I’ve always been curious about Naples and after spending a long weekend there, it definitely captured my heart. Admittedly, it was just as chaotic as my northern Italian friends had warned, with insane traffic and motorbikes weaving through the streets. However, any frustrations were quickly soothed with truly fantastic food.
Naples is the regional capital of Campania, which is known for its exceptional local produce. Creamy buffalo mozzarella and ricotta from Caserta, San Marzano tomatoes grown in mineral-rich volcanic soil in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius and fresh seafood from the Bay of Naples.
It’s no wonder that Naples is the birthplace of pizza with such superior ingredients on the doorstep. In fact, there’s an entire street dedicated to pizza, where you can sample the world’s finest for just a few Euros.
A visit to the celebrated Via dei Tribunali, however, needs to be planned with military precision. Every visitor seems to be on their own personal pizza pilgrimage and the queues are insane with hours-long waiting times to be seated. Of course, there are a number of small friggitorie to keep you fuelled up on hot, crunchy, fried bites. The arancini at Di Matteo are out of this world.
Whether you’re exploring Naples or spending some time on the way to Sorrento, Capri and the Amalfi Coast, here are some top places to enjoy authentic Neapolitan cuisine at its best.
Pintauro
Nestled among the shops on Via Toledo is Pintauro, a tiny pasticceria with a big reputation. Back in 1785, Pintauro brought sfogliatelle to Naples from its birthplace on the Amalfi Coast and it’s said to be the best in town even today.
This shell-shaped pastry, filled with ricotta and candied orange peel, is a regional speciality and an absolute must for pastry lovers – definitely one of my favourites.
Caffe Gambrinus
Naples may be best known for its pizzerie, but it’s also home to one of Italy’s most celebrated literary cafes. Established in 1860, Caffe Gambrinus was a meeting place for writers and philosophers such as Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway and Jean-Paul Sartre to discuss ideas over its signature Nocciola.
It occupies a imposing Belle Epoque building facing the Piazza Trieste e Trento and the famous Piazza del Plebiscito, home to the Royal Palace of Naples. Inside, it’s full of old world charm with an abundance of marble, chandeliers and oil painting by Neapolitan artists. The maze of opulent rooms includes a pasticceria overflowing with traditional southern Italian cakes, a chocolate shop, gelateria and a buzzing coffee counter.
We sat in the elegant salon and enjoyed a rich, velvety Cioccolata and shared a plate of exquisite mini cakes. The selection is different each time and ours included a sfogliatella riccia, rum baba, cannolo, strawberry tart and chocolate cake. What better way to spend an afternoon in Naples?
Antica Pizza Fritta da Zia Esterina Sorbillo
At lunchtime, it’s essential to try its famous delicacy, pizza fritta, and no one does it better than Naples’ famous Sorbillo family. Antica Pizza Fritta da Zia Esterina Sorbillo was established in 2015 and is dedicated to Gino Sorbillo’s dear aunt Esterina, who supported and trained him as a child. It now has three locations in Naples, including Via dei Tribunali, busy Piazza Trieste e Trento and on a side street in leafy, upscale Vomero.
Known as ‘pizza for the people’, pizza fritta is the ultimate Italian street food and each one is freshly made to order from a small open kitchen and wrapped in paper, ready to be devoured right away. Simply order at the counter, take a ticket and wait for your pizza fritta. It’s also extremely good value at just 3.50 Euros, making a light lunch for two less than 10 Euros with drinks.
Out of the six ingredients available, we chose prosciutto cotto and salami, which came with a mix of fresh ricotta and smoky provola. The majestic, half moon-shaped pizza fritta was softer and more fluffy than expected (not at all greasy) and the flavours were quite subtle.
While Sorbillo’s pizza fritta is definitely worth waiting for, choose your location, day and time carefully. It took over an hour for us to get ours, standing among the crowds of Saturday shoppers on Via Toledo, while the Vomero location on Sunday was quiet.
Osteria La Chitarra
One of my favourite discoveries during our trip was Osteria La Chitarra, a cosy Neapolitan tavern near the University of Naples. It’s so tiny and welcoming that it feels like you’re dining in a family living room. In fact, you need to climb a few stairs and ring a doorbell to enter.
Following the slow food principal, everything is made fresh from high quality, local ingredients and the menu is simple and modest. Here you can indulge in hearty dishes like risotto, ziti, fried cod, sausages with Sorrento provola and pork chops.
We loved the Polpette alla napoletana – two enormous, tender beef meatballs stuffed with juicy raisins and pine and covered in a rich, sun-kissed tomato sauce. They went perfectly with a side of sautéed broccoli rabe and offered a light break from pizza and pasta.
Tandem
Is there anything more inviting than a restaurant that only serves ragù? Tandem is dedicated solely to the region’s traditional ragù with a choice of pasta, gnocchi, ricotta, provola or simply mopped up with fresh bread (known in Italy as ‘scarpetta’). A real Naples success story, it has four casual restaurants and one take-away across the city and there’s even a Tandem pizzeria coming soon.
Tandem’s famous ragù is based on a recipe by owner Manuela’s grandmother and is cooked for six to eight hours then left to rest overnight. Neapolitan ragù is quite different to the Bolognese version with thick pieces of slow-cooked beef rather than minced meat, which takes less time to cook.
We visited the Tandem restaurant on Via Sedile di Porto near the University of Naples, which had the cosy atmosphere of a wood-panelled tavern. In the mood for pasta, we tried the rich and creamy Paccheri al ragù e ricotta and the classic Ziti al ragù. The flaky, high-quality meat was unbelievably tender and was enhanced by the juicy San Marzano tomato and vegetable sauce and al dente pasta.
It’s a time-honoured Naples tradition to spend Sunday with family over a pot of ragù, but for those of us without a nonna in town, there’s Tandem.
Pizzeria Starita
Our quest for authentic Neapolitan took us to Pizzeria Starita, a popular pizzeria in the arty Materdei neighbourood. It was established in 1901 by the grandfather of owner Antonio Starita and was immortalised by Sophia Loren who played a pizzaiola in the 1954 film L’Oro di Napoli.
The menu is extensive compared to its purist peers and you can find some really interesting pizza, calzoni, pizza fritta and montanara (deep-fried pizza). We grazed on some crispy Crocchete di Patate (just 1 Euro each) and could have easily worked our way through the selection of fried bites if the pizza wasn’t so huge.
We went for a classic pizza and something more unique to taste and compare. The clear winner was the signature Marinara Starita with San Marzano sauce, Datterino tomatoes, wild oregano and fresh Parmesan. It was a harmonious mix of tomato, garlic and rich olive oil and the strength of the fresh Parmesan was a great alternative to creamy mozzarella.
Capricciosa (chosen for my love of artichokes) was delicious with high quality ingredients, but I couldn’t help wishing that we’d been more adventurous. If in doubt, go for the pizza that grabs your attention, although it’s a good excuse to come back again.
Have you visited Naples? Where is your favourite place to eat?
All photos by Chérie City
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