Da Ettore in Naples' Santa Lucia has invented the pagnottiello (stuffed pizza-bread sandwich) since 1955, plus a full carte of seafood pastas and the canonical pizza margherita.
Must order: Pagnottiello stuffed with prosciutto and provola, spaghetti alle vongole.
Tip: Closed Sunday all day. Book ahead for weekends; pagnottiello runs around 9 euros.
Address: Via Santa Lucia 56, 80132 Napoli, Naples
Veridico in Naples' Vomero area runs a top-30 Italian pizza counter on the 50 Top list, with a 60-hour fermentation dough and a vegetable-led pizza carte alongside the classic margherita.
Order: Pizza con fiori di zucca, margherita with mozzarella di bufala, marinara.
Tip: Book a week ahead on the website for weekends. Sunday-only specials use seasonal Campanian vegetables.
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.
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.
Veridico in Naples' Vomero area runs a top-30 Italian pizza counter on the 50 Top list, with a 60-hour fermentation dough and a vegetable-led pizza carte alongside the classic margherita.
Order: Pizza con fiori di zucca, margherita with mozzarella di bufala, marinara.
Tip: Book a week ahead on the website for weekends. Sunday-only specials use seasonal Campanian vegetables.
Ristorante Aeroporto in Naples' Capodichino district runs an old-school family carte of pasta and seafood, with the Sunday ragu and the linguine alle vongole anchoring the daily list.
Order: Ragu napoletano, linguine alle vongole, polpette in the family carte.
Tip: Closed Monday. Lunch service is calmer; the Sunday queue can be intense from 12:30 onward.
La Fermata in Naples' Vomero area runs a daily-changing pasta carte, ragu napoletano on Sundays and frittura di paranza from the morning fish market, the Vomero family lunch.
Order: Ragu napoletano on Sunday, frittura di paranza, paccheri allo scoglio.
Tip: Closed Tuesday. Book a fortnight ahead for Sunday lunch; the ragu sells out by 14:00.
Osteria della Mattonella in Naples' Toledo quarter runs the home-style Neapolitan carte with daily pasta specials, polpette napoletane and the genovese cooked over six hours.
Order: Genovese pasta, polpette napoletane, pasta e fagioli.
Tip: Closed Sunday evening and Monday. Book a week ahead for weekends; the genovese runs all-day.
