Naples, Italy
Naples is an intense place. It’s chaotic, a bit rough around the edges and, at times, overwhelming. But it’s also one of my favourite cities in the world. The energy, the food, the sense of life everywhere you look. It’s brilliant and, I think, hugely underrated.
If you want something polished and put-together, go to Milan. If you want some of the best food you’ll ever eat, go to Naples. Naples is a no frills great time.
Most people pass through Naples on their way to the Amalfi Coast, maybe staying a night at most. We did the opposite and did four full days in Naples and just one in Sorrento. I’m so glad we did.
Our first night set the tone. We ended up in a small, family-run restaurant and had the best garlic, chilli and olive oil pasta I’ve ever eaten. I don’t know the name, I didn’t take a photo and I’ll probably never find it again. Some of the best food you’ll eat will be completely unplanned.
From the moment we arrived, we threw ourselves into the city. We walked up and down Spaccanapoli (the long, narrow street that cuts through the centre) over and over again. For three days, we just wandered, ate and took everything in. The old town, the Spanish quarter. Washing hanging between buildings, people shouting across balconies, food being sold on the street. It’s loud, busy, and full of life.
Of course, we ate a lot of pizza and it was as good as you’d expect. They say that it is the mineral balance in the water here that makes the dough so perfect. But what surprised me most was everything else. The pasta especially, with rich ragùs, huge portions, deep and slow-cooked flavours. I’ve genuinely never eaten better sauce. I tried Pasta alla Genovese for the first time, full of rich beef and absolutely heaps of savoury onions. The ragu pasta at Tandem is ungodly and I still rue the day I didn’t buy sauce to smuggle back in my luggage.
We took a day trip out to Pompeii, which completely lived up to expectations. The scale of it is incredible, you can walk for hours and still feel like you’ve only scratched the surface. Afterwards we stumbled on the most delicious Rum Baba of our lives.
Another day, we got the slow train out to Sorrento and spent the afternoon doing very little but drinking Aperol, looking out at the sea and enjoying the change of pace. It’s absolutely worth doing, especially if you go in October like we did. The weather was still warm, but without the peak-season crowds. A much more enjoyable and relaxing experience, without the hordes of the summer.
On our final day, we made it our mission to eat as many cannoli as possible.
Naples isn’t neat or polished, but that’s exactly why it’s so good. It feels real, full of character and completely itself. If you’re interested in Italian culture, you have to come south as well as north. That’s where the soul is.
