42 Best Restaurants in Naples, Italy

Named for Neapolitan character Pulcinella’s girlfriend, this restaurant is in the onetime oratory of the adjoining church, which became a sawmill in the early 20th century. The high tufo arches and period fittings have been maintained, and the pizzas and pasta dishes are first class—the owners grow much of the produce that's used on their farm in nearby Sant’Agata dei Goti.

Established in 1905, this Neapolitan institution on Spaccanapoli is a buzzy place to sample some of the finest pastries in town—plus it also makes classic savory dishes, ice cream, and mighty decent coffee.

Run by the Di Porzio family since 1916, Umberto is one of the city's classic restaurants, combining the poshness of its neighborhood, Chiaia, and the friendliness found in other parts of Naples. Try the paccheri d'o treddeta ("three-finger" pasta with octopus, tomato, olives, and capers), which bears the nickname of the original Umberto, who happened to be short a few digits. Owner Massimo and sisters Lorella and Roberta (Umberto's grandchildren) are all wine experts and oversee a fantastic cellar. Note that Umberto has been catering to diners with a gluten allergy, as well as to vegetarians, for years.

In the Neapolitan smorfia, a list of numbers used to analyze dreams (and play the lottery), "50" means bread, and kalò is the Greek for good. And good dough is on the menu here, with this airy pizzeria gaining accolades since opening in traffic-busy Piazza Sannazaro in 2014—the New York Times hailed the pizza among the best in Italy. Along with all the favorites, third-generation pizzaiolo Ciro Salvo’s creations include a selection of vegetable pizzas with locally sourced toppings including cabbage, pumpkin, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, and capers. The wine list is worthy of the best restaurants, and there's a good range of beers.

Just off bustling Via Toledo on the basalti flagstones of a narrow Quartieri Spagnoli street, this small trattoria does superb-value, classic Neapolitan dishes. Take a seat at one of the small tables with checkered tablecloths and ask the amiable staff about the day's freshest seafood, meat, and vegetable dishes while taking in the atmospheric surroundings.

If you see a line of hungry-looking patrons between the funicular stations of Toledo and Chiaia, you'll know you are close to Pizzeria Acunzo. When ordering, note that there are few variations of the thickly crusted pizzas—after all, this establishment has been running for 60 years, and its tried-and-tested product is, as onetime diner Isabella Rossellini can confirm, fenomenale.

Here, you can take your pick of the pizzas and pasta dishes, or ask the owners to whip up a panino incorporating some of the excellent cheeses, vegetables, and meats on display. The uniformly high-quality ingredients make up for the spartan surroundings.

The dishes vary depending on what's fresh and available, and all the ingredients (and the wines) are organic at this vegan's and vegetarian's paradise in a leafy courtyard off Piazza Bellini. The grilled seitan or the fried pumpkin in late summer are good bets, but if you want to try a bit of everything that's currently on offer, the piatto unico (mixed plate) has up to seven concoctions.

For a hot-out-of-the-oven sfogliatella, Naples's tasty ricotta-filled pastry, try the justifiably famous Attanasio (you can grab one as soon as you get off the train). Note, though, that this place is slightly hidden away off Piazza Garibaldi and shouldn't be confused with the touristy restaurant of the same name on the piazza itself.

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.

On a rather dark side street in the scruffier section of the Centro Storico, this place is well worth seeking out for its old-style Neapolitan hospitality and the quality of its food and wine. It's run as a family affair, and everyone who comes here seems to know each other. The pasta with chickpeas is a must, and the baccalà fritto (fried salt cod) is a specialty. Backed up with a selection of wines from all over Italy, this place is a great value.

This place takes its coffee extremely seriously, offering a range of artisanal brews, as well as teas, sandwiches, pastries, and desserts—notably affogato (vanilla ice cream "drowned" in espresso coffee). You can enjoy your selection at a table in the adjacent piazzetta, a refreshingly quiet nook off Via Tribunali.

Located in the shadow of Castel dell'Ovo, Caffè Megaride is a romantic outdoor setting for a snack and a coffee or aperitif. Take a break at one of the tables and gaze at Mt. Vesuvius beyond the masts of the nearby luxury yachts.

You may recognize Da Michele from the movie Eat, Pray, Love, but for more than 140 years before Julia Roberts arrived, this place was a culinary reference point. Despite offering only four types of pizza—marinara (tomato, garlic, and oregano), Margherita (tomato, mozzarella, and basil), cosacca (tomato, pecorino, and basil), and marita (half marinara, half Margherita)—plus a small selection of drinks, it still manages to draw long lines. The low prices may have something to do with it, but the pizza itself suffers no rivals, so customers are good-humored while waiting. The sounds of the boisterous, joyous atmosphere and the aromas of yeast and wood smoke waft out onto the street; get a number at the door, and then hang outside until it's called.

Every pizzeria along Via dei Tribunali is worth the long wait—and trust us, all the good ones will be jam-packed—but just one can claim to have served a U.S. president: Bill Clinton enjoyed a Margherita here when the G8 was held in Naples in 1994. Today the superlative pizzaioli (pizza makers) turn out a wide array of pizzas, all to the utmost perfection. Skip the calorie-counting, and try the fritte, and you'll be pleasantly surprised with this mix of Neapolitan-style tempura featuring salami, sausage, broccoli, provola cheese, and more. If you want a table, bypass the lines outside (mainly for takeout) and walk right in.

Since 1938, this place has been popular with kids (and decidedly not with health-conscious adults) thanks to its greasy brown-paper bags filled with deep-fried eggplant, zucchini, zucchini flowers, zeppole dough balls, or potato croquettes—the Neapolitan versions of French madeleines. Forget all that stuff about the Mediterranean diet being so healthy and indulge in some oil-drenched bliss.

There are a few restaurants called Sorbillo along Via dei Tribunali, but this one is world-renowned. Order the same thing the locals do, namely a basic Neapolitan pizza (try the unique pizza al pesto or the stunningly simple marinara, with just San Marzano tomatoes, wild garlic, and oregano) that's cooked to perfection by the third generation of pie makers who run the place. The pizzas are enormous, flopping over the edge of the plate onto the white marble tabletops. Be warned though, there is no booking system, and you'll have to line up for a while, but an entrepreneurial local on a nearby balcony often entertains the crowds with Neapolitan songs.

For a range of pizzas, pastas, and salads—and a spectacular view—head to this family-friendly pie palace on the seaside promenade, at the corner of Piazza Vittoria. Locally grown or produced peppers, olives, basil, prosciutto, ricotta, mozzarella, and other ingredients top a masterful wood-fired crust made with the lievito madre yeast starter. Nearly as tasty and just as tempting are such sinfully delicious snacks as the frittatina di pasta (a pasta frittata) and the potato croquettes. Enjoy them all, then walk along the Lungomare to digest. In good weather, there are few nicer places for people-watching and pizza eating than the outdoor patio here.

Connoisseurs often say the most refined pastries in town can be found at Gran Caffè Cimmino. Many of the city's lawyers congregate here, to celebrate or commiserate with crisp, light cannoli; airy lemon eclairs; choux paste in the form of a mushroom laced with chocolate whipped cream; and delightful wild-strawberry tartlets. There are also preprepared pasta dishes for a quick lunch.

This innovative eatery offers a menu of fixed-price bowls such as the squisita (exquisite) with rice, octopus, hummus, and fennel or the vivace (lively) with seared tuna fillet, chopped hazelnuts, and three types of rice. The open kitchen looks over a large, high, communal table with stools, and outdoor seating overlooks the bustling Piazza Bellini.

At this perfect place for a lunchtime snack, you point to what you want in the tempting glass counter and pay for it at the cash desk. Among the specialties are the usual frittura, tangy cheese pies (sfoglino al formaggio), pizza scarola (an escarole pie with black olives), and omelets stuffed with spinach, peppers, or onions. If you can't find a seat, you can stand against the wall, as some customers do, or just get your order to go and enjoy your meal outside.

This well-known trattoria–wineshop sees everyone from foodies to students and professors from the nearby university. The menu on the wall's blackboard changes daily, but there is always a good selection of pasta, meat, fish, and vegetable side dishes. Go for a plate of pasta e fagioli or octopus salad and fried anchovies with a carafe of a good local wine.

With a balanced array of land-based dishes, owner--manager Gaetano's unpretentious eatery attracts students and young professionals, mainly regulars from the school of medicine around the corner. It's busy and small (expect to share a table—and if your fellow diners are not shy, why should you be?), but the prices can't be beat, and the daily selection of a good dozen vegetable side plates merits a detour of its own, even if you're not a vegetarian.

Although pizza made using flat, pan-cooked focaccia makes some purists wince, this place makes mouthwatering slices of the crunchy-bottomed creations with a variety of toppings. Skip the predictable tomato variations, and go for the delicious potato-and-rosemary focaccia with melted provola, perhaps washed down with a beer.

Opposite the Palazzo Croce, once the home of philosopher and historian Benedetto Croce, this is one of the city's most famous pizzerias, packed night after night. The young crowd heads down into the more boisterous basement, while the atmosphere upstairs is calmer and more congenial to conversation at standard decibel levels. On the ground floor you can watch the pizzaioli working the pizza dough, manipulating each pie as if it were a live creation. If it's not too cold there are tables outside on the pedestrian zone.

Just around the corner from the Borgo Marinaro and the Hotel Vesuvio, this famous restaurant and pizzeria offers up its delights in a cool white-and-blue room. Try the house specialty pizza Sant'Anastasia, with cherry tomatoes and lots of premium fior di latte cheese. A range of pasta, meat, and fish dishes is also available. A wide sidewalk and the partial pedestrianization of Via Santa Lucia make this a pleasant venue for alfresco dining in summer.

Patrons of this local institution have included the filmmaker Federico Fellini and that truly Neapolitan comic genius and self-styled aristocrat Totò. It's in a fairly seedy area, but it's worth taking a taxi (especially at night) to get here and sample updated versions of such classics as grilled octopus or tubettoni (short, tubular pasta shapes) with sausage-meat, mushrooms, and provola cheese. There's often a short line of diners waiting to be seated, and the tables are somewhat squeezed together, but the atmosphere is lively. This is not so much a see-and-be-seen place as common ground for the famous and the unknown to mingle, feast, and be merry.

Established in 1936, this quartiere Chiaia favorite is the locals' choice for classic Neapolitan pastries like babà (rum-soaked sponge cake), torta caprese (chocolate-and-nut cake), pastiera (tart), and sfogliatelle (shell-shape pastry), freshly baked bread and panini for picnics and buffet/pastry trays for parties.

If you're trying to keep to a budget but want to enjoy a seafood feast alongside the yachts of the Borgo Marinaro harbor, head to this former tobacco store, now a family-run trattoria. While your eyes feast on all the pretty boats, the Lungomare hotels, the Castel dell'Ovo, and Vesuvius, you can savor classic Neapolitan seafood spaghetti or an impepata di cozze (mussels with pepper and garlic, available May–Aug.). Or just opt for the special made with the fish of the day.

Here you can dine under vaulted ceilings in the former stables of a 17th-century mansion, eat outdoors overlooking the grand Piazza San Domenico Maggiore, or feast from a table on the roof terrace, facing the giuglia (obelisk) di San Domenico. Options include pizze or pizze fritte—with classic or unusual toppings—as well as robust salads and antipasti.