3 Best Restaurants in Centro Storico, Naples

Stop in for one of the best coffees in town opposite the Roman marble statue of Egyptian river god Nile and marvel at the Pop Art masterpiece homemade shrine to football giant Diego Maradona. Appropriately bearing the colors of Argentina's flag, Napoli's adopted hero is flanked by San Gennaro and Nuestra Senora de Lujan, a clipping from La Gazzetta dello Sport (Sports Gazette), and an ampoule containing tears from the fateful year (1991) when the champion left Naples and his team's winning streak promptly ended.

Conveniently close to the archaeological museum yet surprisingly off the tourist beat, this small eatery is patronized by professori from the nearby Academy of Fine Arts and theatergoers from the Teatro Bellini next door. A specialty here is the blend of seafood with vegetables—try the mezzanelli con cozze e peperoncini verdi (long pasta with mussels and green peppers) or paccheri al baccalà (large pasta tubes with codfish). If you prefer meat, try the brasato alla genovese con funghi (braised beef with mushrooms). The service at Osteria is both swift and obliging, and they have one of the best wine lists in the city.

Come here to taste traditional Neapolitan ragù, a meat-based sauce generally served with pasta and prepared from cuts of beef and pork. Here, local cervellatine sausages are included in the sauce, and the young, enthusiastic staff keeps the mood lighthearted and fun. Enjoy your ragù with ziti spezzati (broken ziti pasta) and Parmesan cheese, and mop the sauce up with the celestial Neapolitan rustic bread. There are outdoor tables, and also branches off Piazza del Gesù and in Vomero.