48 hours in Naples

Having recently spent ten days in the “the city of sun”, you may have seen my ‘A guide to eating in Naples’ and ‘Ten of the best pizzas in Naples’ posts, but were left undecided about where to eat if in town for just a couple of days.

Some of the best pizzas in Naples are to be found a little way out of the main city centre – top places include La Notizia (Via Caravaggio, 94 or Via Caravaggio, 53), 50 Kalò (Piazza Sannazaro, 201B) and Starita (Via Materdei, 27)) – these may not be overly convenient, although they are “doable” in a short taxi ride.

“The done thing” is to have pizza at one (or all) of the much lauded yet touristy Da Michele (Via Sersale, 1/3), Sorbillo (Via Tribunali, 38) or Di Matteo (Via dei Tribunali, 94) – each of these are good and are certainly places to “tick of a list”. Di Matteo also serve a good pizze fritte (fried pizza).

I find downside of the popular places is that you can expect to spend a good portion of your valuable time in the city queuing, when equally good pizzas (in my opinion) can be had at less touristy places such as, Trianon (Via Pietro Colletta, 44/46), La Figlia Del Presidente (Via Grande Archivio 23) and Al 22 (Via Pignasecca 22).

Pizzas aside, Trattoria la Campagnola (Via dei Tribunali, 47) is an popular place to find local cuisine but again queuing time should be taken into consideration – for me, the likes of Osteria da Tonino (Via S. Teresa a Chiaia, 47) and La Vecchia Cantina (Vico S. Nicola Alla Carità) offer a similar experience and quality of food without the touristy vibe and queues. L'Europeo Di Mattozzi is also worth a shout as they do decent pizzas alongside traditional dishes.

One more experience not to be missed is the local, shell shaped Sfogliatella or rum soaked Babà from Scaturchio (Piazza S. Domenico Maggiore, 19) – these can be bought to take away or enjoyed with a café in the piazza. La Sfogliatella Mary on the entrance to Galleria Umberto (‪Via Toledo 66) or Pintauro (Via Toledo, 275) are others options. The grand and historical Caffè Gambrinus (Via Chiaia, 1-2) is good, yet pricier alternative.

For breakfast, a late night snack or between meals, do stop by Friggitoria Fiorenzano alla Pignasecca for some fried tidbits – if you like “nose to tail eating”, a tray of tripey goodness costs about €2 at the Tripperia Fiorenzano (Via Pignasecca 48) next door.

Suggested Itinerary:

Day 1:

Breakfast: Scaturchio (if you have a sweet tooth) or Friggitoria Fiorenzano (if you prefer savoury) – both if you’re me.

Lunch: a posh one at the Michelin starred Palazzo Petrucci or a pizza from Al 22, Trianon or La Figlia Del Presidente – or give in to the lure of one of the touristy spots.

Dinner: join the locals at a traditional, homely place such as La Vecchia Cantina, La Chittara or La Taverna Del Buongustaio.

Day 2:

Breakfast: grab a pastry from La Sfogliatella Mary or Pintauro, or for something a bit more formal, head to Caffè Gambrinus.

Lunch: the charming Osteria da Tonino or another pizza at a place you didn’t get to on day one.

Dinner: the Michelin rated L'Europeo Di Mattozzi or the quirky La Cantinella, with its views of the Gulf of Naples and Vesuvius.

Hope this post helps.

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