ON THE TRAIL
L’ Antica Pizzeria da Michele
This lively pizzeria— famous for its cameo in the movie Eat, Pray, Love with Julia Roberts— was founded by Salvatore Condurro in 1870 and moved to its current location in 1930. The pizzeria is still owned by the fifth generation of the Condurro family and there are only four types of pizza on the menu: margherita, marinara, cosacca— which uses pecorino instead of mozzarella— and marita( half margherita, half marinara). You’ ll find a number of outposts around the world including in the U. K. and U. S., but the original in Naples is dubbed the‘ Sacred Temple of Pizza’ for good reason.
Starita
This pizzeria is considered the best place for montanara, a double-cooked pizza with a deepfried crust. Antonio Starita perfected his version of the street food classic in the 1980s, and the recipe remains a closely guarded secret. Antonio’ s grandfather founded Starita in 1901 and Antonio is still in charge, along with his wife Rosaria and their children Peppe and Mena. His menu offers dishes that are, according to him,“ based on genuine flavors that make us feel at home.” Most pizzas are inspired by family recipes, like the addictive angioletti fritti( fried pizza dough) or the horseshoe-shaped corna di Maradona, which is filled with fresh sheep’ s milk ricotta cheese.
Pizzeria Brandi
Located on the Via Chiaia in the heart of Naples, Pizzeria Brandi is decorated with a portrait of the woman who inspired its claim to fame: Queen Margherita. Although it was founded in 1760, it didn’ t rise to prominence until 1889, when, according to legend, chef Raffaele Esposito invented the margherita pizza to honor the queen during her visit to the city. The belief is that he used red tomatoes, white mozzarella and green basil as a tribute to the three colors of the Italian flag. Alongside the original, it also offers the popular quattro stagioni( four seasons) with mushroom, ham, peas and seafood, as well as salsiccia e friarielli with buffalo cheese, sausage and rapini( broccoli rabe).
SPRING 2026 • 27