Eating Pizza in Naples

So you want to eat pizza in Naples?

I know that people have a thing about Naples. And for the most part I’m talking about people who have never been there. They are scared. Scared of the chaos they’ve heard about. Scared of the crime they’ve read about. Scared of a place that appears to be a culture that seems completely apart from anything they think they know about Italy yet at the same time everything you think you know about Italy concentrated.

While they may be right about the confusion, mess and crime, anyone who has ever visited knows the complete and utter charm of the unique and utterly seductive chaos that is Naples.

I have to admit, that it took me a while to build a relationship with Naples. For years it had to do mostly with logistics. Naples was not fun to get to. Up until about 15 years ago the trains that ran to Naples (and frankly most of southern Italy) were decidedly on the shabby and slow side. And driving there? For years the stretch of 2-lane autostrada between Rome and Naples was a nightmare filled with Napolitani (who don’t follow rules) and Romani (who think the rules are made only for their benifit) vying with trucks for full domination.

But these days not only is the highway a spiffy and wide 3 lanes, the train has not only upgraded the cars but also the tracks so that a day trip to the city from Rome takes just over an hour. Barely time to read the paper. But plenty of time for a day trip from Rome.

One thing I’ve begun doing is heading to Naples for lunch. While I’ve actually sat down at one restaurant and had a full meal, what I really like to do is make it more of a moveable feast. Especially when I’ve got a friend in who’s never seen the city.

Of course, for me, the main event for any trip to Naples is pizza. Or Pizza. I feel that in Naples it deserves that capital P. Because it is Naples that gave birth to what we today know as pizza. Yes, I know there is a world class archeological museum to be seen, as well as new modern museums and infinite art-filled churches. But. Pizza. Right?

And I fully believe that pizza is the entry drug to a full on addiction to Naples.

You may think you know pizza, but the pizza you will get in Naples is almost certainly much much different than the pizza you are used to eating back home. Or even, for that matter, pizza you may have had anywhere else in Italy. So specific is the typology of Neapolitan pizza that the entire process has been recognized, certified and defined by the stringent pizza police (A.k.a. Associazone Verace Pizza Napoletana) . Among the rules that determine whether or not you are certified as a true Neapolitan Pizzaiolo are:

-type of yeast (organic yeast with a low acidity)
-the dough, when stretched out, must be no thicker than .4 centimeters
-Cheese: must be D.O. P. buffalo mozzarella
-Tomatoes: must be either San Marzano, Corbarino or Piennolo (all D.O.P.)
-The dough has to rise at least 12 hours, but usually longer

So far, so familiar. Dough, tomatoes and cheese. But how it’s all put together and then baked? That results in something that may, at first glance, be completely surprising.

Pizzas in Naples are on the small side, each one is meant to be eaten by one individual. They are baked in extremely hot dome-shaped ovens. Like 900F hot or even hotter. This means that the pizza is cooked extremely fast. Often usually anywhere from 60 to 90 seconds.

This fast cooking means that the crust around the edges puffs up right away, cooking quickly, as does the bottom of the pie, which is often speckled with what pizza experts refer to as leopard-spotting. These dark spot, almost burnt, are what gives Neopolitan pizza its distinctive smoky and almost bitter flavor.

This way of cooking also means that the center of the pizza, where the tomatoes, olive oil and the cheese hang out, is wet and almost soupy. It is definitely not what you would get in a Roman style pizza, but it is (trust me on this) one of the best things about going to Naples.

A Word about Toppings

Toppings in Naples are a minimal thing of beauty. There are usually few of them (that is why the standards are so stringently regulated) and even when those few are applied, they are done with a light touch.

There are two classic types of pizza you’ll see at every pizzeria you step into:

Pizza Marinara: This is pizza at its purest. Tomatoes, garlic, oregano and olive oil.

Pizza Margherita: Named after a queen, this is the queen of pizzas with tomatoes, olive oil, fresh buffalo milk mozzarella and fresh basil leaves.

There are many pizzerie that get fancy and creative with there toppings (and we’ll get to that later) but even then, the amount is never overwhelming. It’s all about the balance, and the toppings never ever overwhelm the crust. It’s a partnership.

Where to Eat Pizza in Naples

Here is my list of favorites. I think it’s a pretty good list, which will give you a good over view of the different types of pizza. Can you do it all in one day? You can if you want to. I did. Best to go with a friend, and a pretty empty stomach.

Da Matteo
via dei Tribunali 94,
This pizzeria opens at 8:00am. This means that you can have pizza for breakfast. Although it’s worth stopping by Da Matteo for a sit down pizza in their restaurant, this is where I get my pizza to go. The window that faces the street is where pizza becomes portable. The method for this is specifically Neapolitan and called pizza al portifolio, (wallet).’ or libretto (small book). When you go up to the window you will see anywhere from 3 to 20 small pizzas laid out on a metal tray. Don’t be deceived. These are not pizzas that have been sitting there for very long. The pizzaiolo knows, from experience, how many pizzas he will sell at different times of the day. These are freshly made, and piping hot.

Pay for your pizza (only 1 Euro!) and the pizzaiolo with place it on a sheet of parchment, then fold it in half, and then fold it in half again, with the paper forming a separation between the two halves, and a cone at the bottom. Ir’s a bit tricky to eat, since your first few mouthfuls are mostly crust, but then you get down to business and at the end you are treated to a last bit that has absorbed all the juices of the tomato, mozzarella and olive oil. At least the part that hasn’t dripped down your chin, onto your hands and hopefully not onto your shirt.

Figlio di Presidente
Via Duomo 181
This is where I first experienced the wonder to man that is known as pizza fritta. And it still remains my favorite. Pizza Fritta is a bit of a misnomer, since it’s actually more of a Calzone Fritta. It is a moon shaped piece of dough, stuffed with just enough tomato and mozzarella to moisten and counter act the slightly sweet dough with savory. Because the dough is a bit on the sweet side, at least here. It’s not a donut sweet, but the fact that it’s fried definitely brings donuts to my mind. But maybe that is just my excuse to also including this treat in my Naples breakfast itinerary. Or second breakfast, since they open at 10am. Again, they have a stand out front which means that this pizza fritta is always to go.

Da Michele
Via Cesare Sersale 1
If your idea of pizza in Naples was formed by watching Julia Roberts play Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat, Pray, Love then you are already familiar with Da Michele. I actually remember when Liz (yup, I knew her when….) went down to Naples for the weekend and she really was completely blown away by the pizza here. As was I the first time I went. As are most people. But all this attention means that the long lines have gotten even longer. My advice: get there at least 20 or 30 minutes before they are scheduled to open. Since they open at 11:00 this may actually make it your third pizza breakfast of the day. ( I told you this was not for the faint of stomach) If you are there by 10:30 you have a pretty good chance of being seated right when the oven starts spitting out pizzas at a furious pace at 11. Otherwise it’s a long wait in line.

Da Michele is a true old fashioned sit down pizzeria. And by old fashioned I mean they serve only 2 types of pizza: Marinara and Margherita. The Marinara comes in 3 sizes (normale, media and maxi) and the Margherita comes in 2 (normale and media) with the option of getting doppia mozzzarella. Believe me when I say the normale, for 4 euros, is plenty big. Although it’s not on the menu, the last time I was there I saw a local order a pizza with doppio mozzarella and NO tomatoes.

This is the place where you really understand that pizza is all about the dough. Think of the toppings as more of a type of condiment, that compliments the dough. And the aim of the dough, which Da Michele slam dunks, is an incredible lightness. And in fact I would suggest you order the Marinara, which it’s incredibly intense tomatoeyness with just enough oil, oregano and garlic. Yes, it’s big, but when you start eating it, you’ll understand what I mean about the lightness.

 

Pizzeria da Attilio
Via Pignasecca 17
In a city full of pizzerias you can imagine there is a lot of competition with each place trying to distinguish themselves from the rest. And since I’m as much of a sucker for novelty pizza as the next person, I usually make time for Attilio. Besides being well known as one of the better pizzerias, their speciality is for their pizzas with ricotta-stuffed crusts. The last time I was there I had Sole nel Piatto (sun on a plate). The main part of the pizza was mozzarella, mushrooms and porcini, with the crust formed into little points (a.k.a. sun shaped) that were twisted by Attilio (the grandson of the original Attilio) into perfect little pocket around dollops of ricotta. It may sound like overkill, but it was anything but.

Starita
Via Materdei 27
In case you can’t decide if you’d like your pizza traditionally cooked in the oven or deep fried, you can head to Starita and order a Montanara. This may be one of my favorite things in a city of favorite things. The pizza dough is first fried, then topped with a tomato basil sauce, and just a bit of parmigiano and fior di latte before being finished briefly in the pizza oven. It almost floats off the plate and into your mouth, it is so incredibly light and full of air.

The Pizza Stars:

Pizza in Naples used to be a food for the masses, made with whatever was on hand. Flour, water, yeast and toppings. There was no talk about where any of those ingredients came from. Both Gino Sorbillo and Enzo Coccia have been primarily responsible for not only the rise in quality of pizza, but for the extreme attention to specific ingredients used in making those pizzas.

Sorbillo
Via dei Tribunale 31

Lievito Madre al Mare
Via Partenope 1

If Neapolitan pizza is enjoying its place in the press at the moment, much of that has to do with the media savy Gino Sorbillo. He took what was arguably one of the best and well known of the old fashioned pizzerias in Naples and turned it into a phenomena. It was basically Gino who changed the view that a pizza was some sort of third rate street food and taken it to be regarded as high level cuisine.

The family pizzeria is located along Via dei Tribunali and today attracts hoards of would be pizza eaters to a neighborhood that, thanks to him, is enjoying a rebirth. Even in the face of a fire (said to have been caused by his refusing to pay the local organized crime bribes) he has not only kept going, but kept getting bigger.

Although he serves the basic Marinara and Margherita, the menu changes a few times a year to include new and creative creations. Most of the pizzas are named for his extended family, and are variations on the classics, swapping in various cheeses, cured meats and even types of tomatoes. All of the ingredients are carefully sourced, with the producers receiving credit on pizza descriptions. Sorbillo has recently launched Lievito Madre al Mare, located along the seafront. Neither restaurant accepts reservations, so just plan on waiting.

Pizzaria La Notizie
Enzo Coccia is often called the Professor of pizza. It is Enzo, and his tireless inquiries into the mechanics of pizza that has lead a new revolution in Naples in the exploration of new types of flour, toppings and ways of cooking. It is well worth the hike up the hill to one of his three places:
La Notizia 53, Via Carravaggio 94 (a bit fancier, and more experimental)
Via Michelangelo da Caravaggio 53A (the old fashioned traditonal pizzeria)
O Sfizio da’ ‘a Notizia. Via del Caravaggio, 49/51. Napoli. Tel. +39 081 7148325 (His newest place is dedicated to fried pizza and incredible sandwiches)

50 Kalo’
Pizzaiolo Ciro Salvo is all about the crust. And his heavenly light dough is considered, but many, to be the best in Naples of the new breed of pizzerias.
Piazza Sannazaro 201B
+39 08119204667

Before I get back on the train for Rome, there are two stops I make near the train station:

Sfogliatelle Attanasio
I always leave enough time to wait in line at this small bakery near the station. They do one thing and one thing only: sfogliatelle. Those are the crispy cruncy ricotta filled pastries that Naples is known for.
Sfogiatelle Attanasio
Vico Ferrovia 1-4
Naples Closed Mondays.

Mexico
Naples has the best coffee in Italy. It’s not just me that says so, it’s just true. It may be the water, it may be the machines. For whatever reason, it’s just the best. And in a city of good coffee, Mexico is considered at the top of everyone’s list. There are several locations throughout town, but the stopped-in-time location near the station is my favorite.
Bar Mexico
Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi 72

This post is an excerpt from my book Eating My Way Through Italy.

If you’d like to join us for a food-focused trip to Italy, see this page for our full list of week-long tours.

And if you are just in Rome for the day, Sophie would love to take you for a pizza crawl.