Some elements of Neapolitan cuisine are known all over the world, coming to represent Italian cuisine, but there is a lot more to discover beyond Neapolitan pizza and sfogliatelle pastries. Join me as I introduce some of the traditional dishes and ingredients that you should try when you visit Naples.

One of the first things I need to specify is that Neapolitan cuisine incorporates influences and ingredients from the wider Campania region, but that this guide is focused on the city itself. You will find different versions of classic Neapolitan dishes in other parts of Campania, as well as unique things to try, so deciding what to eat in Sorrento or Capri will be a little different to Naples.

Neapolitan food is intricately linked to the city’s history and people, and there is a lot of passion behind it. Locals will happily talk about their favorite pizza spot or where the best gelato is, and those opinions tend to be strong!

This means that it is hard to get bad food in Naples, as everyone is very proud of what they do. Unlike other big cities like Rome and Florence, there are very few touristy restaurants with poor quality food, so you can be sure that what you are eating is going to be top quality.

In this guide I’ll be helping you decide what to eat, as well as explaining why Neapolitan cuisine is just so good, covering:

• How Naples’ cuisine has evolved over time
• Neapolitan pizza and why it’s so special
• The must-try fish and seafood dishes
• Some classic Neapolitan dishes to look out for
• Neapolitan street food culture
• The delicious desserts and pastries on offer

The importance of local produce to Naples’ food

One thing that has always heavily influenced Neapolitan cuisine is all the wonderful local produce. The fertile soil of Mount Vesuvius and the surrounding countryside has been the ideal place to cultivate vines and olive trees to produce top quality wine and oil for centuries. The Bay of Naples and the coastlines are rich with all types of seafood and fish, and when the tomato was introduced it fast became a staple crop.

Lots of other vegetables like zucchini, peppers and eggplant grow very well in the hot, sunny climate and in wider Campania there is plenty of space for cows and buffalo. These animals produce a lot of milk which translates into a lot of cheese – buffalo mozzarella was first recorded as being made back in the 12th century so this has long been a feature of Naples food!

The freshness and quality of produce from Naples and Campania gives food here an extra special flavor. As well as dining in restaurants or grabbing street food, try to make time to visit a local market or two to try some fresh fruit and vegetables, cheeses and olives. You can also join a food tour who will introduce you to these delights and explain what makes the Neapolitan cuisine so special.

Unsurprisingly the upper classes quickly caught on to the appeal of pizza, and started adding more premium ingredients. Buffalo mozzarella, hams, even seafood started to be added and in the 1830’s the first pizzerias opened to serve customers in a more formal way. Ever since this point pizza has been a staple part of Neapolitan cuisine.

Pizza Margherita

Margherita pizza is one of the iconic dishes in Neapolitan cuisine, forming the base for pizzas all over the world.

Unfortunately the popular story of the pizza being invented for Queen Margherita with the colors of the Italian flag is not quite true – the pizza already existed but it was served to the queen when she visited Naples in 1889.

I used to ignore this option on a menu, preferring to go for something with multiple toppings instead. However, since trying pizza Margherita in Naples, I’m a convert! When made with top quality tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, fragrant fresh basil and excellent olive oil, there is simply nothing that can beat it.

Pizza Marinara

Pizza Marinara is less well-known, but no less delicious. This could be described as the authentic Neapolitan pizza, as it pre-dates the Margherita. The tomato sauce is simply topped with oregano, garlic and olive oil, no cheese is added so this is suitable for everyone.

This is definitely something that I recommend you try in Naples. The quality of the tomatoes is vital given the pizza’s simplicity, so a traditionally-made Marinara pizza is the best option.

Finding the best pizza in Naples

Neapolitans take their pizza VERY seriously, so it is hard to find bad pizza in Naples. You do not need to queue at places that have become famous on social media, or go to restaurants that need reservations months in advance to have an incredible pizza.

Look out for these things and you won’t go wrong:

• A traditional pizza oven and staff shaping/preparing the pizza by hand.
• Locally sourced ingredients such as San Marzano tomatoes and Campania buffalo mozzarella on the menu
• Neapolitans dining in or getting takeaway

One final note, takeaway pizza comes in many forms in Naples – click here to learn more about these different types.

Unsurprisingly for a city that is so closely connected to the sea, Neapolitan cuisine has plenty of fish and seafood dishes. You will always find freshly grilled fish on the menu at restaurants specializing in seafood, but here are some of my favorite dishes that are a must in Naples:

Impepata Di Cozze

Cozze is Italian for mussels, and while the cooking method is standard, the flavor of the broth is far more unusual for Italy.

The mussels are cooked in a broth made with tons of black pepper, as well as sometimes garlic and lemon juice. The black pepper is definitely the dominant flavor, but it combines really well with the savory mussels.

Generally you’ll see Impepata as an appetizer, and it is one of the traditional dishes served as part of big Sunday lunches or on holidays like Christmas and Easter. Pair it with big pieces of freshly baked bread to soak up all the lovely broth – heaven!

Polpo alla Luciana

Octopus is common in many recipes from southern Italy, but this version is distinctly Neapolitan.

Named for the area of Santa Lucia on the coast where traditionally many fishermen would live, the octopus is cooked slowly and gently in a tomato sauce with olives, capers and garlic.

The octopus becomes tender and flavorful, with a slightly chewy texture after cooking, and the sauce is enriched with the flavor of the fish.

You may also see spaghetti alla Luciana on offer. This is pasta dressed with the sauce but not the octopus, and dates back to when people would make food go as far as possible. They would have the octopus by itself for one meal and then pasta for another!

Spaghetti alle Vongole

One of the most well known seafood dishes for a reason, spaghetti with clams (alle vongole) is a classic.

Clams are cooked in garlic and white wine before being mixed with freshly cooked pasta – this is definitely a dish where freshness is key. Spaghetti alle vongole is also a dish that is often added to or changed up for originality, so if you want to try the proper version, check the ingredient list before ordering.

This is one of my favorite elements of Neapolitan cuisine, the quintessential Neapolitan dishes. There is something about the way simple ingredients are prepared in a way that brings out intense flavors that is truly special!

When it comes to traditional Neapolitan dishes you have almost endless choices. However you should try at least one of the dishes listed here when you visit, as they represent Naples’s food culture in a very specific way:

Pasta al Ragù Napoletano

Nearly every region of Italy has their own ragù, there’s so much more to try beyond the classic Bolognese!

The Neapolitan ragù is made with large pieces of meat that are slow cooked, usually pork, sometimes with a little beef, with onions, red wine and plenty of tomatoes. The sauce is left to bubble away for hours, developing a deep, intense flavor, before the meat is removed.

Traditionally the meat would be kept aside for use in one meal, and then the sauce was served with pasta for another dish, stretching the ingredients as far as possible. Nowadays the meat is shredded and added back into the sauce to create a rich, delicious pasta dish.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca is thought to have its origins in the Spanish Quarter and is one of the classic pasta dishes of Naples.

Made with simple ingredients, the spicy, savory dish combines tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies and garlic and chili pepper cooked down in olive oil and mixed with cooked spaghetti or linguine.

Unlike many other dishes in Neapolitan cuisine, spaghetti alla puttanesca is quick and easy to make, with all the flavor coming from the combination of punchy ingredients.

Polpette

Polpette are a classic Neapolitan dish, and the origins of the Italian-American spaghetti and meatballs.

The Neapolitan meatballs are typically made with beef and pork, fried and then served in a tomato sauce. In Naples (and Italy in general) this is a secondi, which means the meatballs are not served with pasta but simply in the sauce with a drizzle of olive oil – delicious!

Ziti alla Genovese

This is one of my all-time favorite pasta dishes, and a core component of Neapolitan cuisine.

The Genovese sauce has no similarity to pesto Genovese (the classic basil pesto) but instead is made from slow cooked onions (a lot of onion) and beef along with aromatics and white wine. The onion caramelizes down into a sweet but savory sauce that is just spectacularly tasty, which is served on top of ziti pasta.

This is not a light pasta dish so I’d suggest skipping an appetizer, but it’s so, so tasty!

You will often find Genovese sauce in other places on the menu. I’ve tried Genovese frittatina, pizzas, as a main (where you get the meat but no pasta), and arancini to name a few, so it is an extremely versatile dish.

Pasta Patate e Provola

Another favorite of mine, pasta patate e provola is a great example of making simple ingredients go a long way.

Small pieces of pasta are cooked with potato which breaks down and creates a type of creamy sauce. The hearty dish is finished with a good amount of grated provolone cheese which melts into the sauce that is surprisingly tasty for such basic components.

I love this in the winter when I’ve been out all day, it’s more substantial than soup but has a similarly comforting feel to it!

Pasta e Fagioli

Made in a similar way to pasta patate e provola, pasta e fagioli is another Neapolitan classic.

Borlotti beans are the core element of the sauce, cooked down with herbs which creates a thick sauce before fresh egg pasta pieces are added.

Peppery and rich, this is another excellent winter choice. If you’re vegetarian be aware that quite often the beans are cooked with a little pancetta or lard so it’s worth checking this before ordering in a restaurant.

Parmigiana di Melanzane

Eggplant parmesan in English, the parmigiana di melanzane is the ultimate example of the local cuisine.

Eggplant slices are fried in olive oil before being layered with buffalo mozzarella and tomato sauce and then baked to perfection, but the use of local ingredients elevates this dish way beyond what you may have tried at home.

I never liked it before trying it in Naples so even if you have preconceptions about the dish, it’s worth giving it a go here! The rich eggplant flavor combined with the mozzarella di bufala is fantastic.

You can find incredible street food all over Italy. Rome has supplì and pizza taglia, Florence has lampredotto and Sicily has arancini, but in Naples the street food culture is on another level!

Everywhere you go you will see people eating in the street. The limited space for dining areas and historic traditions of eating on the go mean that a huge range of different street food options now exist.

Here are some of the items you may find in your cuoppo:

• Zeppoline – savory fried pizza dough balls
• Frittatina – a sort of pasta omelette, made with cooked pasta, bechamel sauce and cheese that has been covered in breadcrumbs and deep fried
• Sciurilli – battered zucchini flowers that have been deep fried
• Frittura – mixed fried fish and/or vegetables (pesce = fish, verdure = vegetables, misto = mix of both)
• Crocchè di patate – the Neapolitan version of a potato croquette
• Arancini – one of the better known Italian street foods, the Neapolitan version of rice balls are smaller than the Sicilian or Roman (referred to as supplì in Rome) versions, made with tomato sauce and creamy mozzarella.

There are many more types of delicious fried goodies that can go into a cuoppo so try a few and see which ones you prefer!

Pizza a Portafoglio

While pizza is a key component of Neapolitan cuisine, the traditional version doesn’t really work as street food. Therefore, there are two types of pizza specifically designed to be eaten on the go that you can get in the city, the first of which is pizza a portafoglio.

The literal translation of this is ‘wallet pizza’, which refers to the shape of the pizza when served. Essentially this is a small round pizza margherita or pizza marinara (without cheese) that is folded into quarters after being cooked, creating a pizza wrap that is easy to eat in the street.

Pizza Fritta

The second street food pizza option is the pizza fritta – fried pizza. This has much more recent origins, coming into its own after World War II.

The idea of frying dough had been around for centuries but by the time the war ended, many pizza ovens had been damaged in the regular bombings. Neapolitans were also poorer and less able to afford the higher priced tomatoes and mozzarella that goes on traditional pizza.

Pizza makers switched to frying as a more accessible option. Filling the dough with cheaper ingredients like ricotta cheese, vegetable and meat scraps before frying meant fried pizza was more affordable as well.

Today the art of pizza fritta has been refined to include top quality ingredients, and there are many places where you can try it. Our top tip is to opt for somewhere that makes each pizza to order – the difference between a piping hot, crispy fresh pizza fritta and a reheated one is vast!

Taralli

These hard bread crackers are found all over southern Italy, but the Neapolitan version is unique. Unlike the more well-known version from Puglia, which are small and bite-sized, the Neapolitan taralli are larger and much more substantial.

The original versions were made with leftover bread dough, that had pieces of lard and lots of black pepper added for flavoring before being twisted into rings and baked. At some point (no one can pinpoint when), almonds were added to the recipe and taralli cemented their place in the Neapolitan street food culture.

Crumbly and deeply savory, taralli pair perfectly with a cold beer or a spritz. You should definitely try the classic flavor but now you can find all sorts of other versions flavored with cheeses, herbs, tomatoes and more.

Limonata a Cosce Aperte

This is not street food, but rather a street drink. Known as limonata or gazzosa a cosce aperta, the drink is made with cold sparkling water, fresh squeezed lemon juice and a little bicarbonate of soda. The potent mix of these ingredients create a frothy mix that should be drunk down in one go, standing with your legs apart (cosce aperta) to avoid getting any of the drink on you!

Intended to be an aid to digestion, the refreshing combination helps to offset the impact of rich, fried, salty food. Once you would see these stalls everywhere but now there are far less of them. There is a great stall near the Galleria Umberto and Piazza del Plebiscito if you do want to try it!

No trip to Naples would be complete without some of the city’s legendary sweet treats. You can get excellent gelato and granita everywhere, but here I’ll be focusing on some of the best desserts and pastries you can find:

Sfogliatella

No trip to Naples is complete for us without at least one sfogliatella. They are in every bakery and are eaten throughout the day so you can have them for breakfast, as a snack or as a dessert.

While you may see different versions out there, the classic pastry is a shell-shaped crust filled with sweetened ricotta cheese and candied fruit. The more well-known version is made with flaky, crispy puff pastry (sfogliatella riccia) but there is also a version with a sweet, crumbly shortcrust pastry (sfogliatella frolla). I love the frolla but Warren always goes for the riccia – there is no wrong choice here!

Sfogliatelle are not exactly light but they are a Neapolitan classic and you need to have at least one while you are here.

Babà

Testament to Naples’ ability to adapt, an early version of the babà cake was brought to the city by French pastry chefs in service to the French monarchy. Itself inspired by a Polish recipe, the Neapolitans loved the sweet, soft cake and made it one of their most popular desserts.

Based on a simple sweet yeast dough, the babà is baked in a long, thin shape. Alcohol (usually rum but sometimes limoncello) is added and the dough is left to soak up the liquid, making it super soft.

The classic version is served as is, with the syrupy alcohol covering the cake, but you will also see versions with pastry cream, pistachio, chocolate or fruit.

Coda d’Aragosta

Made with the same flaky pastry as the sfogliatella riccia, a coda d’aragosta (which means lobster tail) are named for their distinctive shape.

Rather than ricotta however they are filled with different flavors of pastry cream. The original cream flavor is great, but the lemon or pistachio versions are my go-to when available.

These pastries tend to be on the large side but luckily many Neapolitan bakeries make mini versions which are much more manageable, especially if you just want something sweet to go with your coffee!