The best places to eat and drink in Naples

Naples is known for some of the best Italian cuisine. It’s the birthplace of Italian street food, fried snacks like pizza fritti, and Neapolitan pizza. So you’ll have no trouble finding great places to eat in the city – in fact, it was harder to select which restaurants we would shortlist in our three days in Naples. Unsurprisingly, every meal we had there was great… These were our favourite places to eat and drink in Naples.

Where to eat and drink in Napoli

L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele 

This is a Naples institution and while it’s not actually the birthplace of pizza (that’s probably Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, which dates back to the 18th Century) it’s still a great spot and a kind of must-visit if you’re in town. The menu here is small but perfectly done. You can order to take away, or join the waitlist for a table then keep an eye on the counter until your turn is up – it does move quickly, and you can get takeaway drinks from the Brazilian bar opposite.

Palazzo Petrucci Pizzeria

This was probably our favourite pizza spot in Naples. It’s in the heart of the historic centre and if you can get a table on the terrace you’ll get amazing views over the piazza. If not, the seating in the piazza itself is still a great place to people watch while enjoying some delicious, fresh Neapolitan pizza.

Cala La Pasta 

If pasta is more your thing, this was my favourite spot in Naples Centro Storico. We did have to queue for 20 minutes or so to get a table here, but it was worth the wait. In fact, the past we had was so good that we ordered different dishes to take away and eat at home the next day!

OAK wine bar

This small craft beer pub and wine bar is a great spot for an after-dinner drink. Customers spill out into the streets but there’s usually enough room inside if you prefer to sit. They have a wide selection of drinks including ciders, wines, spritzes, and plenty of local beers.

Antica Pizzeria Di Matteo

If you need some food on the go, the take-away folded pizzas from Antica Pizzeria Di Matteo in Centro Storico are fresh and delicious. Plus, they cost about €2!

Black Pig

Black Pig was probably my favourite of the bars we drank at in Naples. They serve a range of drinks including craft beers and a delicious rosé cider that I went back for plenty more of! The vibe is very relaxed and friendly, and the covered street seating makes it a relaxing spot for afternoon drinks.

Gino e Toto Sorbillo

There are Sorbillo restaurants all over Naples and I’m sure they’re all great. But we happened to be passing this one at a rare moment with no queue so we stopped in. The menu is huge and slightly confusing as at a glance many of the pizzas seem to be very similar, but the care and passion that goes into selecting the ingredients and their origins is what makes the food here so good. They also offer gluten-free bases.

Bath Pipe

This small bar on a backstreet in Centro Storico has great happy hour deals, and both indoor and street seating. You can order anything from beers to cocktails, and the friendly waiters also bring snacks to enjoy while you drink.

L’angolo di Sophia Loren

This is another bar that we basically got hustled into, but I wasn’t complaining! In the packed streets of the Spanish Quarter, the chance to sit and enjoy a drink and watch all the madness pass you by feels like a good break. We stopped for a few Aperols here and the waiters kept bringing complementary pizza fritti and sliced pizza tasters. The vibes were good – hectic in a way that matches the neighbourhood – and the drinks were affordable and delicious.

Any of the street spritz stands

There is no shortage of bars in Naples, but if you’re moving between places, just wandering around the historic centre or Spanish Quarter, or are on your way to join a restaurant queue/waiting list you’ll always be able to find a street vendor selling aperol spritz from around €2. Our favourites were the guys close to Pio Monte della Misericordia. They’re pushy, but their drinks are strong and some of the cheapest we found!

Find out more about how we spent three days in Naples here.