Naples

What are the absolute must eat dishes in Naples?

Naples has four dishes you cannot skip. Pizza margherita is the obvious start. But fried pizza (pizza fritta) is a close second, a calzone style pocket stuffed with ricotta and crackling. Then spaghetti alle vongole (clams, garlic, olive oil, white wine). Finish with sfogliatella, a clam shaped pastry filled with ricotta and candied fruit. That is the short list.

How much should I pay for a real pizza in 2026?

A proper margherita costs between 5 and 7 EUR. A marinara (tomato, garlic, oregano) is 4 to 5 EUR. If you see a margherita for 10 EUR or more, you are in a tourist zone or a place that uses frozen dough. Go somewhere else. Drinks are separate: a 33cl beer is 3 EUR, a half liter of house wine is around 4 EUR. Cover charge (coperto) is 1.50 to 2.50 EUR per person. It is normal. Do not argue it.

Which wines should I order in Naples?

Skip Chianti and Pinot Grigio. Drink local. The white is Falanghina: dry, citrusy, perfect with seafood. A bottle costs 12 to 18 EUR in a trattoria. The red is Aglianico: full bodied, tannic, pairs with meat or aged cheese. A good bottle runs 15 to 25 EUR. For something lighter try Greco di Tufo white or Piedirosso red. House wine (vino della casa) is almost always drinkable and costs 4 to 6 EUR per half liter. Ask for “un quarto” (a quarter liter) if you want a smaller taste.

Where should I eat and where should I avoid?

Eat in the historic center. Specifically the alleys around Via dei Tribunali and Piazza San Domenico Maggiore. These have pizzerias and trattorias with families eating at 2 PM and 9 PM. Avoid the restaurants on Via Toledo, Piazza del Plebiscito, and directly facing the port. These display menus with photographs, have touts waving menus at you, and charge 12 EUR for a mediocre pizza. Never eat at a place where the menu is laminated with plastic photos of the food. That rule alone saves you from 90 percent of bad meals.

Market tasting versus sit down meals

Comparison table for your money

A practical warning: many seafood restaurants bring you a tray of raw antipasti without asking. That tray costs 12 to 18 EUR per person. You can refuse it. Say “no, grazie” before they put it down.

What about coffee?

Coffee in Naples is a 1.30 EUR espresso drunk at the counter. You pay first at the cash register, take the receipt to the barista, say your order, drink it in 30 seconds, and leave. Do not sit at a table unless you want to pay 3.50 EUR. Cappuccino is for breakfast only. Locals never order it after 11 AM. You can, but expect raised eyebrows.

Any desserts I should try?

Sfogliatella riccia (curly shell) is the classic. Fresh ones come from pastry shops (pasticcerie) like the ones near Via Toledo or Piazza Bellini. Cost is 1.50 to 2 EUR each. Babà is a rum soaked sponge cake. It costs about 2 EUR. Pastiera is a wheat and ricotta Easter pie, but you find it year round in good pasticcerie. It is dense and good with coffee.

What is the biggest tourist trap to avoid?

Restaurants offering a “tourist menu” or “fixed price menu” printed in four languages. The food is pre-cooked, the wine is cheap bulk, and the price looks good until they add 15 percent service charge. Real Neapolitan restaurants do not have service charge. If you see one on the bill, question it. Another trap: “limoncello” offered for free at the end of the meal. It is not free. It is a 2 to 3 EUR charge added to the bill. If you do not want it, say no when they offer.

Can I eat well on a budget?

Yes. Lunch at a pizzeria is the cheapest. A slice of pizza al taglio (by the weight) costs 2.50 to 4 EUR for a good square piece. A fried arancino (rice ball) is 2.50 EUR. A panino with fried eggplant and mozzarella is 4 EUR. Dinner at a trattoria with a first course and a glass of wine will be 12 to 16 EUR. Stay away from the main squares and you will eat well for under 15 EUR per meal.

What is the real opening hour for pizzerias?

Most pizzerias open for dinner at 7:30 PM and close at 11:30 PM or midnight. Lunch starts at 12:30 PM and ends at 3 PM. Fried pizza shops open at 10 AM and close when the dough runs out, usually by 2 or 3 PM. Pastry shops open at 7:30 AM and close at 8 PM. Many close on Monday. Always check Google Maps the morning of your visit.

Final opinion

Naples food is direct and simple. High quality ingredients, little manipulation. Do not overcomplicate. Eat what locals eat, drink what locals drink, and do not be afraid to walk away from a menu that looks wrong. The best meal of your trip will be a 5 EUR pizza eaten in 12 minutes at a counter.