Restaurants

Neapolitans love to eat and love their traditions: Seafood and pizza dominate the scene for an introduction to local cuisine and wines, yet many traditional local dishes are vegetarian or meat based.

The Best Neapolitan Pizza in the Historic District

Forget all you have ever known about this cheesy treat and open your mind to the experience of pizza in Naples, so different from what we call pizza in the rest of the world. Here is the lowdown on the absolute best Naples pizzerie, where the decor is minimal or nonexistent, and an individual pizza costs between 3€ and 8€:

• Mattozzi, Piazza Carità 2 (tel. 081-5524322; closed Fri), is one of the oldest pizzerie in Naples, using strictly local ingredients, from the regional flour and the tomatoes of Mount Vesuvius, to the fiordilatte from the Lattari Mountains on the Sorrento peninsula, and the mozzarella di bufala.
• Pizzeria Da Michele, Via Sersale 1, off Via Forcella (tel. 081-5539204; www.damichele.net; closed Sun), is where you'll find the best pizza in Naples, according to many locals. In business since 1888, it serves only two varieties: margherita or marinara, basically with or without cheese. Come early; it is usually quite crowded.
• Pizzaiolo del Presidente, Via Tribunali 120 (tel. 081-210903; closed Sun), was opened in 2000 by Ernesto Cacialli, the former pizzaiolo (pizza chef) of Di Matteo. He is the one who personally served Bill Clinton in 1994 -- apparently convincing the president to try his special margherita pizza -- and has named his pizzeria after that event. Do not miss the margherita or the pizza fritta.
• Pizzeria Di Matteo, Via dei Tribunali 94, at Vico Giganti (tel. 081-455262; closed Sun), is another historical establishment serving excellent classic pizza and specializing in the to-die-for pizza fritta, a delicacy of fluffy thin dough filled with a mix of ham, tomatoes, and local cheese -- provola, ricotta, and mozzarella -- which you can split as an appetizer or eat on your own. President Clinton ate here during the G7 Summit in 1994.
• Sorbillo, Via Tribunali 32 (tel. 081-446643; closed Sun), provides a somewhat more formal setting and an equally -- if not superior -- quality of pizza. Open since 1935, it specializes in pizza made exclusively with local high-quality ingredients: the fiordilatte from Agerola on the Sorrento peninsula, the local extra-virgin olive oil, and the oregano from Frattamaggiore, which is best savored on the simple marinara. The other house specialty is the pizza with olives, capers, Vesuvian tomatoes, and provola (local cheese).
• Starita, Via Materdei 27 (tel. 081-5441485; closed Mon), is a pleasant, small pizzeria run by one of the best pizzaioli in the city. It is popular for the unique quality of its dough and famous for its pizza fritta as well as its pizza coi fiori di zucca (with zucchini flowers), which is available only in summer.
• Trianon da Ciro, Via Pietro Colletta 42 (tel. 081-5539426; open daily), is an extremely popular pizzeria, where you'll have to compete for a table with the students of the nearby university and the many local aficionados who come to savor the exceptional pizza con salsiccia e friarelli (with sausages and broccoli) and pizza con pomodorini e mozzarella di bufala (with Vesuvian tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella).

For Your Sweet Tooth

Naples is famous for its desserts, which include such world-famous specialties as babà, sfogliatelle, and pastiera. To taste those and many others, head to the Pasticceria Scaturchio, Piazza San Domenico Maggiore 19 (tel. 081-5516944). This historic pastry and coffee shop opened in 1903 and has been a favorite with locals ever since. Locals come for a pick-me-up (there's nothing better than a sfogliatella as a midmorning or midafternoon snack), or to buy dessert to take to their hosts and family for dinner. Besides the excellent pastries, a chocolate candy developed here made the shop famous: the Ministeriale, a medallion of dark chocolate with a liqueur cream filling. Pasticceria Attanasio, Vico Ferrovia 2 (tel. 081-285675; www.sfogliatellecalde.com; closed Mon) is another renowned spot to sample sfogliatella in Naples.

Caffetteria Pasticceria Gelateria G. Mazzaro Palazzo Spinelli, Via Tribunali 359 (tel. 081-459248; www.pasticceriamazzaro.it; daily 7am-midnight), makes scrumptious pastries and also excellent gelato in many flavors.

The Best Gelato in Naples -- The following list of our favorite gelato is not complete without a mention of Gelateria G. Mazzaro.

• Chalet da Ciro, Via Caracciolo, in Mergellina (tel. 081-669928; closed Wed), is known for its superlative nocciola (hazelnut flavor).
• Fantasia Gelati, Via Toledo 381 (tel. 081-5511212), is located with another branch on Piazza Vanvitelli, in Vomero.
• Gelateria La Scimmia, Piazza Carità 4, off Via Toledo (tel. 081-5520272), prepares its gelato from scratch with fresh fruits. This is the original parlor, better than the branch at Piazzetta Nilo, off Via Benedetto Croce.
• Gelateria Otranto, Via Scarlatti 78, off Piazza Vanvitelli (tel. 081-5587498; closed Wed) is our favorite in the Vomero neighborhood.
• Gran Bar Riviera, Riviera di Chiaia 181 (tel. 081-665026), is popular particularly among the evening crowds.
• Polo Nord, Via Pietro Colletta 41 (tel. 081-205431; closed Sun) is not too touristy, but is also convenient to the Duomo.
• Bilancione, Via Posillipo, off Piazza San Luigi, Posillipo (tel. 081-7691923), has views over the Bay that rival the gelato.