The Best Pizza Restaurants In Naples

Rumor has it that a full 25 percent of all restaurant in Italy are pizzerias. I am not sure of the accuracy of that statement but it would make sense as this is the country where Pizza was invented. Now Naples is the city that can claim to have invented the Pizza. The first pizzeria may very well have been Antic Pizzeria Port d’Alba which was founded in 1830.

The very first pizzas like most great foods today were the food that the poor invented. Since the poor of Venice invented this these pizzas were very simple with only garlic and olive oil as toppings made from a very hot wood fired oven. In fact the idea of a pizzeria is kind of a new concept to most natives of Italy as this food staple first started on food stands sold on street corners all throughout the city.

You would be doing yourself a great injustice if you ever find yourself in Naples and not order a margherita pizza. This originally started from the now famous pizza maker Rafael Esposito when he was asked to make a pizza for the then King and Queen of Italy. This pizza is very simple containing only a tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil. The reason why he used these three ingredients was that they were the three colors of the Italian flag and in its simplest form represented true Italy.
If you want to visit the pizzeria where this pizza was invented you are in luck because it is still around and is now known as Pizzeria Brandi. At this moment you could consider that place a bit of a tourist trap but it should be worth the visit just to say that you have ate in the pizzeria where the pizza was invented. There are other well known and notable pizzerias as well such as Da Michele, Di Matteo, Trianon da Ciro as well as Cafasso.

Neapolitan cuisine in general features much seafood, befitting its status as an ancient and still functioning port. You will find many sauces based on garlic sauteed in extra-virgin olive oil, tomatoes, and local red wines. Some of the sauces are arrabbiata ("angry") or fra diavolo ("brother Devil"), which means they will contain hot pepper. It's a great cuisine. Enjoy!

Mozzarella is also typical of the region, you should not miss the opportunity to taste the fresh real one!
The city and region are also famous for their pasticceria (pastries), which is often filled with ricotta cheese, among the best are:
Bar Riviera Very good sweets, from 'zeppole' to 'sfogliatelle' passing through 'babà'. Riviera di Chiaia, 181 - 081 665 026
Struffoli is the typical Christmas sweet. jaka Pastiera is the typical sweet of Easter: anyway you can find it all year long. It is made basically of ricotta cheese melted with steamed corn and sugar, and then baked.