Naples eats with a wood-oven grammar that has barely shifted in a century. The pizza margherita, codified in 1889 by Raffaele Esposito at Pizzeria Brandi for Queen Margherita of Savoy, still anchors every neighbourhood and every counter from Forcella to Vomero. The sfogliatella, riccia (crisp shell) and frolla (short pastry), at Scaturchio, Attanasio and Pintauro, runs the morning. Quartieri Spagnoli trattorias like Nennella and Tandem cook ragu napoletano and pasta e patate in the same room your grandparents knew. Fritti cuoppo from Pignasecca's Friggitoria Vomero counters runs through Sunday lunches; pastiera lands every Easter. New-wave rooms like Concettina ai Tre Santi, Palazzo Petrucci and the Sorbillo siblings extend the canon without breaking it. Espresso at the counter still costs about one euro twenty; a sfogliatella runs two euros fifty; a margherita walks out for five.

Peak seasonMarch to May and September to November
Dining hoursLunch 13:00-15:00, dinner 20:00-23:30
TippingCoperto of 1.50 to 3 euro per person is standard at sit-down rooms

Food festivals coming up in Naples

All Naples food festivals

Book food experiences in Naples

See all 815 bookable experiences in Naples

Signature dishes in Naples

The plates that define eating in Naples.

Pizza Fritta

Pizza fritta is a deep-fried pocket of risen dough stuffed with ricotta, cicoli (pressed pork scratchings), provola and black pepper, fried in hot lard or oil until blistered and golden, served folded in paper.

Where Pizzeria di Matteo, Sorbillo Lievito Madre, Pizzeria Starita a Materdei

Where to eat Pizza Fritta in Naples →

Sfogliatella Riccia

Sfogliatella riccia is a shell-shaped pastry of thin lard-brushed dough coiled around semolina, ricotta, candied citrus and cinnamon, baked until shattering-crisp on the outside and custardy within.

Where Pasticceria Attanasio, Scaturchio, Sfogliatella Mary, Gran Caffe Gambrinus

Where to eat Sfogliatella Riccia in Naples →

Ragu Napoletano

Naples' long-cooked Sunday meat sauce: pork ribs, beef rolls and sausage braised four to eight hours in tomato until the fat rises and the sauce turns brick-red, served over paccheri or ziti spezzati.

Where Tandem Ragu, Mimi alla Ferrovia, Trattoria Nennella, Osteria Donna Teresa

Where to eat Ragu Napoletano in Naples →

Baba au Rhum

The Neapolitan baba is a tall, mushroom-shaped yeast cake soaked in dark rum syrup until sodden and trembling, served cool with whipped cream or pastry cream alongside, the rum-to-cake ratio a point of civic pride.

Where Scaturchio, Gran Caffe Gambrinus, Pasticceria Moccia

Where to eat Baba au Rhum in Naples →

Pastiera Napoletana

Pastiera napoletana: a short-crust tart filled with cooked grain, ricotta, eggs, candied citrus, cinnamon and orange-flower water under a lattice top, traditionally made on Holy Thursday for Easter.

Where Scaturchio, Gran Caffe Gambrinus, Pasticceria Moccia

Where to eat Pastiera Napoletana in Naples →

All Naples signature dishes →

Restaurants to know in Naples

A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Naples.

Gino e Toto Sorbillo

€€Neapolitan PizzaCentro Storico

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.

OrderThe margherita with San Marzano DOP and the seasonal special with friarielli.

50 Kalo di Ciro Salvo

€€Neapolitan PizzaChiaia

Ciro Salvo's 50 Kalo in Naples' Mergellina edge of Chiaia ranks among the world's top three pizzerias on the 50 Top Pizza list, with a 72-hour fermentation.

OrderMargherita with San Marzano DOP and the marinara with Cetara anchovies and oregano.

Pizzeria di Matteo

€Neapolitan Pizza, FrittiCentro Storico

Di Matteo on Via dei Tribunali in Naples has fried pizza, frittatine and crocchè from the streetside window since 1936; Bill Clinton's 1994 lunch stop sits.

OrderThe pizza fritta from the window, then pizza margherita inside and crocchè di patate.

Pizzeria Brandi

€€Neapolitan PizzaToledo

Brandi off Via Toledo in Naples claims the 1889 invention of the pizza margherita by Raffaele Esposito for Queen Margherita of Savoy. Priced at €€.

OrderPizza margherita, the canonical version named for the queen in 1889.

See every restaurant in Naples →

Where to eat by neighborhood

Centro Storico

The UNESCO-listed old city of Spaccanapoli and the three decumani, where Da Michele, Sorbillo Lievito Madre and Scaturchio anchor the daily food map.

Best for: Pizza, Sfogliatella, Trattorias

Quartieri Spagnoli

16th-century grid of narrow lanes above Via Toledo, with Trattoria Nennella, Tandem ragu sandwich and pizzerias that locals queue for at lunch.

Best for: Trattorias, Ragu napoletano, Street food

Chiaia

Bay-side elegant quarter with seafront aperitivo, the boutique sfogliatella at Moccia and the cocktail rooms of Vico Belledonne a Chiaia.

Best for: Aperitivo, Cocktails, Seafront dining

Vomero

Funicular-served hilltop quarter with the city's biggest pastry shops at Moccia and Otranto, Caffe Mexico and the friggitoria counters of Via Cimarosa.

Best for: Pasticcerie, Espresso bars, Friggitorie

Sanita

18th-century working quarter below Capodimonte, home to Poppella's fiocco di neve, Concettina ai Tre Santi pizza and Antonio Starita.

Best for: Pizza, Pasticcerie, Trattorias

Forcella

Working-quarter east of the Duomo, home to Da Michele's mother pizzeria and the Porta Nolana morning fish market that runs from 05:00.

Best for: Pizza, Markets, Fritti

Eat your way through Naples

Browse by price

Where to eat in Naples: editor-picked starting points

5 institutional venues to anchor a Naples food trip

Signature Naples dishes

  • Pizza Margherita Napoletana The canonical Neapolitan pizza: a thin charred disc with a raised cornicione, dressed with San Marzano tomato, fior di latte mozzarella and basil, baked in a wood-fired oven at 485 degrees Celsius
  • Pizza Fritta Pizza fritta is a deep-fried pocket of risen dough stuffed with ricotta, cicoli (pressed pork scratchings), provola and black pepper, fried in hot lard or oil until blistered and golden, served folded in paper
  • Sfogliatella Riccia Sfogliatella riccia is a shell-shaped pastry of thin lard-brushed dough coiled around semolina, ricotta, candied citrus and cinnamon, baked until shattering-crisp on the outside and custardy within
  • Ragu Napoletano Naples' long-cooked Sunday meat sauce: pork ribs, beef rolls and sausage braised four to eight hours in tomato until the fat rises and the sauce turns brick-red, served over paccheri or ziti spezzati
  • Spaghetti alle Vongole Naples' in bianco vongole: spaghetti finished in vongole veraci clam juices and white wine with garlic, chilli, parsley and olive oil, the sauce light, briny and free of tomato

Best Naples neighborhoods for food

  • Quartieri Spagnoli 16th-century grid of narrow lanes above Via Toledo, with Trattoria Nennella, Tandem ragu sandwich and pizzerias that locals queue for at lunch
  • Vomero Funicular-served hilltop quarter with the city's biggest pastry shops at Moccia and Otranto, Caffe Mexico and the friggitoria counters of Via Cimarosa
  • Sanita 18th-century working quarter below Capodimonte, home to Poppella's fiocco di neve, Concettina ai Tre Santi pizza and Antonio Starita
  • Capodimonte Hilltop museum quarter above Sanita, with the Sunday-lunch trattorias around Via Capodimonte and views over the Bay of Naples

Where to stay in Naples

A sample of Naples hotels from our booking partner, who list 2,074 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.

Naples Experience Hostel A stay at Naples Experience Hostel places you in the heart of Naples, a 1-minute drive from Bourbon Hospice... Check dates Hostel Mancini Naples A stay at Hostel Mancini Naples places you in the heart of Naples, steps from Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi and... Check dates Naples to live With a stay at Naples to live, you'll be centrally located in Naples, just a 4-minute walk from Piazza Gius... Check dates Sansevero Naples A stay at Sansevero Naples places you in the heart of Naples, within a 10-minute walk of Piazza Cavour and ... Check dates Casa Carolina Naples B&B When you stay at Casa Carolina Naples B&B in Naples, you'll be near the airport, within a 5-minute drive of... Check dates M84 With a stay at this apartment in Naples (Naples City Centre), you'll be steps from Naples Town Hall and Pia... Check dates Rainbow of Naples Located in Naples (Naples City Centre), Rainbow of Naples is within a 15-minute walk of Centro Direzionale ... Check dates Made in Naples Apartament A stay at Made in Naples Apartament places you in the heart of Naples, within a 10-minute walk of Botanical... Check dates B&B Napolimilionaria 2 With a stay at B&B Napolimilionaria 2 in Naples (Naples City Centre), you'll be within a 10-minute walk of ... Check dates Casa D'Amore With a stay at this apartment in Naples (Historical Center), you'll be within a 15-minute walk of Naples Na... Check dates Comfort Zone Naples A stay at Comfort Zone Naples places you in the heart of Naples, within a 10-minute walk of University of N... Check dates Hotel Bella Napoli Suites Located in Naples (Naples City Centre), Hotel Bella Napoli Suites is within a 15-minute drive of Naples Nat... Check dates

Also compare: Zen Hotels in Naples from USD 70/night · Minor Hotels in Naples · Holidu in Naples from USD 70/night

Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

Map of Naples

Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Naples, pinned. Click a pin for the page.

Trip planner

Plan your Naples trip

Pick your dates: we line up the festivals on, what is in season, where to eat on the days you are in town, and experiences you can book for those dates.

When to come hungry in Naples

Peak food season: March to May (artichokes from Paestum, fava beans, pastiera at Easter, mozzarella di bufala season starting) and September to November (San Marzano tomato canning, friarielli emerging, new oil). August is hot and slow; many Quartieri Spagnoli trattorias close two weeks for ferragosto.

Local dining hours: Lunch 13:00-15:00, dinner 20:00-23:30. Pizzerias seat from 19:00 and run service hard until 23:00. Sunday lunch is the major weekly meal; many small rooms close Sunday evenings and Mondays. Espresso bars open from 06:30; pasticcerie from 07:00.

Tipping: Coperto (cover charge) of 1.50 to 3 euro per person is standard at sit-down rooms. Service is not added separately. Round up the bill or leave a few coins for good service; never more than 5 to 10 percent. At pizzerias and counters, no tip is expected.

Naples food, FAQ

What food is Naples known for?

Naples's signature dishes include Pizza Margherita Napoletana, Pizza Fritta, Sfogliatella Riccia, Ragu Napoletano, Spaghetti alle Vongole. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.

What are the best food neighborhoods in Naples?

TableJourney editors map Naples by district. Centro Storico, Quartieri Spagnoli, Chiaia, Vomero are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.

Where should I eat fine dining in Naples?

Editor picks in Naples include Palazzo Petrucci, George Restaurant, Il Ristorante Alain Ducasse Napoli, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.

Are there food tours in Naples?

TableJourney covers 5 editor-picked food tours in Naples, with what each shows you and how much to budget.

Does Naples have good vegetarian or vegan food?

TableJourney's Naples dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free, halal venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.