What to eat in Naples

Neapolitan pizza has been protected in the European Union as a traditional speciality since 2010, and the rules recognise only two, the marinara without cheese, and the margherita. Anything else on the menu may be good, but by the book it is not Neapolitan pizza.

Two pizzas by the rules

Marinara is the older and simpler one, just tomato, garlic, oregano and olive oil. The margherita came later, with tomato, mozzarella and basil, by tradition made in 1889 for Queen Margherita. The rules call for a base thin in the middle with a thicker rim, baked for sixty to ninety seconds at about 485 °C, so the centre comes out soft and wet. That is why it is eaten straight away, while hot, since the rules say so too. L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele has been open since 1870 and still keeps just four pizzas on its menu.

Coffee, and one Neapolitan custom

Espresso in Naples is drunk standing at the bar, on the way somewhere. This is also where the caffè sospeso began, the custom of paying for two coffees, drinking one and leaving the other. It later goes to someone who asks at the bar whether there is a coffee left "on hold".

2 daysThe museum in the morning, pizza on Via dei Tribunali after — the two-day plan:Naples in 2 days →

What to try

• Sfogliatella comes in two versions. The riccia is made of flaky pastry and crackles, the frolla is shortcrust and soft. Both began in the Santa Rosa convent on the Amalfi coast, and it was the pastry cook Pasquale Pintauro who brought them to Naples in 1818 and added the frolla.
• Cuoppo is a paper cone of fried things: squid, potato, arancini, vegetables. Eaten on the move.
• Ragù napoletano is meat cooked in tomato sauce for at least three hours, often six or seven. On Sundays the sauce dresses the pasta first, and the meat follows as a second course.
• Pastiera is a tart of cooked wheat and ricotta. Baked for Easter, by tradition.
• Babà is dough soaked in rum. It comes after dinner, the last thing on the table.

Day tripsA spare day — Pompeii, Capri or Amalfi, and how long each takes:Day trips from Naples →

Where to stayWhere to stay, by area:Where to stay in Naples →

BudgetWhat each meal really costs:What Naples costs →

Getting aroundGetting in and around:Getting around Naples →

When to goWhich month to pick:The best time to visit Naples →

Hidden gemsWhat the guides skip:Naples off the main route: a chapel, a cloister, an arcade and a cemetery →

MistakesWhat not to do:Mistakes everyone makes in Naples →

NeighbourhoodsThree areas to explore, not to sleep in:The neighbourhoods of Naples →