Weekender: Naples
Strong fragrant coffee, pastries peppered with candied citrus and sublime pizza make this chaotic Italian city a culinary knockout
Strong fragrant coffee, pastries peppered with candied cirtus and sublime pizza make this chaotic Italian city a culinary knockout
1 Caffeine hit Chic coffee bar Centrale del Caffè sells three coffee blends by the kilo. Go early for a cappuccino and a brioche roll, or after lunch for a caffè (espresso) and a slice of torta della nonna (custard cake). centraledelcaffe.it
2 Cult bakery Whether you prefer your sfogliatelle flaky (riccia) or smooth (frolla), Attanasio Sfogliatelle, a cult bakery 10 steps from the city’s Central station, comes up trumps. They’re served warm, straight from the oven, filled with sweetened ricotta and candied citrus. sfogliatelleattanasio.it
3 Market time Graze your way around lively Pignasecca market, Naples’ oldest outdoor food market. Stalls are filled with sputtering clams, fresh bread and fat, ripe tomatoes, but keep your eyes peeled for holes-in-the-wall selling pizza a portafoglio; piping hot pizza, folded over. Via Pignasecca 4 Fifth quarter No frills Le Zendraglie packages offal for steadfast locals or serves it at its few tables. The Fiorenzano family transforms these cuts into traditional Neapolitan delicacies, including a selection of seafood and vegetarian dishes. Try tender centopelli (tripe) dressed with freshly squeezed lemon or a bowl of pasta and beans. Via Pignasecca 14; 00 39 81 551 1993
5 Sweet like chocolate It may have nine shops across the city but Gay Odin still makes chocolates with artisanal savvy. At the Via Vetriera outlet you can get a sneak peak at their production and buy a box of the foreste; shaved milk chocolate shaped like logs. gay-odin.it
6 Street snacks Take the funicular to upscale Vomero for fritti (deep-fried snacks) with a panoramic view of the bay. Friggitoria Vomero serves delicious fried arancini, polenta and potato croquettes, scooped into a paper cone, to go. Via Domenico Cimarosa, 44; 00 39 81 578 3130 7 Fine dining At Veritas, chef Gianluca D’Agostino (previously of Locanda Locatelli) delivers elegant food that’s big on regional and Mediterranean flavours. Order the ‘dalla terra alla luna’ tasting menu or go à la carte and savour his signature dish, mezzi paccheri pasta with pomodorini del piennolo; Vesuvian tomatoes with mussels and green peppers. veritasrestaurant.it
8 Pizza action Visiting Naples without eating pizza would be sacrilege. For the best, head to the seafront at Mergellina and pizzeria 50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo. Order a stellar marinara, or one with braised escarole (endive), gaeta olives and piennolo tomatoes, and grab a local craft beer to drink with it. 50kalò.it HOW TO DO IT Return flights from Gatwick to Naples cost from around £100 return (easyjet.com). Double rooms at Hotel San Francesco al Monte Napoli cost from £115, B&B (sanfrancescoalmonte.it). More info: comune.napoli.it.
TRUST O: Food writer Gina Tringali divides her time between Rome, Naples and Sicily designing gastronomic tours for Casa Mia Italy Food & Wine Tours (italyfoodandwinetours.com) and writing for GT Food & Travel (gtfoodandtravel.com).