, which comes with shrimp, mussels, scallops and calamari, and vegetarians won't feel forgotten with options like the Quinta, with egg and black truffle paste. There are five branches around town, including a great one on Club Street. Full list here.

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Da Paolo Pizza Bar

A mainstay with the Holland Village crowd, this casual pizza joint decked out in cowhide and lots of wood has a huge wine selection and good pizza options. There are sandwiches, meat balls, and salads, as well as desserts like sinful profiteroles. We love the thin-crusted tomato, mozzarella, pink peppercorn, avocado and rosemary chicken, but kudos goes to their simple ricotta, parmesan and salami calzone (folded pizza) that cuts open with steamy deliciousness. #01-46 44 Jalan Merah Saga, 6479-6059, www.dapaolo.com.sg. Open Mon-Fri Noon-2.30pm, 5.30pm-10.30pm; Sat-Sun 11am-10.30pm

Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

If there's something you must get at this Sicilian eatery, it's their pizza or pizza-related dishes, starting from their pizza crust-like bread (schiacciata), with mascarpone and truffle, to their thin-crust Neapolitan-style white pizza with mozzarella, porcini mushrooms, truffle paste and homemade pork sausage, to their signature Etna pizza with mozzarella, porcini mushrooms, Parma ham, cream cheese and pistachio. 49/50 Duxton Road, 6220-5513, www.etnaitalianrestaurant.com.sg. Open daily noon-2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm.

Motorino 

A New York-style pizza joint that originated in Brooklyn, this no-frills, tile-walled place is new to this list and has an oven right in the middle of the dining room and pushes out Neapolitan-style gourmet pies with toppings like brocolli rabe, pancetta and mozzarella. The tangy tomato sauce is definitely something to write home about. #01-01A Merchant's Court 3A River Valley Rd, 6334-4968, www.motorinopizza.com/singapore. Open Sun-Thu 11.30am-11pm; Fri-Sat 11.30am-midnight.

La Nonna

This affordable Italian eatery does thin-crust pizza justice. The plate-sized wheels of goodness come in mouth-watering variations like their signature La Nonna, a tomato-based concoction of mozzarella, Parmesan, asparagus, black truffle and a sunny-side up egg in the middle. For something more adventurous, the Nera has squid ink, tomato, mozzarella, scallops, prawns and calamari. 26 Lor Mambong, 6468-1982, www.lanonna.sg. Open daily noon-2pm, 6pm-10pm.

Pizzeria Mozza

When it comes to making pizzas, few do it better than Mario Batali. His famed pizza bar (however divisive) puts out some good plates. Although we may skip the appetizers, don't miss pizzas like fennel sausage with cream, red onion and scallions; a hearty egg, guanciale, greens and bagna cuada (a garlic-anchovy butter sauce); and a creamy buricotta (a hybrid of burrata and ricotta), peperonata, oregano and olives. #B1-42/46 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 2 Bayfront Avenue, www.singapore.pizzeriamozza.com. Open daily noon-11pm.

PS. Café Petit

Tranquil surroundings and show-stopping floral arrangements aside, the second outlet of this takeaway concept has a larger eat-in space. We hem and haw at all that cardboard and plastic, but fall victim to creations like the tomato-based Kurobuta pork fennel sausage, capsicum and mozzarella creation, as well as the carbonara, a white pizza topped with pancetta, sage, Parmesan cream, bacon, mozzarella and pecorino. Vegetarians should go for the decadent Green Goddess, with broccoli, peas, French beans, spinach, capsicum, sugar snaps, mozzarella and goat cheese. 38 Martin Rd., 8188-6191, www.pscafe.com. Open daily 9.30am-11pm.