5 Best Restaurants in Naples, Italy

Chic and charming Da Cicciotto corrals more than a few members of the city's fashionable set—if you dine here, there's a fair chance you'll find a Neapolitan count or off-duty film star enjoying this jewel with a tiny stone terrace (with seats and a canopy) that overlooks a pleasant anchorage. You can also opt for the large covered patio across the way and appreciate the outdoor setting at either lunch or dinner. Don't even bother with a menu—just start digging into the sublime antipasti and go with the waiter's suggestions. Cicciotto sits at the end of the same long winding road that leads to the famed 'A Fenestella restaurant and shoreline.

This restaurant is perched overlooking a beach in Posillipo near the end of a long winding side road, and has long capitalized on its location. The landmark also comes with its own piece of Neapolitan folklore: in the 19th century the owner's great-grandmother Carolina was one day standing at the window (fenestella in the local dialect) and was spotted by musician Salvatore Di Giacomo below, thus inspiring the Neapolitan folk song "Marechiaro." Today, the restaurant is straightforwardly traditional, with comfortable decor and the usual suspects on the menu.

If you're trying to keep to a budget but want to enjoy a seafood feast alongside the yachts of the Borgo Marinaro harbor, head to this former tobacco store. While your eyes feast on all the pretty boats, the Lungomare hotels, the Castel dell'Ovo, and Vesuvius, you can savor classic Neapolitan seafood spaghetti or an impepata di cozze (mussels with pepper and garlic). Or just opt for the special made with the fish of the day.

Despite its location up an unpromising-looking vicolo (alley) off the Riviera di Chiaia, this small restaurant has achieved cult status for its seafood platters. It's remarkable what owner-chef Renato can produce in his tiny kitchen: start with linguine alla Dora, laden with local seafood and fresh tomatoes, and perhaps follow up with grilled pezzogna (blue-spotted bream). Like many restaurants on the seafront, Dora has its own guitarist on busy nights, who is often robustly accompanied by the kitchen staff.

Within the picturesque Borgo Marinaro harbor, in the shadow of Castel dell'Ovo, it's as if you're eating aboard a transatlantic cruise ship. With the Bay of Naples nearby and Vesuvius in the background, you can understand the nautical decor, blue tablecloths, and the menu abrim with fish delicacies. (Foodies should also note that this was the site of the Roman villa of Lucullus, the moneyed aristocrat famous for his passion for luxurious dining.) A best bet is the schiaffoni with astice and pescatrice (large flat tube pasta with lobster and angler fish), or one of the tasty pizzas, but leave room for the dolce of the day (great house-made tiramisu or pear cake with ricotta). If after one too many limoncellos you feel like crashing, just head upstairs and book one of the bright and airy guest rooms in the hotel.