Top 10 coffee bars in Naples

In Naples it's hard to find a bar that doesn't know how to make a good coffee, but there are certainly some worth stopping at, and sometimes not just for a great espresso, but also for a cornetto, a brioche or a sfogliatella (Neapolitan filled pastry).

by Alessia Giannino

Coffee, in Naples, comes before anything else.

The morning cannot begin without first drinking the perfect Neapolitan espresso in its piping-hot little cup. You wake up to its scent filling the house or, for those not in too much of a hurry, you might fancy breakfast out, enjoying a professionally made one.

Here follows the top 10 best bars in Naples.

1. Gran Caffè Gambrinus: one of the city's most important bars. A historic venue, literary café, frequented by illustrious names: from Oscar Wilde to Ernest Hemingway, from Matilde Serao to Gabriele D'Annunzio, from Princess Sissi to Benedetto Croce. A magical place, where you'll feel as though you've sat down and travelled back in time. Excellent coffee and a wide choice of pastries.
2. Chalet Ciro: an institution for Neapolitans, Chalet Ciro has, since 1952, never stopped amazing its customers with the excellent quality of its products, the freshness of its sweets and the intense aroma of its coffee. Anyone strolling along the seafront simply must stop at this delightful chalet. The graffa (Neapolitan doughnut), freshly fried, comes highly recommended.
3. Gran Caffè Neapolis: this bar is located in the heart of the Historic Centre, in Piazza San Domenico Maggiore, and prepares one of the best coffees in Naples. Creamy and fragrant, with a unique flavour. The cornetti (croissants) and sweets, especially the sfogliatella riccia (the crispy, layered version of the classic Neapolitan pastry), also deserve praise.
4. Gran Bar Franco: in the busiest part of Fuorigrotta, on Viale Augusto, this bar makes choosing difficult for its customers every single day with its wide range of coffee and pastries. Cornetti and brioches of every kind, filled in dozens of different ways. Not to mention the coffee prepared by Fabio with the “cremina” (the traditional whipped coffee cream topping): simply too good.
5. Agrillo: this tiny little bar is located in Mergellina, on Via Giordano Bruno, and in the morning the unmistakable aroma of its coffee wakes up the whole street. What's more, its pastries are exquisite, made with quality ingredients, tasty, fragrant and soft all at once. For decades now, Sunday just isn't the same without Agrillo's sweets on Neapolitan tables — so sought-after that the crowds are often forced to take a numbered ticket.
6. Vincenzo Bellavia: this bar has four branches, famous above all for its excellent pastries. Sfogliatelle, babà and pastiere are certainly delicious, but the coffee is really good too. Present in Naples for almost a hundred years, it never disappoints its customers.
7. Bar Cimmino: two branches, one on Via Petrarca and the other on Via Filangieri. Both, therefore, in the areas of “Napoli bene” (Naples' more affluent, upmarket quarters). This now-historic bar is a meeting spot for countless young people. Very good sweets and coffee.
8. Caffetteria Serpentone: drinking a good coffee while taking in the breathtaking view over Via Petrarca is reason enough to visit this bar. A sight that everyone should witness at least once in their life. Very good coffee, and the pastries are also excellent, especially the brioches. Very crowded in the evening, mostly with young people.
9. Lucrezio Cafè: for some years now this has been one of the most popular spots in Naples, whether in the morning for breakfast, or in the evening for a drink or a slice of cake. The coffee is good, and there's a wide range of types available. The terrace overlooking the gulf is the icing on the cake.
10. Ranieri Art Coffee (formerly Etoile): this bar has three branches in Naples, one of which is in Pozzuoli, where you can enjoy a beautiful view while sipping a coffee and eating a cornetto. The bar, very popular in the evening too, offers a wide choice of sweets and drinks.