Some people pass through Naples without truly experiencing the rustic, provincial city. Perhaps they're in for the day during a Mediterranean cruise or maybe they're freaked out by the grungy Piazza Garibaldi surroundings near Naples' Central Train Station.
Let's face it - parts of Naples are dirty and chaotic. If you happen to base your opinions on first impressions, we implore you to go further and explore one of the great gems of European travel with amazing cuisine and great gelato.
Our love began for the city of Naples and Neapolitan pizza during our first visit in 2014. We felt at home with the city's charms from laundry hanging off balconies in narrow alleys to nonnas bickering in local markets. This chaos, while jarring to some, made us love the gritty Italian food city from the get go.
But, most of all, we fell in love with the best Naples pizza. In the following years, we ate great pizzas in cities like Lisbon, New York, Phoenix, Rome and Verona, but none were quite as good as the Italian pizza we ate at pizzerias in Naples Italy.
That's why we booked an apartment in 2017 and spent a month living like locals and eating pizza Napoli style almost every single day. We figured the best way to truly understand pizza from Naples Italy was to immerse ourselves in its homeland for an extended amount of time.
We feared that we might get bored with Naples pizza but that never happened. The more classic Neapolitan pizza we ate, the more pizza we craved. From neighborhood joints to some of the world's best pizzerias, we ate it all and loved every bite.
We even learned how to make Neapolitan style pizza during a fun Naples walking tour. To us, this was the ultimate Italy food travel experience.
When we returned for a third round of Naples pizza in late 2020, we re-visited our favorite pizzerias. Then we expanded our reach by eating at even more pizzerias.
We're pleased to report that our favorite pizzerias have retained their greatness. We're also pleased to report that two of the new entries in our Naples Pizza Guide rank among our favorite pizzas in Napoli.
In other words, the Naples pizza game is stronger than ever. The city's competition for 'best pizza in Naples' is fierce due to a cadre of pizzaiolos who have refined their craft over many generations and have access to amazing ingredients.
Visit 2foodtrippers to discover the best pizza shops in Naples plus tips for eating pizza in Italy like a pro.
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