13 Foods in Naples You Have to Try

1. Pizza

Pizza is the queen of Naples and something you simply must try if you're here. Visiting Naples without eating at least one pizza is like going to the beach but keeping your back to the shoreline or going to the airport simply to watch the planes, rather than board one.

You just don't do it.

From New York to South Korea, I've hardly met a pizza I didn't like but truly, the best pizza in the world is found in Naples. And don't let someone on TikTok try and convince you there's only one place in the entire city to get yours. I promise, so long as you don't run to a restaurant with a giant printed menu outside boasting pictures or follow a man begging you to come to eat at his restaurant, you should be good to go.

The crust in Naples is soft and chewy, leaving a thin middle that's perfect for folding your slice in half. The tomatoes grown in the volcanic soil of Mount Vesuvius really are sweeter and the mozzarella di bufala (Buffalo mozzarella) is as fresh as it gets.

Given that the key ingredients are all found at Naples' doorstep, I highly recommend you avoid the urge to cover your pizza in toppings and go classic with a Pizza Margherita (tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, and usually a drizzle of olive oil). I'm one of those that usually loves my pizza overflowing except for when I'm in Naples. And not once has this decision let me down.

A Few Disclaimers on Pizza in Italy

For those about to eat pizza in Italy for the first time, pepperoni isn't what you think it is. If you order pepperoni in Italy, you'll get bellpeppers. Salami is the closest thing you'll find to the meat pepperoni topping you have in mind and isn't actually a classic pizza topping. What can I say, we've been lied to.

And another thing, pizzas are considered personal in Italy. You'll always see 1 pizza per person, no matter where you're dining throughout the entire country. Never in my life have I been able to eat an entire pizza by myself. But here? Just watch me.

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2. Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca

Next up on the dinner menu is spaghetti alla puttanesca. Truly, it translates to 'whoreish spaghetti' but in this case I swear it's OK to say out loud.

I'll say it again in case you missed me the first time: I'm only recommending this pasta dish and the next one to give you some variety if you're spending more time in the city. If you're just in Naples for a day, stick with just pizza!

Now, back to the pasta. Spaghetti alla puttanesca is made with anchovies, capers, black olives, and garlic. It's usually a little bit spicy thanks to a dash of red chili flakes, but that's really up the chef's discretion. It's salty, fresh, and perfect for a day by the sea.

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3. Spaghetto a Vongole

Called "spaghetti con vongole" in the rest of Italy but hey, they created this dish, so I suppose they can call it as they please.

This is one you can find throughout the country, so long as you're on the coast, or at least from my experience. Spaghetto a vongole is one of my favorite pastas and one I didn't realize actually comes from Naples until putting this article together.

I've eaten it on Procida and Ischia but truthfully haven't yet had it in Naples itself.

This dish is simple: spaghetti, clams, parsley, garlic, and olive oil. Know that often these are really tiny clams and can take some work to eat since they're served still in their shells.

To me, it tastes like summertime in Italy.

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4. Pasta e Patate

People keep recommending this dish but, personally, I don't quite get the hype. That said, I'm here to let you make your own decisions about Neapolitan cuisine, so I won't skip it.

I've only tried pasta e patate (meaning pasta and potatoes) once but the impression it left didn't have me running back for round two. That said, I could have gotten unlucky with the restaurant choice.

This dish is more of a thick soup than anything else - maybe more akin to a stew. It has a short pasta, cubed potatoes, and sometimes some veggies or just vegetable broth. Traditionally it was created as a cheap and easy meal to use what you had in the pantry but over time has seeped onto the menu of restaurants around the city.

Some varieties you'll find are simple and others might be overflowing with other ingredients.

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5. Frittatina di Pasta

Now we're back to the good stuff: street food. Other than a classic pizza Margherita, frittatina (frittatine in plural) is my favorite thing to eat in Naples.

Really, it's just a fried ball of pasta. A fried ball of pasta that comes with a variety of fillings. My personal favorite is cacio e pepe but unlike my pizza recommendation, I suggest you go wild here and try whatever stands out to you.

A great way to try frittatine and the other street food on this list is to head to Via Toledo. This is one of the main shopping and eating streets in the city. Just know it's crowded and far from a secret. Walking down this street though is one of the easiest ways to try a variety of street food, including frittatina.

In our 3-day guide to Naples, I created a mini food + walking tour that involves a jaunt down Via Toledo, if you want more guidance on how to spend a fantastic day eating your way through Naples.

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6. Pizza Fritta

Pizza fritta is fried pizza but maybe not in the way you're thinking. Really, it's more of a fried calzone than a regular pizza (that one is actually next on the list). Regardless of the presentation, pizza fritta is delicious.

Pizza fritte usually comes with different fillings than you'd find on regular pizzas. For starters, the cheese of choice is most often ricotta. Some but not all fillings will include tomato sauce. Other common fillers include meats, like mortadella, salami, or prosciutto cotto (ham), and smoked cheese.

Although it's maybe not what you had in mind upon first reading the name, it really is a delicious treat.

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7. Montanara

If while reading #6 on the list you were dreaming up a classic presentation of a fried pizza, you were actually thinking of montanara. This is a fried round of pizza dough topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and fresh basil.

Although other versions of montanara exist, this is the classic option and the one I would recommend you try.

Personally, I think it's a little bite of heaven but on our last trip with Naples, a friend visiting the city for the first time thought they were too plain. It is more of a dollop of toppings than an overflow of them. To me, the crispy fried dough doesn't need much help. Honestly, I could eat that just fine by itself.

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8. Cuoppo Fritta

Cuoppo fritta literally translates to fried cup and while the container itself isn't edible, it is essentially a cup of fried things. Remember when I told you to leave the diet at home?

A cuoppo can be filled with a variety of things but the most common one in Naples is filled with fried seafood (think shrimp, anchovies, and calamari) but that's not your only option.

You can also find them served with stuffed rice balls (arancini), vegetables, potato balls, zucchini flower (fiori di zucca), and sometimes even fried mozzarella. Some food stands will offer only a house mix but others will let you pick and choose what type of cuoppo you want to try.

Just know that from my experience these are often bigger than they look and are best shared.

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9. Cuzzetiello

Cuzzetiello is something I had never heard of until our last trip to Naples. Our friend visiting from Colombia had actually heard about this and was eager to try it. Don't ask us twice!

Cuzzetiello is a meatball sandwich with ragù or marinara sauce. People seem to say it's served with ragù but Raf's experience was certainly that of marinara. Either way, a tasty thick tomato sauce awaits. The sandwich looks more like a cone, where the end piece of bread has been hollowed out and filled with the saucy meatballs. If you've ever had Trapizzino before in other parts of Italy, it's a similar presentation.

While a common street food, this one is a bit messier to dig into than the others on this list. Just ask Raf who ended up wearing half of the ragù by the time he was done with his meal. I just asked and he says it was still worth it!

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10. Taralli

With our jump to taralli we're moving away from street food and more into the realm of aperitivo. An aperitivo is like Italian happy hour, where you can often find snacks and drinks around 5pm.

Taralli are ring-shaped, freshly baked 'crackers' that come in a variety of flavors, both sweet and savory. You can find taralli packaged all over the country but from my experience the best place to try them fresh is in Naples.

Although you might be thinking that I'm finally showing you something relatively healthy with a cracker, I'm not. The Naples edition of this snack is made from flour, lard, pepper, and toasted almonds. They're exceptionally tasty and better than their Pugliese counterparts in my opinion.

Here there are bakeries devoted solely to taralli where you can get a glass of wine or spritz with your order. Word of advice: a box of taralli also makes fantastic souvenirs since they aren't so well-known outside of Italy.

You can find taralli bars (that's at least what I like to call them) around the city but my personal favorite is Taralleria Napoletana. Their cheese one is a 10/10.

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11. Sfogliatella Frolla

Sfogliatella is the general term used to describe two of the most famous pastries in Naples: sfogliatella frolla and sfogliatella riccia.

I'll be honest, I truly don't know why these two share the first word because they really are quite different pastries. The fact that you can get them at a bar in the morning with your coffee is really their only similarity.

In Italy, breakfast really isn't a thing. It's more often a coffee with a pastry and in Naples, I suggest you skip the croissant (called a cornetto or brioche in Italy) and go for a sfogliatella instead.

Given that I made the title of this section frolla, I think you can guess which is my favorite variety. You should have the option to try them both at pretty much any bar or cafe in the city so my best suggestion is for you to order both and see which you prefer. The riccia variety is definitely the more famous option.

You can expect:

• Sfogliatella riccia: a flaky, puff pastry that's usually pretty crunchy and filled with cream or nutella.
• Sfogliatella frolla: a softer, shortbread pastry made with ricotta cheese that's more dense and has a hint of citrus in the dough.

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12. Graffa

Now the final two foods in Naples that I suggest you try are desserts. Don't worry, you can certainly indulge in gelato while here but I also recommend you try graffe. Graffe are Naples response to the donut.

Yes, yes, you'll likely see donuts in bakery windows here too but skip those and seek out a graffa instead.

These should be fried fresh and are immediately covered in sugar. The best ones are served still hot. The shape of them is always a bit of a lazy circle, where the two ends are pinched together by hand. Sometimes this results in a circle but more often than not it's more of a loop.

Regardless, shape hardly matters when you're biting into the freshest 'donut' you'll ever have.

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13. Babà

Last and certainly least in my book on food in Naples is babà. I simply don't get the hype behind this dessert but you might think differently. Babà is essentially a cake in muffin form that's been heavily soaked in a rum syrup.

The end result is sticky, wet, and boozy.

While I do love sweets and alcohol, I don't really enjoy eating liquor. But, I know plenty of others disagree with that idea so go ahead and dig into your rum cake and see if this hits the spot for you.

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Naples Travel Tips

Before I leave you with this simple list of delicious food in Naples (although that is why you're here), here are a few more travel tips that will help you enjoy your trip to Naples.

Want all the details? Read our full Naples travel guide here.

Where to Stay in Naples

Naples is a big, chaotic city and choosing where in the city to stay will affect your experience. I highly recommend you avoid the area right around the central train station, Napoli Centrale, or the main port, Porto di Napoli. These are the hearts of the city's hustle and not in a good way.

Instead, I suggest staying at either:

• Centro Storico: This is the historic district of Naples. It's more touristic but will put you right in the center of the city's main attractions.
• Around Via Toledo: This is the walking street I mentioned above that's great for street food. It also connects with the famed Spanish Quarter, or Quartieri Spagnoli. If you're here only for the food, this area will allow you to quickly try it all.
• Around Corso Vittorio Emanuele: This street sits above Via Toledo on a hill. It offers incredible views of Naples, Mt. Vesuvius, and the Naples Bay.
• Chiaia: This is the "nicest" neighborhood in the center of Naples. It lacks the grungy edge that Naples is known for so it's really up to you if that's a good thing or not.

Since this article is about the food in Naples, stay within walking distance to everything by booking around Via Toledo. I recommend:

• Budget Option: Leone House: For those that want to stay in the heart of the Spanish Quarter, you'll be hard pressed to beat this price.
• Mid-Tier Option: Toledo Relais Suites: This hotel is right on Via Toledo, so all the food will literally be steps away. Just know that Via Toledo is pedestrian traffic only so a taxi would only be able to get you to the corner, not right to the door.
• Luxury Option: Lumina Apartment: This is where we stayed on our last trip to Naples. I want to be clear, I'm not recommending it for the exact area (although it's just a few blocks from Via Toledo and from the port if you plan to take a ferry) but more because the apartment is spacious, has a good size table, and has great natural light if you need to work online like we did.

‍Best Time to Visit Naples

Although Southern Italy is warmer than the rest of the country, Naples still gets 4 seasons. Just know that summer is hotter and winter is more mild, when compared to the north.

If you're visiting for the food, I recommend skipping the summer trip and visiting during any other season. Naples isn't a big touristic city so things stay open all year round. You won't need to worry about places closing their doors for the season. If anything, more things will be closed in August than other times of the year for summer holidays.

Skipping summer also means it'll be more enjoyable to enjoy Naples on foot, which is always the best way to get to know a new place.

Keep in mind that if you visit Naples in winter, it's not unlikely that your accommodation won't have heating. Buildings in Italy can get pretty cold, even if the outside temperature is mild. Pack a sweater to wear indoors or be extra careful when making your reservation.

The Naples Experience

Naples isn't like the rest of Italy and it certainly isn't like the Italy that your social media feed has been showing you.

It's grungy, chaotic, and full of graffiti.

But really, that's part of the fun in a trip here.

Just come in with the right expectations and know that Naples is really its own. Don't try to fit it into the image you've built up in your head and you're bound to have a great (and delicious) time here.

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Dig into the Best Food in Naples

Even if you eat just pizza while in Naples, you're in for a real treat. I truly recommend you don't try so hard when searching for a place to eat in Naples and you go with the simple pizza restaurants, the hidden street food stand, and whatever is freshly fried.

Naples is king of the simple solution. It's amazing all you can do with a rich tomato sauce, hot dough, and fresh mozzarella.

And now I'm hungry.