Travel and Eating in Naples: Coffee, Pastries, and Pizza in the Bustling City

Before I took my first trip to Naples, I was told that it was a “crazy city.” I wasn’t sure what to take from that but I figured I’ve been to New York and live right by Los Angeles, how crazy could Naples be? Well, one step outside the train station and the message finally hit home..hard. There were cars and vespas jam packed in the streets and questionable characters doing even more questionable things on the sidewalks. Then, as my luck would have it, the connection on my phone goes out. I didn’t have a single bar of data signal during my entire time in Naples. No problem, I thought, I have my trusty digital map saved on my phone. Well, it turns out that a map doesn’t do you much good when there are no street signs. So there I was in the mecca of urban-Italian living lost and hungry—the worst of combinations.

When all else fails, ask the locals; that was my plan B. All of the locals I approached were extremely helpful and friendly. Although they didn’t always understand the Italian-English fusion language that I was speaking, they were very patient and helped as much as they could. I found this to be true everywhere in Italy. At first glance, you may think that the locals don’t want to have anything to do with you but upon approaching them, you get a completely different response. They have such a warm kindness that I appreciated greatly during my time in Italy.

With the locals’ help, I found my way to my first stop on the foodie train: Caffe Mexico. It seems silly to me now that I couldn’t find it at the time because this place was literally a two minute walk from the train station. You could probably even see it from the train station! Here, I paid for my coffee at the small kiosk inside and brought the ticket to the coffee bar. The workers poured me some water to start and began making my espresso. Everyone drinks coffee standing up, there are no seats. Typically, the locals are on their way to work and just need a quick caffeine boost. The coffee does the trick: strong, bold, and smooth. I absolutely loved this place. I even came back later that afternoon.

Fueled with coffee, I was ready for some morning pastries. In Naples, sfogliatelle is the specialty pastry and the place to get it is Sfogliatelle Attanasio (just minutes from Caffe Mexico). With the sfogliatelle coming straight from the oven, I had my first taste of the shell-shaped pastry with a flakey crust and filled with a sweet ricotta. What a perfect little pastry for just two euros.

The final stop is a must when in Naples: L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele. You simply can’t go to Naples without having some pizza and what better place than the oldest pizzeria in Naples? Da Michele is run by a family that began making Pizzas in 1870. Since then, they have perfected the art of making Neapolitan pizza. The place is now known far and wide thanks to Julia Roberts’ visit during the filming of Eat Pray Love. Luckily, the place hasn’t lost its charm and continues to serve pizza that, in my opinion, is the best in the world. Even with the two dining rooms, this place is small and gets packed quick. I shared my table with another party and we were elbow to elbow. Da Michele only serves pizzas two ways—marinara with just tomato sauce or margherita with cheese and basil.  They refuse to put any other “junk” on their pizzas. And why would they? The pizza was unlike anything else I’ve ever tasted. The crust was unbelievably smoky and topped with a sweet tomato sauce, fresh buffalo mozzarella, and just a touch of basil. Simple, fresh, and done right.

My experience in Naples is one that I will never forget. Aside from the unbelievable food, I recall one of the most frightening yet exciting cab rides of my life. I was lost in Naples (as I seem to always be while travelling) and resorted to taking a cab to the restaurant I was looking for. The driver zipped through the narrow streets, inches from pedestrians who were unphased by it all, made sharp turns at every corner and took shortcuts through alleyways that the car could barely squeeze through. It was insane and fun all bottled into one. 10 euros and 10 minutes of awkward giggles later, I arrived at the restaurant in one piece.

So when I mention Naples as being “crazy,” I don’t necessarily mean it in a bad way, but it is certainly different. It’s raw, in-your-face, and unapologetic, yet rustic and charming at the same time. If nothing else, it will leave an impression on you that you won’t ever forget.