A visit to Naples cannot be said to be complete if it does not include a tour of the alleys of the Quartieri Spagnoli. This is the perfect place to go if you are undecided about where to eat.
Leaving behind the name of dangerous neighborhood, today there are thousands of tourists who wander those streets to get to know one of the most authentic parts of the city and enjoy traditional Neapolitan dishes.
Just a stone’s throw from the Toledo metro, the Quartieri Spagnoli has a peculiarity. In these streets you can see a perfect mixture of different cultures. People of all ages and backgrounds gather to have a spritz in company and chat, among churches and buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Perhaps not many people know, however, that this neighborhood is also home to delightful trattorias, pizzerias and reserved places to enjoy traditional Neapolitan dishes.
The best places to stop before eating in the Quartieri Spagnoli
If it is still too early to sit down to dinner but enough time has passed since lunch, then it is just the time to have a good aperitif. There are several well-known places to stop and have a spritz, from the very renowned Cammarota or Tony Spritz via Lello Spritz or Pisadog. They can be accompanied by tarallini or chips that can be purchased from nearby stands..
If, on the other hand, you are looking for a place to enjoy a good tagliere of typical regional cold cuts and cheeses, with excellent buffalo mozzarella and fresh vegetables, you can go to Spuzzulè. You can taste here different types of Campania wines and craft bee. Also at Il Grillo, in the heart of the Spanish quarters where you can enjoy a wide variety of cocktails accompanied by good music and the friendliness of the staff.
And where to go to eat instead?
Impossible not to stop for lunch or dinner at the typical trattoria Nennella if you are in the Quartieri Spagnoli. Soon the location will move not far away, to Piazza Carità, but in any case the ever-present waiting line to get in will always be worth it. Indeed, at modest prices (fixed-price menus also available) it is possible to enjoy the very famous pasta and potatoes, highlight of the house. You can taste meatballs with meat sauce, parmigiana and whatever else the Neapolitan culinary tradition provides as well. Included in the price is the show the waiters put on by including customers in their skits.
A little further on there is the trattoria Antica Capri, at 110 Via Speranzella. Welcomed by a domestic atmosphere. You can taste -among other typical dishes- the house specialty: pasta e fagioli alla pescatora. This is cooked in the legan oven and served in the earthenware crock covered with pizza dough.
Not far away, at Vico Santa Maria delle Grazie a Toledo 7 Via Speranzella 19, is Trattoria Da Concetta, where you can sample tasty dishes and generous portions at modest prices. Everything is prepared and served by a welcoming and cheerful staff that will welcome you in an explosion of colors and flavors.
Among the various pizzerias in the Quartieri Spagnoli, Pizzeria Ciccio Fri presents itself as an excellent solution for those who want to enjoy every kind of pizza, from fried to portfolio or classic. It will be difficult to make a selection among the many traditional appetizers offered. Choice is among frittatas, crocchè and fried seafood. Indecision among typical Neapolitan dishes such as genovese, parmigiana, but also burrata or the typical scialatielli is strong.
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