Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DINING FOR ALL TASTES
It is often said that you can eat better in Southern Italy than anywhere else in
Europe. Indeed, the food in Naples is virtually always fresh, recipes are original,
and presentation is generally spectacular. Sun-ripened tomatoes and buffalo moz-
zarella (made from water-buffalo milk), capers, and unique pastas like cavatelli
(made with only durum wheat and water) are popular on most menus. In Naples,
a classic dish is
spaghettini alla puttanesca,
made with fresh tomatoes, garlic,
anchovies, capers, and olives. Grilled swordfish and shellfish are also standard fare,
and grilled cheeses and a wide variety of vegetables, from eggplant to wild chicory,
round out most menus. Desserts in the south tend to focus on candied fruits and
nuts, or on the old standby: gelato.
In general, reservations are rarely required in Naples mostly because no one
ever seems to answer the phone to take them. I've marked below the restaurants
you should attempt to call first to secure a place. For a
map of Naples's restau-
rants,
see p. 486.
RESTAURANTS IN THE HISTORICAL CENTER
€
If your idea of a typical Neapolitan trattoria is a tiny restaurant with small
tables piled high with good food,
Antica Trattoria da Carmine
55
(Via dei
Tribunali, 330;
%
081-294383)
should be your first stop, especially if your time
in Naples is short. It's only open for lunch, but after eating here you won't need
more than a sliver of pizza for dinner. The restaurant will serve only what's in sea-
son, and then only if it's fresh—which means that the menu is usually pretty slim.
That being said, portions are hefty, and the tabs are low, with most
primi
going
for just
5. The chef has been known to come out of the kitchen after you've
ordered to explain that he's run short of an ingredient or is unhappy with a piece
of fish, and to tell you what you should order instead. Take his advice: This is
exactly the type of experience you came to Naples for.
€
€
One of the strangest and most wonderful dining experiences you may have
in the heart of the old center of Naples will be at
Campagnoli
555
(Via dei
Tribunali, 47;
%
081-459034).
When you walk in the door, you'll be sure you've
made a mistake (or, more likely, that I've made a mistake in recommending this
place), but wander past the rows of dusty wine bottles to the back dining room
and rouse the owners from their television program or poker game to get you a
table. The food is incredibly simple, but so fresh, so flavorful, and so authentic it's
impossible to be disappointed (especially considering that not one of the
primi
is
over
5). You can't reserve here, so Saturday nights, when the locals show up in
full force, are best avoided. Don't be surprised if they ask you to write your own
bill from the chalkboard listings on the side wall.
€
55
(Via Monte di Dio,
78;
%
081-7644981; reservations recommended)
or the similar
Trattoria San
Ferdinando
Do not even dream of coming to either
Amici Miei
€€
(Via Nardones, 117;
%
081-421964)
without an appetite. These
are classic Neapolitan restaurants—copious helpings, service with a twinkle in the
eye—and you'll talk about them long after your trip. The house pasta at Amici
Miei is the
paccheri Amici Miei
for
55
8, made with eggplant and ultracreamy
Gorgonzola sauce. Grilled meats are the other specialty.
€
