Napoli – How to navigate food options in Naples?
When it comes to Napoli and food you tend to think of 1 thing – Pizza.
Napoli or Naples is reputedly the home of the pizza so you’d expect to get a decent pizza in the Home of Pizza, Right? Well of course it is and the pizza is pretty spectacular in Naples but oh boy, you can get so much more……..
See below for:
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Naples seafood
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Gelato
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Something special
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A Naples classic
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How to do coffee like the locals
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More Italian bite sized guides
Napoli by the sea = great seafood, right?
As a port city the seafood is fantastic and on our last trip, February 2020, we stumbled across a superb little restaurant Molo17 We were surprised at how good it was as we’d just walked by, saw a queue and thought, this is for us. I had the Tuna and Chris had the Spaghetti Vongole and it was delicious.
So if you can, put this one on your list and you won’t be disappointed. Click here for details.
Gelato – what’s your favorite flavour?
You cant go anywhere in Italy without sampling fantastic gelato and Naples is no exception. There are hundreds of ice cream shops in Naples and I’m sure everyone has their favourites. Having visited Naples many times and sampled just a few (cough cough) the one that we always return to is Il Gelato Mennella
Amarena is my favorite flavour and Chris always goes for his 3 Fragola, Limone & Ananas (Strawberry, Lemon and Pineapple). He calls it the holy trinity of ice cream.
What’s yours?
Something a bit more special in wonderful Napoli
If you’re looking for something a bit different from the usual pasta/pizza offering then I can recommend Cisterna Bistro Wine & Cocktail Bar. Chris booked this for me when we were in Naples on my birthday a few years ago and it was a lovely experience.
A small bistro with an industrial, hipster vibe where it seemed groups of locals, families, friends and all types of people congregate. The food was excellent as well as the wine and cocktails. You won’t be disappointed here that’s for sure.
Another Naples classic – Pizza Fritta
As Naples is famous for its Pizza its just as famous for its Pizza Fritta. This is a must try street food and you need to just pop the oodles of calories to the back of your mind and remember you’re tasting a piece of history.
Most Pizza Fritta places are packed around lunchtime with both tourists and locals alike. The one we chose was Antica Pizza Fritta da Zia Esterina Sorbillo and it was really very good. Freshly made, good filling and not too greasy. As a Naples Staple you really have to give it a go.
You cant start your day in Napoli without a coffee
Coffee is a way of life in Italy and they really do it rather well. There are many places in Naples where you can get great coffee so I’m not going to give you my ultimate favourite as there are so many. What I can say is that there aren’t many places where you’ll get a bad coffee.
My top tip is to check out where the locals are. Here’s some Italian coffee rules that will get you drinking coffee like a local
Drink coffee like a local
Milk only in the morning that means no Cappuccino after breakfast and that goes for any coffee with milk. Milky coffee is usually taken with a pastry at breakfast time. Milk is never drunk in coffee after 11am and never after a meal. It’s the Italian way!
How do you say it?
The word Espresso is actually a way of brewing so don’t ask for an Espresso, as for un caffe. Un Caffe per favor and the barista will know what you want and be thankful that you attempted to ask in Italian. Try it
Stand at the bar (al banco)
Coffee is intended to be drunk quickly so you very rarely see Italians sitting down with their coffee. Standing at the bar is cheaper too so you save a few pennies. I love to stand at the bar and watch all that’s going on, its a really great experience.
Keep it simple
While there are many different coffee options in Italy, the most common ritual is the following: Cappuccino at breakfast, un caffè or caffè macchiato in the afternoon, and un caffè after dinner if needed.
Ticket to go
In some cafe’s, particularly in motorway service stations or small bars, you will need to pay first. Get your ticket, take it to the barista, drink your coffee and go. In other cafe’s the opposite happens and you’ll order your coffee, drink and then pay before you leave.
Just watch to see what others are doing and you’ll soon get the hang of it.
I hope you enjoyed our taste of Naples. If you have any special places that you’d like to share then let me me know. Pop a comment below so we can try on our next trip to Naples.