Coffee is close to religion in Naples, taken short, strong and standing at the counter. Gran Caffe Gambrinus on Via Chiaia is the grand historic room, while Caffe Mexico on Piazza Dante and Il Vero Bar del Professore near Piazza Trieste e Trento are local benchmarks for the cup itself. The Centro Storico pasticcerie double as cafes, from Scaturchio to Pasticceria Attanasio, and the roasters Caffè Kimbo and Caffè Toraldo supply much of the city.
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Gran Caffè Gambrinus on Piazza Trieste e Trento in Naples has poured espresso since 1860, the city's belle epoque salon where Oscar Wilde, Hemingway.
TipStanding at the counter is the local way; sitting at a marble table runs three times the price. Try the cioccolata calda in winter.
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Caffè Mexico in Naples' Piazza Dante has poured the city's strongest espresso since 1956, with five locations across town and the trademark pre-sweetened cup.
TipOrder the caffè 'normale' (already sweetened) or 'amaro' (no sugar). Standing room only at the original Piazza Dante counter.
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Gambrinus in Naples is the historic literary cafe with the city's first marble counter (1860). Located in Toledo. Order the espresso, sfogliatella.
TipPay at the till first, then take the receipt to the bar. Counter price 1.50 euros vs 4 euros for a seated terrace table.
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Scaturchio in Naples' Piazza San Domenico Maggiore has run the pastry-and-coffee counter since 1905, with the ministeriale (chocolate-rum disc) the house.
TipOpen daily 07:00-21:00. Ministeriale is 4 euros at the counter; sfogliatella riccia 2 euros 50.
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Moccia in Naples' Chiaia (with the Vomero branch) has run the pastry-and-coffee counter since 1936, with the sfogliatella riccia and the babà au rhum.
TipOpen Tue-Sun 07:00-21:00; closed Monday. The sfogliatella sells out by 11:00 on Saturdays.
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Gay-Odin in Naples on Via Toledo has run the city's defining chocolate counter since 1894, with the forest chocolate log (foresta) and the dense cioccolata.
TipEight Naples locations; the Via Toledo flagship is the oldest. The foresta chocolate log retails at 30 euros per kilo.
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Poppella in Naples' Sanita has run the family pastry counter since 1920, with the fiocco di neve (snow-flake brioche with cream filling) the dish that turned.
TipOpen daily 07:00-22:00. The fiocco di neve at 1 euro 50 is the only order; queue can be 30 minutes on weekends.
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Attanasio near Naples Central Station has fried sfogliatelle since 1930, with the riccia and frolla baked all day. Located in Centro Storico.
TipOpen Tue-Sun 06:30-19:30; closed Monday. The sfogliatella is 2 euros at the counter; cash preferred.
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Leopoldo in Naples is the historic taralli-and-pastry chain founded in 1940, now run from Casavatore with the city centre cafes selling the sugna-and-pepper.
TipMultiple branches across town; the Vomero flagship has the longest counter. Taralli retail at 8 euros per kilo.
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Caffè Kimbo in Naples is the city's biggest coffee roaster (1963) with branded espresso bars across the centre, the family-owned brand behind the dense.
TipOpen daily 07:00-22:00. The espresso intense blend is the house signature; whole-bean retail at 10 euros 250g.
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Caffè Toraldo in Naples has roasted espresso blends since 1860, the third-oldest family roaster in the city, with the espresso bar on Via San Liborio.
TipOpen Mon-Sat 07:00-19:30, closed Sunday. The 100 percent Arabica blend retails at 14 euros per 250g.
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Il Vero Bar del Professore on Piazza Trieste e Trento in Naples has poured the city's hazelnut-coffee invention since 1996, with Raffaele Ferrieri's caffè.
TipCounter standing service. The caffè alla nocciola runs 2 euros 50; the kinder coffee is the dessert option.
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Mary in Naples' Galleria Umberto I is the standing counter inside the 1887 arcade, with the sfogliatella riccia baked all day, sold piping hot.
TipOpen daily 07:00-20:00 inside the Galleria. Sfogliatella runs 2 euros; the riccia is the local order.
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Caffè Mexico's Vomero branch on Via Scarlatti runs the same pre-sweetened cup the Piazza Dante original made famous, with five branches across the city.
TipCounter only. Order 'normale' for pre-sweetened or 'amaro' for no sugar. Cup is one euro 20 at the counter.
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Pasticceria Mennella on Via Scarlatti in Naples' Vomero is the family-run pasticceria-gelateria with 18 Campania branches, with the babà, the sfogliatella.
TipOpen Mon-Fri 10:00-21:00, weekends to 23:00. Counter and gelato window; the panettone is the December special.
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Scaturchio in Naples' Piazza San Domenico Maggiore opens its evening aperitivo from 18:00-21:00, with the ministeriale (chocolate-rum disc) and babà au.
OrderMinisteriale, babà au rhum, espresso
TipOpen daily 07:00-21:00. The aperitivo set runs 8 euros with a spritz and pasticcini from 18:00.
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Caffè Mexico in Naples' Piazza Dante has poured the city's strongest espresso at 1 euro 20 since 1956, the pre-sweetened cup the local rule.
OrderEspresso and pastry
TipEspresso is pre-sweetened unless you order 'amaro' (no sugar). Standing counter only; no seats at the original Piazza Dante branch.