8 Best Restaurants in Chiaia, Santa Lucia, and Nearby, Naples

Favored by meat eaters who can't abide another bite of bream, this cozy, dimly lit dining den is known for dishes such as tender carpaccio with fresh artichoke hearts. There are also excellent homemade pasta selections, including orecchiette with chickpeas or pappardelle al sugo di agnello (pasta with lamb sauce), but the highlights are the extravagant grilled meat plates. Finish up with a babà or slice of pastiera for dessert. The restaurant is very popular among locals, so reservations are recommended.

This fourth-generation fish shop run by brothers is also a trendy, if rough-and-ready, spot to enjoy a super-fresh but pricey seafood meal—including superb Neapolitan sushi—and cold wine while sitting on a buoy stool.

Despite its location on an unpromising-looking vicolo (alley) off the Riviera di Chiaia, this small restaurant has achieved cult status for its seafood platters. It's remarkable what owner--chef Renato can produce in his tiny kitchen—start with linguine alla Dora, laden with local seafood and fresh tomatoes, and perhaps follow up with grilled pezzogna (blue-spotted bream). Like many seafront restaurants, on busy nights, Da Dora has its own guitarist, who is often robustly accompanied by the kitchen staff.

The first restaurant to open on the seafront, this elegant pizzeria has been an essential hangout for Naples's gilded youth since 1994. Offering 36 kinds of pizza—including classics with a modern twist and a gluten-free option—plus a fine selection of salads and an ample buffet, this makes a refreshing change from the more minimal pizzerie. Among the pizzas, try the salsiccia e friarielli (topped with sausage and broccoli rabe), carciofina (with cream of eggplant, smoked provola cheese, and pecorino), or the half-Margherita, half-calzone (stuffed pizza) Re di Napoli.

The nautical decor and menu brimming with seafood delicacies are apt at this restaurant in the picturesque Borgo Marinaro, with the Bay of Naples and Castel dell'Ovo nearby and Vesuvius in the background. Note, too, as you plan your feast—the schiaffoni with astice and pescatrice (large flat tube pasta with lobster and anglerfish) is a good bet—that this area was the site of a villa owned by Lucullus, a Roman aristocrat and general famous for dining lavishly. Try to leave room for the dolce of the day, perhaps tiramisu or pear cake with ricotta. If after one too many limoncellos you feel like crashing, book one of the bright, airy guest rooms in the hotel upstairs.

This stylish place has long been popular thanks to the innovative cuisine of master chef Diego Nuzzo. A bar, where salami and other glorious tidbits are served, runs the length of the restaurant, but, for the real deal, take a table and be pampered with subtle dishes such as insalata di aragosta e gamberi alla catalana (lobster and prawn salad garnished with citrus).

A simple enoteca by day, L'Ebbrezza has a dining area in the back that fills up in the evening (and for Sunday lunch), and the attention paid to the quality of the wine carries over to the food. Try one of the fantastic antipasti or the paccheri stuffed with eggplant parmigiana. Other highlights include a daily selection of hot dishes, as well as rare cheeses such as the much-prized pecorino di Fossa di Sogliano from Emilia-Romagna and the local caciocavallo podolico.

The bright, clean, and simple decor reflects this place's lighter take on traditionally heavy Neapolitan food. The soupy pasta e piselli (with peas) is a wonderful surprise for anyone who has bad memories of pea soup, and the mezzanini allo scarpariello (pasta tubes with fresh tomato, basil, and pecorino cheese) will set taste buds quivering.