Pizza in Naples: Where to Eat and What to Order

Neapolitan pizza has EU Protected Designation of Origin status. The specifications are detailed: San Marzano tomatoes grown in the volcanic soil of the Agro Sarnese-Nocerino, buffalo mozzarella from Campania or fior di latte cow’s milk mozzarella, dough made with specific Neapolitan flour types and 00 flour, wood-fired ovens reaching 430 to 480 degrees Celsius. The pizza bakes in 60 to 90 seconds. The centre is soft, almost wet. The cornicione (crust edge) is blistered and chewy. Pizza outside Naples is a different product wearing the same name. This is not snobbery; it is accurate.

The Pizza Styles

Marinara: crushed San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, dried oregano, olive oil. No cheese. The oldest pizza style, named for the mariners who ate it on the docks because it keeps without refrigeration, not because it contains seafood.

Margherita: tomatoes, fior di latte or buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil, olive oil. The buffalo mozzarella version is called Margherita Extra and costs slightly more. The buffalo mozzarella is tangier and more liquid; the pizza runs more on the plate. Both are correct.

Pizza fritta is the street food version, not found in most restaurants outside Naples. Dough filled with ricotta, salami, and ciccioli (rendered pork fat) and deep-fried rather than baked. Sold at friggitorie throughout the Quartieri Spagnoli and Via dei Tribunali for around EUR 2 to 3. The version stuffed with ricotta and ciccioli is the one to start with.

Where to Eat

L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele (Via Cesare Sersale 1-3, Forcella) has been operating since 1870. It serves exactly two pizzas: Marinara and Margherita. Cash only. The queue is managed by a ticket system at the door; waits of 30 to 60 minutes at peak times. Worth it. A pizza costs around EUR 5 to 6. The dining room is large and turnover is fast.

Sorbillo (Via dei Tribunali 32, Centro Storico): the other name everyone mentions. The Sorbillo family has been making pizza here since 1935. More varied menu than Da Michele. Always a queue. The pizzas are excellent and the cramped dining room atmosphere is part of the experience.

50 Kalo (Piazza Sannazaro 201b, Mergellina): Ciro Salvo’s pizzeria is considered the current technical benchmark by Neapolitan pizza specialists. The dough fermentation process and flour selection receive specific attention. Less chaotic than the Centro Storico spots; reservations possible.

Starita a Materdei (Via Materdei 27-28): established 1901 and famous for its pizza fritta in addition to baked pizza. Less frequently visited by tourists than Da Michele or Sorbillo; good pizza, shorter queues.

What Else to Do in Naples

The National Archaeological Museum (Piazza Museo Nazionale 19) holds the most important collection of Greco-Roman art in the world, assembled largely from Pompeii and Herculaneum. The bronze sculptures from the Villa dei Papiri at Herculaneum are extraordinary. Allow at least 3 hours. Entry around EUR 22.

Pompeii and Herculaneum are both accessible by the Circumvesuviana train from Naples Centrale (Pompeii: 40 minutes; Herculaneum: 20 minutes). Pompeii is vast (44 hectares, 3 to 4 hours minimum). Herculaneum is smaller but better preserved because the organic materials – wood, food – carbonised rather than being compressed under ash, and it is usually less crowded.

Spaccanapoli, the long straight street that bisects the Centro Storico, and parallel Via dei Tribunali: the density of churches, street food vendors, and craft workshops on these streets is unlike anywhere else in Italy.

Where to Stay

Hotel Piazza Bellini (Via Santa Maria di Costantinopoli 101) is well-located in the Centro Storico with a rooftop terrace, at around EUR 80 to 130 per night. Decumani Hotel de Charme (Via San Giovanni Maggiore Pignatelli 15) is in a former cardinal’s palace with ceiling heights of 7 metres. Naples has a reputation that puts some travellers off; the reality is that the centro storico is navigable with standard urban awareness.