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 still hangs in the dining room.
Signature dishes: Pizza margherita, Pizza marinara
Must 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.
Address: Salita Sant'Anna di Palazzo 1/2, 80132 Napoli, Naples
Ciro Oliva's Concettina ai Tre Santi in Naples' Sanita is the modern pizza fine-dining room, with tasting menus of six small pizzas and a wine pairing in the historic 1951 family room.
Signature: Tasting pizza menu, Pizza margherita, Pizza marinara
Order: The five-pizza tasting menu and the modern margherita with three tomato cuts.
Tip: Book on the website three weeks ahead. The tasting menu runs 45 euros; the historic counter still serves the classic pizzas.
Lino Scarallo's Palazzo Petrucci on Posillipo Hill in Naples holds one Michelin star and the seafront cliff terrace over the Bay, the city's most-told modern Campanian tasting room.
Signature: Lasagnetta di mozzarella di bufala, Risotto alla pescatora
Order: Lasagnetta di mozzarella di bufala and risotto alla pescatora with Bay views.
Tip: Book three weeks ahead via the website; the 145-euro tasting menu is the entry point. Terrace tables go first.
Umberto in Naples' Chiaia has run the family room since 1916, with the tubettoni do treddeta (3-fingered seafood pasta) and the spaghetti alle vongole anchoring the historic carte.
Signature: Spaghetti alle vongole, Tubettoni do treddeta, Pizza
Order: Tubettoni do treddeta (the house specialty since 1916) and spaghetti alle vongole veraci.
Tip: Open Mon-Sat 12:00 to 15:30 and 19:30 to 23:30; closed Sunday. Book a week ahead via the website for weekends.
Mimi alla Ferrovia near Naples Central Station has cooked the canon since 1943, with the linguine all'astice (lobster pasta) the dish Sophia Loren and the city's politicians keep ordering.
Signature: Linguine all'astice, Ragu napoletano, Pasta alla genovese
Order: Linguine all'astice, ragu napoletano della domenica and pasta alla genovese.
Tip: Closed Sunday all day. Book a fortnight ahead via Resy for weekends; the lobster pasta runs around 35 euros.
Tandem on Via Paladino in Naples is the modern trattoria built entirely around the Neapolitan Sunday ragu: paccheri, ziti spezzati and the bread-dunking ritual served daily noon to 24:00.
Signature: Ragu napoletano, Paccheri al ragu, Polpettone
Order: Paccheri al ragu napoletano, then bread to mop the sauce. Polpettone for the table.
Tip: No bookings; arrive 12:30 or 19:30 for the shortest queue. Three Tandem rooms across the centro storico share the carte.
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.
Signature: Pagnottiello stuffed pizza bread, Spaghetti alle vongole
Order: Pagnottiello stuffed with prosciutto and provola, spaghetti alle vongole.
Tip: Closed Sunday all day. Book ahead for weekends; the pagnottiello runs around 9 euros.
