Even with the best of intentions, there are only so many pizzas one can consume on a short trip to Naples - that’s why we created this post!

Keep reading to discover the best pizzas in Naples, all personally tried and tested by us.

It is almost impossible to have a bad pizza in Naples.

Culturally, it's as essential to the city's identity as Maradona, and the art of making it is recognised by UNESCO as "intangible cultural heritage". There's even an organisation dedicated to protecting the true Neapolitan pizza in Italy and worldwide!

Any pizza you've had is a spin-off of what was born in Napoli back in the 18th century as a cheap, quick meal, and it was carried to the rest of the world by Italian immigrants looking for a new life in Europe or across the Atlantic.

Simplicity, tradition, craft, and quality ingredients are key, and it’s the final two that elevate a pizza in Napoli beyond most you'll eat outside of Italy (there's a whole different conversation to be had about why not every pizza in Italy is the same, but that's for another day).

There are over a thousand pizza restaurants in the city, and Neapoltian pizza's signature soft, thin base and chewy, charred crust is standard across them. Quick to make, affordable and unpretentious, you can have it lunch or dinner, and the best and most famous restaurants still charge less than €10 for the margherita of your life.

So, you better bloody arrive here with your eating trousers on, and ditch any diet or conception of that most depressing of statements known as being 'carb-free'.

Forget your mediocre crusts, stodgy bases and overly-cheesed up takeaway versions from Domino's, Pizza Hut, Pizza Express, Papa John's, Dr Oetker's or a desperation yellow sticker deal at Tesco's when you're hungover.

Shove your 'deep dish' up your arse and, hell, even put that cool new sourdough place that's just opened up down the road to the back of your mind.

You're not here to watch your weight or just 'have a slice or two', and you need to empty your mind of pizza as you've one perceived it, as you are about to make a pilgrimage to the city of its creation and achieve something close to foodie nirvana for less than seven euro.

The sad part? After visiting Naples, few pizzas will ever taste as good as they once did.

All told, we've eaten 20 pizzas in Napoli across the two trips because 1. we love pizza 2. the pizzas are that damn good here and 3. we take our work seriously, and wanted to know which ones to recommend to you (tough gig, but these are the sacrifices we make for Along Dusty Roads readers).

To help you plan ahead, we’ve shared our personal favourites Naples pizza restaurants for your trip, plus essential advice to avoid the biggest 'faux-pas' tourists make when ordering and eating pizza in Napoli and Italy.

The only difficult choice is how many you're going to be able to squeeze in on this trip!

The BEST Naples PIZZA | Our Favourite Restaurants

Sorbillos

Discovering that the most popular pizza place in Napoli may actually do the best pizza in Napoli is a little like spending your youth listening to the Stones, and then finally having to admit that actually, the Beatles are pretty bloody good.

Whilst we would have loved to be able to tell you that the long lines and the long waits once at a table in Gino e Toto Sorbillo’s weren’t worth it, and that you should instead go around the corner or to another restaurant on this list, alas, we’d be wrong.

And you’d really be missing out.

The toppings are fairly standard fare, but that base. Man that base! We’ve had awake-dreams about that soft, chewy how-did-they-do-that-with-just-flour-and-water base at least once a week since this most recent trip to Napoli, and Sorbillo’s is the only pizzeria to which we returned twice across two trips.

It’s so thin that it resembles a crepe, and it melts in the mouth after a few chews - divine.

You can’t make reservations at Sorbillo’s, so we recommend showing up a little earlier than you’d like to eat, put your name on the list and grab a Spritz or beer from the takeaway place directly opposite (honestly, whoever set up this business is a genius, they must make a fortune!).

Your name will be called when your table’s ready, but it’s usually via a crackling speaker system, so try to pay attention. Waiting times are largely dependent upon time of day: queues will be much shorter if you go before or after the lunch/dinner rush, whilst we waited around an hour at 7.30pm on a weekday.

We’d actually go so far as to suggest eating at Sorrbillo’s is perhaps best done as an experience, rather than a dining event, so don’t be shy about eating earlier or later than usual, and feel free to ignore later Italian dining habits for this one if it saves your an hour waiting around.

Where + When | You can find Gino e Toto Sorbillo’s in the historic centre at 32 Via dei Tribunali (here on Google Maps). It’s open 12-11.30pm (Monday-Saturday), but closes at 4pm on Sundays.

It’s very important to note that there are a surprisingly large number of pizzerias with similar sounding names on Tribunali. Some are likely legit shoot-offs from other family members, but we think some others may be playing on the name and tourist confusion. Be sure to head to the correct one!

On this last visit, we spotted a proper branch of Sorbillo’s down by the waterfront too (maps), which may be a better pick for some and may not involve such a long wait time as the historic centre flagship.

Plan | 19 Wonderful Things To Do in Naples

L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele

Still run by the same family, the more than 150 year old L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele is famed - both locally and internationally - for creating what many people say is the best pizza in all of Napoli.

And as Napoli is renowned for being home to the best pizza in the world, it surely follows that Da Michele must the best pizza you can anywhere on God’s green earth?

Whilst their pizzas are undeniably dreamy, had Da Michele not been made internationally famous by the book and film Eat Pray Love, we’re not 100% certain it would be quite so busy; the queues here are longer than anywhere else in the city seemingly irrespective of when you choose to show up.

It’s a huge tourist draw.

Indeed, queueing for a pizza here is a test of endurance and determination; there’s nothing like standing in a slow-moving line that stretches around the block whilst the smell of just out of the fire dough and cheesy goodness wafts forth from the door to test your willpower to not forget all the social niceties and indulge in a little queue jumping (and that says a lot coming from a pair of Brits!).

Once you’re finally granted a seat at the table, you have just one question to answer: margherita or marinara? Recognising that the joy of a well-cooked pizza doesn’t require lashings of toppings, they’ve only ever served two types, either of which will arrive on your table in a matter of minutes.

The joys of being a tourist attraction means that this is one well-oiled machine, and not a place to linger afterward.

So, the question you’re now probably wondering is whether one of your precious pizza-related excursions in Napoli should be spent here?

Our answer is simple: if you’re in Naples for a few days, we’d absolutely recommend heading to Da Michele, but if you’re only here for a night or two and want to make the most of everything else the city has to offer, pick another on this list and be happy knowing that it really is nearly impossible to find a bad pizza in Napoli!

Where + When | You can find L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele at 1 Via Cesare Sersale (here on Google Maps). It’s open 11am11pm seven days a week.

Plan // Want to go behind the scenes? If you’d like to make your very own pizza in Naples, consider this super popular class with a local Pizzaiolo (that’s a proper pizza chef!).

Kalo 50

Located a relatively long walk along the Lungomare, in an area of Napoli that feels quite unlike Napoli, logistics means that Kalo 50 isn’t going to be on many first-time visitor’s itineraries.

Indeed, it took a second return to the home of pizza for us to make it out to this prestigious pizzeria.

Opened less than 10 years ago by a third-generation master pizzaiolo (a chap called Ciro Salvo), what sets this particular spot apart from the hundreds like it across the city is the extremely hydrated, and impeccably light dough.

Throw in his seasonal and local produce, and refusal to place a single bad quality ingredient upon the base, and the result is a bounty of awards and rankings that put many similarly popular Neapolitan pizzerias to shame (Kalo 50 is one of only six in all of Italy to make it into the country’s Michelin Guide).

Oh, also, there’s hardly any tourists.

Indeed, eating at Kalo 50 has more of restaurant vibe to it; instead of somewhere you nip into for quick pizza and coke, surrounded by decor that has changed very little in the intervening 30 years, a meal here feels like an event.

Part of that is the clientele (as we mentioned this area is very different, and much wealthier that central Napoli), but it’s also a vibe that extends to the waiters, service, even the table set-up.

Where + When | You can find 50 Kalo in the pretty Piazza Sannazaro (here on Google Maps)

As we mention in the main destination guide - 19 Wonderful Things To Do In Napoli - it’s a good idea to have lunch here after a slow walk along the coastal promenade with views of Vesuvius.

Pizza & Babà

This pizza restaurant wasn’t on our radar until our latest trip to Napoli, when we joined a ‘Secrets of Pizza’ tour to learn about all the beautiful ingredients, passion, and skills that goes into making a simple margherita.

Pizza & Baba was not one, but two stops on that tour. The first was to appreciate the process of making the dough, the months that go into a pizzaiolo learning his trade, and to learn why many great pizza lovers and makers will never believe that an electric oven can produce anything other than mediocre pizza!

It was also the restaurant to which we returned to enjoy the finished product - and enjoy we did!

A soft, chewy base, a delicious tomato sauce and just a small smattering of mozzarella (in our humble opinion, too much cheese, and you loose the fresh taste of the sun-ripened tomatoes).

Surprisingly, this pizzeria doesn’t feature on any must-eat lists, or have a well-known and notable history; but the pictures of all the Italian footballers and celebs on the wall means it’s definitely got a reputation!

Where + When | Find Pizza & Baba on Via Montecalvario, just on the periphery of the Spanish Quarter (here on Google Maps)

Open 11.30 am-midnight, seven days a week.

Plan | You can find out more about the Secrets of Pizza tour here, or you may prefer this highly-rated this 2.5 hour Naples street food tour.

Concettina Ai Tre Santi

One of the newer, more modern pizzeries on this list, Tre Santi is found in one of our favourite neighbourhoods in Naples: Rione Sanita

The father and son team of Antonio and Ciro pride themselves on maintaining tradition in the food they serve, whilst daring to adding something different and experiment with ingredients. This means Tre Santi is a good option to come and try a different topping to the classic margerita and marinara after you’ve wandered around the streets of this lesser-visited neighbourhood.

Where + When | Pizzeria Concettina ai Tre Santi is in the Rione Sanita neighbourhood, and you can find it here on Google Maps. It’s open 10.30 am–11.30 pm, seven days a week.

Plan | The 7 Best Day Trips from Napoli (published soon)

Starita

Our first visit to Napoli in early October was marred by bad weather, and so it was soaked through and shivering with a hastily bought, wholly inadequate umbrella that we sought respite through the doors of Starita, one of the oldest pizzerias in Napoli.

Family-run since its opening way back in 1901, Starita is famous for two reasons: firstly, it’s from here that Sophia Loren sells fried pizza in Vittorio De Sica’s classic1950’s movie L’Oro di Napoli, and secondly, well, they make a bloody good pizza.

So good in fact that this was the pizzeria chosen by the Vatican to serve pizza to Pope John Paul II.

We ordered the Verace (like a margherita but with super-sweet datterino cherry tomatoes) and the Romana, but for a truly authentic experience consider the indulgent Montanara Starita.

This crispy on the outside, soft on the inside beauty, created by Don Antonio back in the 1980s, is the house speciality and a wonderful combo of the standard Neapolitan pizza and the street snack, pizza fritta. The trick is the double cooked dough: the base is fried and then topped with Neapolitan sauce, smoked provola cheese, Pecorino Romano and basil before going back into the fire.

Where + When | You can find Starita on 27/28 Via Materdei (here on Google Maps). Open12–3.30 pm and then again from 7-11.30 pm. Closed Mondays.

It’s a good idea to pair it with your visit to the Catacombs of San Gennaro and/or Museo di Capodimonte.

Antica Pizzeria di Matteo

A fixture on Via Tribunali since 1936, the heart of the historical centre, you’ll find more tourists in Pizzeria Di Matteo than locals, and there’s usually a queue at lunchtime at its street-facing takeaway counter for pizza frita (this is the only restaurant on this list with a street window as well as a restaurant).

This popularity was definitely spurred on by President Bill Clinton popping in for a slice when Naples hosted the G7 in 1994, but the pizzas certainly still merit your attention.

Instead of queuing, we headed upstairs to the old school restaurant where the service was a little brisk, most people were scandalously only sharing a single €4 pizza between two, and they add a compulsory 5% service charge to all orders, but the turnaround is quick.

If hungry and in doubt when wandering along Via Tribunali, this is a predictable but dependable shout!

Where + When | Find Antica Pizzeria di Matteo here on Google Maps. Open 10am-11pm Monday to Friday, closed on Sundays.

Pizzeria Da Attilio

A family-run restaurant with traditional interiors plucked straight from a filmset, this is the place we had our first ever proper pizza in Naples (and where we first realised that locals value pizza as much if not more than the tourists, and that Italians love a margherita).

The walls are adorned with famous diners and doodles on napkins, and the star-shaped signature with ricotta in the crust is the one to go for if you’re feeling adventurous (and hungry).

As it’s on the same street as Mercato della Pignasecca, it makes sense to stop by after your morning exploring that or the nearby Spanish Quarter, but there can be a wait involve for peak lunchtime.

Where + When | Find Pizzeria Da Attiolio here on Google Maps.

It’s open 12–3.30 pm and 7–11.30 pm Tuesday to Saturday. Open for dinner only on Mondays, and closed on Sundays.

Know // One oft-told but sometimes disputed legend about pizza in the city goes back to 1889, and the creation of a pizza to honour the visiting Queen Margherita of Savoy; the ingredients or tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil represented the Italian flag and her name would forever be associated with the most classic of orders. Pizzeria Brandi - the oldest pizzeria in Naples and place that gave birth to the legend - is still open! You can find it here on Google Maps, a short walk from the Royal Palace.

The Etiquette of Eating Pizza In Naples

As with much of Italian culture, there are a few unwritten rules when it comes to how you eat a pizza in Napoli:

No matter how hungry you may or may not be, it is one pizza per person. We’ve seen so many foreign tourists sharing pizzas in restaurants, and quite apart from the fact that we don’t understand why you’d want to share, given that you most margheritas cost less than €6, taking up an entire table in a busy restaurant and then only ordering one cheap meal is bad form. Trust us when we say, you’ll be amazed at how easily a pizza that arrives pouring over the side of the plate can be consumed by one person in a single sitting.
Coke or beer. These are the only two drinks that should be consumed alongside your pizza. You can enjoy a chilled bottle of sparkling or still water at a push, but absolutely no wine (no matter how much you enjoy it!). And don’t you dare pair an Aperol Spritz with your meal!
We used to believe that all Italians ate their pizzas with a knife and fork, but following this recent trip and the Secrets of Pizza Tour , we have been assured that slicing it, folding it and eating by hand is just as acceptable, and often preferable for the super thin Neapolitan pizza.
Whilst we have definitely seen lots of locals eating only the central part of the pizza, if you don’t devour the crust, you’re missing the best bit!
You’ll find that most menus have quite a surprisingly large number of possible toppings, but don’t be afraid to just stick to the standard margherita. It’s the most popular for a reason, only costs €4-8, and is a firm favourite with Italians. We think it also allows you to really appreciate the San Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella!

Napoli PIZZA MAKING CLASSes & FOOD TOURS

If you want to go deeper into the art, tradition, and makers of Neapolitan pizza, then there are a handful of excellent highly-rated specialist tours available.

We joined this Secrets of Pizza Tour to gain an understanding of the ingredients and love that goes into a pizza, but if you’d like to make your very own, consider this super popular class with a local Pizzaiolo (that’s a proper pizza chef!).

Alternatively, if you’d prefer to sample a wide variety of Naples’ culinary delights, this 2.5 hour street food tour has literally thousands of excellent reviews and includes a visit to a limoncello factory, a gelato stop, traditional snacks and sweet treats such as taralli, babà and sfogliatelle, fresh mozzarella and sausages plus - of course - various types of pizza. Find out more here (or book on Viator if you’d prefer).