My Gourmet Guide to Naples

Full Disclosure: I travelled to Italy as a guest of I love Fruit and Veg from Europe. I was their guest at some establishments, and some I paid for myself. I always only mention my own genuine recommendations in my posts.

I’ve recently returned from a four night stay in Naples. Although I’ve visited Italy a number of times, it was my first time venturing further south than Rome.

The visit was part of a press trip to Italy, hosted by I love Fruit and Vegetables from Europe. As you’d expect, I’ve enjoyed some really amazing food. I brought as much as I could back in my suitcase, too.

From my time working as a private chef in Italy, I know how regional Italy’s food is, and how the seasons are at the heart of cooking and eating. Naples is famous for its pizza, strong coffee, rum baba and sfogliatelle. Campania is home to buffalo mozzarella production, and so it’s really worth tasting the fantastic mozzarella whilst you’re here. As you head out into Campania, you will see buffalo farms and shops selling mozzarella everywhere. In the fields, I saw fennel and artichokes growing. Lemon and olive trees are everywhere, and market stalls were full of wonderful local lemons for sale.

Where to eat

·       Gaetano Adamo near the station is absolutely outstanding for pizza. This place gets very busy for a good reason. Book ahead if you can or be prepared to queue. I think it’s really worth it. The buffalo mozzarella, fish and meat are all very good and super wines too. The Greco di Tufo was a personal favourite.

·       La Riggiola is a lovely restaurant serving a wide range of excellent dishes. I thought the seafood was lovely. Great food, wines, service and a nice spot very close to the waterfront.

·       I really liked Scaturchio for brilliant sfogliatella and brioche. Great coffee too, taken at the bar.  For me, this was the best I tried. Sfogliatella Mary also very good. Try the frolla and riccia variations.

·       Rosspomodoro may be a global chain, but its HQ is in Naples and I thought lunch here was really good. Really good pizza, fish, salads, breads and puddings. It was all lovely and is a really chic spot in a great part of town.

·       I had a very nice dinner at Baccalaria, which specialises in serving salt cod, which is a local speciality. The menu featured salt cod cooked in a wide range of imaginative ways. The food was very good and service to match.

·       The Gambrinus is a wonderfully atmospheric grand café. The service was so charming and the surroundings really special.

·       We visited Caffè del Professore for a caffè alla nocciola, a Neapolitan speciality, which is a coffee with a thick, sweet hazelnut cream. It is quite something and anyone with a sweet tooth might like it. It was a bit much for my personal taste.

Where to stay

I had a very pleasant stay at Domus Deorum Deluxe, near the central railway station. It’s a small B&B, but rooms are large, well-equipped and very clean. The staff were very nice and looked after us well. A convenient location and very comfortable accommodation.

I have it on good authority that the Excelsior Hotel is very good. Some rooms will have some really fantastic views out across the Gulf of Naples to Sorrento and Capri.

What to see and do

Naples is a huge and contrasting city, and there is so much to see and do. Take comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk lots to see it all. Watch your step as the pavements and kerbs can be quite irregular in some parts. I found Naples quite different to other Italian cities I’ve visited, and I think it’s fair to describe it as a city of two halves. There are grand buildings and smart boulevards that feel like any other major European city. Closer to the station, where I stayed feels more edgy and unvarnished, but there was plenty of interest in this part of town. I walked back from dinner after midnight and went running on my own first thing and felt perfectly safe when taking the usual care with my handbag and phone as I would in any city.

The combination of coast and city is lovely in Naples, offering stunning views across the bay to Sorrento and gorgeous, sweeping footpaths hugging the rocks where the city meets the sea. There is plenty to enjoy for anyone interested in history, architecture and churches, as one could full several weeks visiting them all. I found the combination of touring the city, stopping to try some of the lovely food and drink mentioned above particularly enjoyable in Naples.

Some highlights from Campania

During my stay, I managed to see some of Campania, too. I loved what I saw and am planning a return visit already. Here are some favourite spots from my trip:

Pompeii

This Roman town was destroyed by Mount Vesuvius first, almost entirely by a severe earthquake in 62AD and then comprehensively just sixteen years later, when the volcano erupted, spouting smoke and ash. The volcanic ash and pumice actually buried the town in a layer several metres thick, effectively freezing the town under this blanket of debris. Excavations began in 1748 and exciting discoveries are still being made. Allow plenty of time and make sure you arrive before last admissions at 3:30pm.

We were taken to De Vivo nearby for coffee and I absolutely loved it. I’d try the gelato and buy a jar of rum baba next time. One of the very best coffee bars of the trip.

Tenuta Vannulo near Paestum is probably Italy’s most chic organic dairy farms. They produce a range of buffalo milk products on this working farm, so you can see the buffalo, shop in their seriously smart boutique or call in for lunch or an ice cream. Their buffalo mozzarella, yoghurt and gelato are all excellent. I highly recommend a visit.

Also, if you are in Paestum, try their famous artichoke liqueur – it’s really, really good.

Lunch at Il Vecchio Monastero in Teverola was another highlight. This is a hugely popular local spot and serves a really wide range of locally caught fish in a range of creative dishes. Wines are great and service was charming.

If you happen to be driving near Battipaglia, you may wish to stop to purchase some buffalo mozzarella – you’ll be spoilt by choice here.

Salerno is absolutely gorgoeus and if you like ceramics as much as I do, stop in nearby Vietri to pick up some treasures to take home.