Restaurants and Bars

Dining Out In Naples

The wonderful Neapolitan food scene is an amalgamation of a history full of splendour and misery, riches and poverty, the fruit of numerous dominations, and the ability of Neapolitans to make a virtue of necessity. An elegant gastronomy which has roots in tastes and habits of the people who produced traditional local products which have now become synonymous with the glorious city of Naples: pizza, spaghetti, ragù, mozzarella, a tazzulella e caffè, not to mention desserts such as babà, sfogliatelle, pastiera (puff pastry filled with cream cheese, barley and candied fruit), and gelati.

Neapolitan cuisine owes much to the city's fertile soil, which offers up a bounteous offering, above all the San Marzano tomato, and the sea, which is the basis for seafood dishes such as the exquisite spaghetti alle vongole (a clam pasta dish), impepate di cozze (a mussel-based dish), and the exquisite soutè, and we haven't even mentioned the grilled fish and seafood dishes or the elaborate fish- and seafood-based soups. Many restaurants serve raw oysters, cannolicchi, and taratufi, which are strictly from Naples.

If you want a traditional restaurant you should head for the Borgo Marinaro area, where the streets wind down to the Castel dell Ovo. Try La Bersagliera or Zi' Teresa.

In Santa Lucia, you'll find exclusive hotels and exclusive restaurants, such as La Cantinella and Caruso; they all offer wonderful views of the gulf.

Mergellina sits right on the coast and has great restaurants where you can taste the fruits of the sea. The following places are well worth a try: Dal Delicato, Ciro a Mergellina, Don Salvatore, and Al Sarago in Piazza San Nazzaro, where there are other restaurants that are a little more economical.

Sbrescia is in Posillipo and also has a wonderful view. La Sacrestia offers very sophisticated cuisine and Giuseppone a Mare serves traditional fish recipes made with the freshest fish possible.

If you consider yourself to be a true romantic, then Fenestella di Marechio is the place to be. Relax in this beautiful area and feast on Parthenopean cuisine at La Fazenda or A Fenestella.

The Centro Storico has plenty of trattorias to choose from which serve traditional dishes at low prices. These places are less fancy but which are just as welcoming, and you will definitely meet the real Napoletani here! Try Dante e Beatrice in Piazza Dante; Ciro a Santa Brigida close to Teatro San Carlo; or San Carlo (the restaurant), which is close to Palazzo Reale. On Via Monte di Dio in the ancient area of Partenope, there's the splendid Amici Miei. In the heart of the city, you'll find Umberto. If you are close to the station and looking for a bite to eat, why not try Da Mimì alla Ferrovia?

Pizzerie deserve a mention of own, and Naples is full of them! They differ from the traditional evening eateries and are filled with students, professionals, salespeople, craftsmen - nearly everybody, in fact! They are as busy and as popular as fast food joints, but offer delicious flavours and high quality ingredients. L'Antica Pizzeria in Forcella has large marble tables, and they serve only delicious seafood pizzas (seasoned with garlic, olive oil, tomato, and oregano)and Pizza Margherita with its traditional mozzarella topping.

The creative genius of the Neapolitan pizzamakers is now taking precedence over tradition as they wildly combine weird toppings to make the ultimate taste sensation. Every pizzaiolo (pizzamaker) worth his salt has invented a topping, and each pizzeria includes variations on traditional themes on their menu.