Brian Nagele
Naples is one of the top vacation spots in Italy, and that may very well be due to its delicious food. Pizza may have started in Naples, but that is not the only yummy concoction created there.
Many restaurants in Naples have been there for a long while (some over a hundred years)!
Even if the restaurant is relatively new, all these recipes are typically passed through families for generations.
Look no further to find the best restaurants in Naples, Italy.
Vomero Fried Food
Via Domenico Cimarosa, 44, 80129 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 081 578 3130
A few blocks from Parco Villa Floridiana lies Vomero Fried Food, an Italian cuisine legend. Vomero Fried Food is mostly a mix of fried delicacies such as crocchè and frittatina di maccheroni.
It is in Piazza Fuga in the Vomero district. On my trip, it was one of my favorite restaurants for its delicious traditional Neapolitan cuoppo.
This menu is pretty consistent but does have specials for holidays like Easter and Christmas. Run by the Acunzo family, it is a little treasure and the only good fried food restaurant in the area.
From breakfast to dinner and all the snacks in between, Vomero provides.
Cibi Cotti
Via Ferdinando Galiani, 30, 80122 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 081 682844
Cibi Cotti is found in a small covered market by the Mergellina seafront. Nonna Anna is the head of the family-run shop.
I found that it is one of the best places to get your money’s worth of mouth-watering food. From pasta to macaroni, they have all kinds of classic Italian dishes.
The menu changes daily and is posted on their Facebook page to explain the specials for the day. This sweet traditional Neapolitan restaurant is a favorite of tourists and locals alike.
Everything is made that day from scratch to be served at lunch when they open.
Ristorante Ciro a Mergellina
Via Mergellina, 21, 80122 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 081 681780
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With a view of the sea, Ristorante Ciro a Mergellina is settled right across from Capo di Posillipo, a nice park to stroll around.
The menu is unavailable in person, but you can see everything they offer and the prices online. A mix of local and foreign wines is available.
Well known for their fried bass, Ciro is a staple in Naples and has been in business for over a hundred years.
They are closed on Monday. Ciro is only open from 12:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. from Tuesday to Sunday.
They feature an octopus salad, an excellent Sute of clams, and Cotoletta Alla Milanese.
Gay Odin
Multiple locations
Gay Odin is at heart a chocolate factory, though they also serve various candies, wine, and creams.
What started with a young man’s dream in the 1920s has become a booming restaurant chain in Naples and other cities like Rome and Milan.
The handmade chocolate is one of the best chocolate pieces I have ever eaten. It is open every day, unlike many other restaurants in Naples, though the times lessen on Sundays.
The chocolate selection positions in the most appetizing way! Plus, Gay Odin also serves coffee and hot chocolate!
Gran Caffè Gambrinus
Via Chiaia, 1/2, 80132 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 081 417582
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Gran Caffé Gambrinus is a literary cafe built inside the Foresteria building in the late 1800s, and it looks out into Piazza del Plebiscito and Palazzo Reale.
Many famous politicians and superstars have visited the iconic atmosphere. The venue is gorgeous, and the servers are friendly, though it costs extra to actually sit inside the cafe.
From coffee to tea and ice cream to pastries, Gran Caffé Gambrinus provides good service and food in one of the most beautiful locations I have seen in Naples.
There are special menu items for Christmas and Easter as well as Carnival, and the various desserts are to die for!
Transatlantico Restaurant Hotel
Via Luculliana, 15, 80132 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 081 764 8842
This restaurant is located directly on a pier overlooking the gorgeous marina Porticciolo di Santa Lucia. It is beside Castel Dell’Ovo, an old castle, only a few minutes from Piazza del Plebiscito.
The location is beautiful, and it is at the base of a hotel which is perfect to rest, though there is nowhere to park at the actual hotel.
Transatlantico does not post its menu online, nor do they change their menu for the seasons or holidays like many other restaurants.
The seafood is excellent, and so are the appetizers and wine. The mussels and squid are tasty too. I especially liked the prawns.
Palazzo Petrucci Ristorante
Via Posillipo, 16 C, 80123 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 081 575 7538
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The only restaurant in Naples with a Michelin star, Palazzo Petrucci Ristorante has not let the challenge of being young stop them from succeeding.
With the famous Chef Lino Scarallo creating what I found to be some of the best dishes in Naples, they cannot go wrong as the open kitchen allows you to see him work.
I found the dishes tasteful and worth it as the atmosphere was peaceful with a picturesque location overlooking the sea.
The Quattro Formaggi pizza was incredible, and so was the raw cod, sea bass, and wine.
Pintauro
Via Toledo, 275, 80132 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 348 778 1645
Known as one of the top pastry shops in Naples, Pintauro has the most delicious sfogliatella I have ever tasted.
Near the Maradona, the shop is open every day but Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pintauro is also close to Palazzo Reale or the Royal Palace of Naples, now a museum and historical palace.
The sfogliatella is one of the famous dishes Pintauro serves, probably because it began there! However, their shortcrust and curly pastries (Riccia and frolla) are delicious too.
Their Neapolitan pastries do not disappoint and are a definite must-have when visiting Naples.
Gino e Toto Sorbillo
Via dei Tribunali, 32, 80138 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 081 446643
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The pizzeria of Naples, Gino e Toto Sorbillo has expanded across the globe into the USA and Japan. Gino Sorbillo is part of a large family of pizza chefs dating back to the 1920s.
However, Sorbillo took their craft to new heights and made the restaurant what it is today. There are multiple locations in Naples and one in Milan and Rome.
Obviously, the pizza here is to die for, but the beer and fried pizza are absolutely delicious too. I think I liked the Nonna Carolina or the buffalo pizza the best, but all of them look so appetizing.
The service is friendly and fast, despite them being so busy. The different locations open at other times, but the Naples locations open every day but Sunday from 12 to 11:30 p.m.
La Locanda Gesu Vecchio
Via Giovanni Paladino, 26, 80138 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 081 461 3928
La Locanda Gesu Vecchio focuses on all traditions, from their dishes to their prime location in the historic district of Naples.
They are closed on Mondays but are open from Tuesday to Saturday from 12 to 3:30 p.m. and 7 to 11 p.m.
It is Michelin recommended too! They include a gluten-free menu, which can be a rare find in such a pasta-loving place.
They only use old recipes passed down to reinforce the traditional Neapolitan food choice. I especially loved their Ragù Alla Genovese.
The fries are pretty good, and so are all of their plates of pasta. It is not ridiculously expensive but a nice place to eat and relax.
Stritt Stritt
Calata S. Marco, 44, 80133 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 081 1991 7711
Right across from the fountain of Neptune and near the Piazza del Municipio lies Stritt Stritt, a pizzeria trattoria. It is an easy-going, relaxing shop in the Royal Naples district.
Only a few minutes when walking from Castel Nuovo, Stritt Stritt is in a prime location around a ton of fun sights to see.
They have great fish soup, steak, mussel soup, and grilled fish. Sadly, it is closed on the weekends but open Monday through Friday from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. and 7 to 11 p.m.
The staff is super sweet and will help you understand the menu if you are a little confused or do not know Italian.
Taverna dell’Arte
Rampe S. Giovanni Maggiore, 1, 80134 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 081 552 7558
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Taverna dell’Arte is also known as the Art Tavern, which strives to produce good food, though it deviates from typical Neapolitan cuisine by sprinkling in a little tradition.
The building and location itself are stunning, and it feels so welcoming to eat here. The two leading men behind the tavern are Chef Marco Di Martino and Marcellino Amato, who is called the Tavern Keeper.
Some of the things I enjoyed most were the cod, the Genoese, the babà, and the citrus risotto. The staff is very nice, and their English is great, which is perfect when your Italian is not.
It is quiet and feels like a traditional Italian restaurant, but the menu is a wonderful mix of delicacies to try, like octopus pasta.
La Lazzara Trattoria e Pizzeria
Piazza Francese, 9/10, 80133 Napoli NA, Italy
Phone: +39 081 551 7854
A classic Neapolitan pizzeria, La Lazzara Trattoria e Pizzeria is also in Royal Naples, near Stritt Stritt. However, this pizzeria serves a lot more than pizzas.
They are open every day, from 12 to 3:30 p.m. and from 7 to 11:30 p.m. for lunch and dinner. It is best to reserve a table here beforehand.
Everything they cook is delicious. Some of their foods that I found to be the best were seafood, eggplant parmigiana with ragù sauce, pizza, buffalo mozzarella, fried zucchini, steak, and tiramisu.
La Lazzara Trattoria e Pizzeria provides a nice, relaxing place to enjoy a delicious meal.
