According to the Neapolitan proverb ‘Meglio Murì sazzio about campà diùno“It is better to die full than to live hungry. Eating and drinking here is a ritual that has connected the city’s districts for centuries – on the streets in the form of pizza al portafoglio, on the tables of trattorias as plates of pasta, potatoes and provola cheese, and at the counter of bars where espresso is served all day long. Neapolitan food is part of the city’s vitality and one of its defining aspects.

Naples is also the Italian city that has evolved the most in recent decades, especially when it comes to food and drink. Diners can choose from an endless array of options, including fusion cuisine, fine dining and Neapolitan street food – the latter being a smorgasbord of delicacies such as the Neapolitan Panino (a sandwich made of soft bread filled with sausage and cheese), Subscribe (stuffed pizza) and fried pizza from restaurants like La Masardona in Piazza Vittoria.

Neapolitan chefs who have proven their skills abroad are returning. Among them are Marco Ambrosino, whose Mediterranean restaurant Sustanza opened last May, and Gianluca D’Agostino – previously of London’s Locanda Locatelli – with his new, fun restaurant and tapas bar Joca.

Of course, nothing can displace pizza as the traditional soul of Naples, but new chefs are doing their best to support its development. At Bro Pizzeria, a family of Pizzaioli (pizza maker) has spent five generations perfecting the crispiest dough. Standout varieties include Cosacca (topped with tomato sauce and pecorino) and seasonal pizzas like Assoluto di Zucca, topped with pumpkin prepared four different ways.

Neapolitan cuisine began as a mix of ideas and ingredients, the result of centuries of encounters between people who came and went to this once mighty port city. Here, the South American tomato became the most Italian of all fruits. Today, Chinese and Japanese cuisines are mixed with Neapolitan dishes to create, perhaps surprisingly, perfect fusion cuisine. For example, Mimì Alla Ferrovia, one of Naples’ historic trattorias, serves Ragù alla Genovese in a bao bun filled with beef braised for five hours, topped with a Caesar sauce enriched with mustard and basil.

Yes, this is the gateway to the Amalfi Coast and the archaeological site of Pompeii, but Naples is also a city that is quickly transforming into one of the world’s most fascinating gastronomic destinations, a place to be discovered bite by bite as ordered chaos and baroque wonder unfold around you.

How to spend a day in Sanità and the historic center

On the northern edge of the historic city centre, Sanità – once a run-down neighbourhood – is enjoying a food renaissance. In the last decade, new restaurants such as Ciro Oliva’s Pasticceria Poppella and Isabella De Cham Pizza Fritta have begun to attract Neapolitans and tourists and reshape Sanità’s character, while Pizzeria Concettina ai Tre Santi adopted a policy of only employing staff from the immediate area and funding cooking classes for underprivileged local children.

Breakfast is a must in Pasticceria Poppellawhich sells a modern classic of Neapolitan pastry, the Fiocco di Neve (“snowflake”), balls of dough dusted with powdered sugar and filled with ricotta.

Explore bustling streets and alleys, including Via San Gregorio Armeno, where you can buy a cornetto, the chilli-shaped Neapolitan good luck charm that adorns everything from keychains to jewelry. Head towards the Naples Cathedralwhere the venerated relic of San Gennaro is kept. Across the street you will find Januariusa trattoria that recently received its first Michelin star. It’s known for its traditional Campanian-style cuisine, including zito spezzato alla genovese (pasta in a rich beef and onion ragu) and baccalà con scarola (stockfish with Neapolitan chicory). Before you leave, stock up on charcuterie and cheese in the restaurant’s delicatessen section.

On the Spaccanapoli, the street that divides the city in two, Cornogelato sells excellent gelato. Or go for an aperitif in Hotel Piazza Bellini’s lovely courtyard bar; nearby The Fesseria Street Bar makes a great Pummarola (a Bloody Mary with tequila and mezcal instead of vodka). In the lively Piazza San Domenico, Palazzo Petrucci Pizzeria sells small fried pizzas, including a perfect marinara with organic tomatoes, basil, oregano and garlic.

How to spend a day on stairs and in the subway

Naples is crisscrossed with more than 200 stairs and stairwells connecting different areas of this hilly city. Fill up with energy for a day of exploring. Valve metric quadriwhich, as the name suggests, is an intimate 20 by 4 meter room. Order one of the excellent espresso or filter coffees and linger here in the affluent hilltop district of Vomero, from where you can look out over the city to the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius. Then explore the medieval fortress Sant’Elmo Castle.

From here, it takes 20 minutes to descend via the Pedamentina, a system of 414 steps, to Corso Vittorio Emanuele to visit the high-end boutiques and specialty shops, including a bakery. Antica Forneria MolettierIwhose puff pastry, Prussian biscuits, are the highlight. Take the cable car back to Vomero and stroll through the parkland around Villa Floridianaone of the few remaining neoclassical residences in Naples. Then order pasta with lentils at the nearby Trattoria Buattawhich also offers a great wine list and a cozy ambience in an authentic Neapolitan basso (a small ground floor apartment).

Take the metro from nearby Piazza Vanvitelli directly to Toledo: one of the most theatrical metro stations in the world, whose psychedelic walls and ceilings make it resemble a giant, ethereal swimming pool. This is the starting point for Pignaseccathe largest market in the city, whose Neapolitan smells and colors unfold through narrow streets full of locals buying fish, fruit and vegetables (don’t miss the lemons of the Amalfi Coast). Fiorenzano Frying Salontry fritto misto (fried seafood) and offal dishes such as O Per Eo Musso, a salad of pig’s feet, veal snout and tripe seasoned with plenty of salt and lemon – one of Italy’s oldest dishes.

For dinner, choose a fine dinner in the Michelassonear the Galleria Umberto I shopping arcade. The restaurant reinterprets classics such as Ziti Spezzati alla Genovese, here with a pinch of cinnamon. Or hop in a taxi to another pizza pilgrimage site, Diego Vitaglianonext to the harbor, where the so-called “King of Dough” prepares the perfect pizza, including specialties with ragout topping.

Where to find the best pizza in Naples

Arguably the world’s most famous pizza, the Margherita, has been made in Naples since the first half of the 19th century. The Mastunicola, topped with oregano, lard and basil, is even older, dating back to 1600. The innovations introduced over time are tweaks rather than innovations, and the pizza represents the city’s culinary past, present and future. Masters of the art spend years figuring out how much water works best, changing flour types and baking times to create different doughs. The current innovators, the Salvo brothers, make classic versions at Pizzeria Salvo in the Chiaia district, but uses two types of flour and seasonal ingredients. Six different types of local tomatoes top the Pizza ai 6 Pomodori, while the Dream Meat is served with Fior di Latte d’Agerola cheese, young onions, chopped Angus beef, grated lemon peel, Sarawak pepper and basil.

Ciro Oliva’s Pizzeria, Concettina ai Tre Santiuses dough made from wheat and cereals, selected for their more digestible properties. And Ciro’s in-depth study of dough specialties has resulted in no fewer than five different types of Margherita on the menu. Another encounter between science and art can be found at Ciro Salvo’s 50 KalòThe generous amount of water in the dough ensures an extremely light crust.