Stellar seafood is easy to find in a coastal and gastronomic destination like Miami. But you may want to skip the ocean-to-table meal in favor of a freshly baked pizza. In recent years, the Magic City has leveled up its pie game. You can even dine at La Natural in Little River, one of Miami’s coolest neighborhoods, just minutes away from downtown. The pizzeria is helmed by Javier Ramirez, who was recognized as one of the top 100 pizza chefs in the world in 2026. Ramirez ranked No. 40 on The Best Pizza Awards list, the highest placement of any Florida pizza chef, making La Natural the state’s top-ranked pizzeria in this year’s awards.
According to The Best Pizza Awards, winners are selected by a panel of food journalists and other culinary experts. Ramirez happens to be the only chef from the Sunshine State honored with this global accolade in both 2026 and 2025, when he ranked No. 35. Meanwhile, the team behind Miami Slice, an acclaimed establishment in downtown, earned a spot on the awards’ Ones to Follow list.
Speaking to the Tampa Bay Times in 2025, Ramirez, who is originally from Venezuela and is a self-taught chef, revealed that pizza-making started out as a hobby. By the time he opened La Natural in 2020, however, he had already made a name for himself in the Miami food scene with Palmar and Alter, both of which have since closed. Today, La Natural specializes in sourdough pizzas, with a reviewer on Google writing, “What a gem. La Natural may look simple and unpretentious, but every dish here bursts with creativity and flavor.”
Miami’s La Natural is renowned for its sourdough crust
At La Natural in Miami, you can choose from a small selection of red and white sourdough pies served in a minimalistic, light-filled space. In an interview with Fine Dining Table, Javier Ramirez explained that the crust, which is cold-fermented for 48 hours, is made with Italian and North American whole wheat flour. For many diners, the crust is the star of the show. On Google, where La Natural features a 4.2 rating based on more than 600 reviews, a user described it as “out of this world,” while another praised its “pillowy inside, crunchy outside.”…