National Geographic Traveller (UK) - Food
THE STAIRS & SUBWAY
Naples is woven with more than 200 staircases and stairways, linking various areas of this hilly city. Fuel up for a day exploring them at Ventimetriquadri, which, as its name suggests, is an intimate, 20-by-four-metre space. Order one of its excellent speciality espresso or pour-over coffees, and linger here in the affluent hilltop district of Vomero where you can gaze across the city, as far as the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius, then explore the medieval fortress Castel Sant’elmo.
From here, it takes 20 minutes to descend — via the Pedamentina, a system of 414 steps — to Corso Vittorio Emanuele to visit its high-end boutiques and specialist shops, including bakery Antica Forneria Molettieri, whose puff pastry prussiane biscuits are the standout. Ride the funicular back up to Vomero to wander through the parkland surrounding
Villa Floridiana, one of Naples’ few remaining neo-classical residences. Then order pasta with lentils at nearby Trattoria Buatta, which also has a great wine list and a cosy setting in an authentic Neapolitan basso (a small, groundfloor apartment). Take the metro from nearby Piazza Vanvitelli directly to Toledo: one of the world’s most theatrical underground stations, whose psychedelic walls and ceilings mean it resembles a giant, ethereal swimming pool. This is the jumping-off point for Pignasecca, the city’s largest market, whose Neapolitan smells and colours unfold through narrow alleys full of locals shopping for fish, fruit and vegetables (don’t miss the Amalfi Coast lemons). At Friggitoria Fiorenzano, sample fritto misto (fried seafood) and offal dishes such as o per e o musso, a salad of pig’s feet, calf’s snout and tripe seasoned with plenty of salt and lemon — one of Italy’s oldest dishes.
For dinner, opt for fine dining at
Michelasso, near the Galleria Umberto I shopping arcade. The restaurant reinterprets classics like ziti spezzati alla genovese, done here with a touch of cinnamon. Or hop in a taxi to another pizza pilgrimage spot,
Diego Vitagliano, next to the port, where the so-called ‘king of dough’ perfects pizzas, including specials topped with ragu.