The canonical Neapolitan pizza is a thin, charred disc with a raised cornicione, dressed with San Marzano tomato, fior di latte or buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil, baked in a wood-fired oven at 485 degrees Celsius for 60 to 90 seconds.
Where to eat it: 5 restaurants across 1 city.
Pizza margherita was formalised in Naples in 1889 when pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito of Pizzeria Brandi served Queen Margherita of Savoy a pizza in the colours of the Italian flag. The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) codified its production rules in 1984 and the craft was inscribed on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list in 2017.
Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy
Tip from the editors. The cold ferment develops flavour and makes the dough extensible; skipping it and baking same-day produces a springy but less complex result.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Da Michele in Naples' Forcella has baked margherita and marinara since 1870 at under 6 euros. It is the city's greatest eat-for-nothing proposition: two pizzas, four euros per person with water.
Try: Pizza margherita
Tip: Take a numbered ticket at the door. Cash only at the counter; the margherita is 5 euros 50.
Gino Sorbillo's headquarters on Via dei Tribunali in Naples is the third-generation family pizzeria, with 21 siblings carrying the dough across four city counters since 1935.
Order: Margherita with San Marzano DOP and the seasonal special with friarielli.
Tip: No bookings; arrive 12:30 or 19:00 for the shortest queue. Lievito Madre two doors down handles overflow.
Ciro Salvo's 50 Kalo in Naples ranks among the world's top three pizzerias on the 50 Top Pizza list, with a 72-hour fermentation dough and a fine-pizza tasting at the counter.
Tip: Book on the website a fortnight ahead for dinner. Lunch is the calmer service; the dough proof is the kitchen's signature.
Brandi off Via Toledo in Naples claims the 1889 invention of the pizza margherita by Raffaele Esposito for Queen Margherita of Savoy. The queen's thank-you letter hangs in the dining room.
Order: Pizza margherita, the canonical version named for the queen in 1889.
Tip: Open daily 12:00 to 15:30 and 19:00 to 24:00. Book ahead for groups; the original Esposito plaque sits at the entrance.
Ciro Oliva's Concettina ai Tre Santi in Naples' Sanita is the modern pizza fine-dining room that most tourists never reach, with tasting menus of six small pizzas in the historic 1951 family room.
Order: The five-pizza tasting menu, especially the modern margherita with three tomato cuts.
Why locals love it: Deep in the Rione Sanita, a neighbourhood most visitors skip, Ciro Oliva's pizzeria sits beside a street shrine on a cobbled backstreet; you need to walk ten minutes from the Piazza Dante metro to reach it.
Tip: Book three weeks ahead; the tasting menu at 45 euros is the entry point. Walking into the Sanita is the reward in itself.
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