I'd like to say that I fell in love with Naples the first time I visited it but, in reality, the opposite is true. I was seven years old, brought to the city by my Italian mother who had called it home for a decade, and whose love for the place, its people and its rich culture was palpable. But despite her best efforts, perfectly curated itinerary and countless stops for pizza, it was my idea of hell. Chaotic, gritty, overrun with mopeds and loud people, it was an assault on my senses – and an experience I found so intense that I avoided the city for the next 20 years.
I passed through Naples many times, but only out of necessity and as quickly as possible, in pursuit of the more glamorous dolce vita found on the nearby Amalfi Coast and the islands of Capri and Ischia. Here, I spent countless summers in comparatively quiet bliss, happily lapping up the local culture – food, ceramics and handsome men, mostly.
Sadly, this is not unusual. Naples’ reputation precedes it, and not in a good way. Having endured centuries of foreign occupation, crime and economic inequality, it has been the subject of endless fear mongering and unkind portrayals in popular culture – and generally circumvented as a result.
Read Next
But something has shifted in recent years. Suddenly, the idyllic images that fill my Instagram feed are not from Positano and Amalfi, but Naples. Shows such as My Brilliant Friend and Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy, and Paolo Sorrentino’s film The Hand of God have shown the city’s more positive and enticing side. Its decayed yet beautiful buildings appear as backdrops to high-fashion campaigns, its vibrant streets are the subjects of chic coffee-table tomes and the city’s cuisine has become the ultimate #foodporn. Along with millions of others, I even found myself obsessing over local sandwich-maker and TikTok sensation Donato de Caprio.
‘There’s definitely a more glamorous crowd that’s curious to explore Naples now,’ says Emily FitzRoy, founder of the ultra-exclusive Italian specialists Bellini Travel. ‘I can’t reveal my clients’ names, but there have been tons lately: actors, athletes, fashion insiders and members of the contemporary art scene.’
Naples seems to have cleaned up its act, leaving behind its decades-long rough patch and developing parts of the city that were once veritable ‘no-go’ zones, to finally enjoy its moment in the spotlight as one of Europe’s most exciting and vibrant destinations. Helping to lead the charge are the city’s young creatives, whose passion for their hometown has helped open it up to a new demographic.
‘Those of us who were born in Naples have gone around the world praising it and bringing it into our work,’ explains stylist and art director Riccardo Maria Chiacchio. ‘I have never meta creative who came here and wasn’t overwhelmed by the city: the chaos, the sea, the people, the sounds, the colours... It is the perfect formula for inspiration. Now, pretty much every fashion brand I work with wants to shoot in Naples, not just for its visual beauty, but because of its rawness and realness, too.’
Labels such as Vivienne Westwood, Dolce & Gabbana, Zara and Andersson Bell have recently shot campaigns on Naples’ streets, while Vogue Italia dedicated an entire issue to the city. ‘If that isn’t a sign that a place is on the up, then I don’t know what is,’ says Sam Gregg, a British photographer who has lived in Naples on and off for 10 years. ‘Interest is at an all-time high. People are no longer simply passing through, but coming specifically to see Naples for themselves.’
Gregg, along with Sam Youkilis, Ciro Pipoli, Brett Lloyd, Eleonora d’Angelo and more, has been instrumental in helping to demystify the city. Their photographs of everyday Neapolitan scenes, in all their rough-around-the-edges glory, have blown up on Instagram, and portraits of the city’s charismatic residents quickly go viral.
One of Gregg’s most-shared photos is of a local man standing in front of the sea and Mount Vesuvius, his chest emblazoned with a tattoo that reads ‘Tutto passa’ – ‘Everything passes’. ‘Post-pandemic, people are more interested in authenticity than airbrushed perfection,’ explains Gregg. ‘And authenticity is something Naples has in spades.’
Somewhere between the flat, uninspiring existence of the endless lockdowns and a new-found fascination with the placeI had for so long avoided, I decided to return. But this time, I resolved, I would approach it with an open mind – and plenty of recommendations.
I soon discovered that this was all I needed to experience the city in all its life-affirming glory. Following a tip from a fellow luxury-loving friend, I booked into the city’s foremost five-star establishment, the magnificent Grand Hotel Parker’s, which revolutionised Neapolitan tourism when it opened in 1870. Fresh from an extensive and costly refurbishment, it’s the epitome of Italian grandeur, with marble floors, classical art, a Michelin-starred restaurant, James Bond-worthy bar and a style of extravagant hospitality that hasn’t been the norm since Lenin and Virginia Woolf were guests.
Located between the well-to-do areas of Vomero and Chiaia, the hotel also boasts one of the most spectacular views in town, facing directly onto the glittering Gulf of Naples and, to the left, Vesuvius, the source of the city’s penchant for explosive passion. In short, the perfect setting for a Naples newbie to enjoy a martini and rest their head after a day in the ‘real’ city that lies beyond the hotel’s perimeter.
Buzzing from my first of the famously strong (and delicious) Neapolitan coffees, I ventured into the outside world, taking FitzRoy’s advice to simply ‘walk and walk and walk’. After a few kilometres flanking the coastline, I found myself in the tangle of cobbled roads that make up the Quartieri Spagnoli– once a much-feared neighbourhood but now one of the most vibrant parts of the city. Murals of the ‘patron saint of Naples’, Diego Maradona, are everywhere, as are artistic graffiti, love notes suspended from laundry lines, and a steady stream of hip locals enjoying spritzes in the street.
Perched outside one of the area’s many hole-in-the-wall-style bars, I delighted in observing the same everyday scenes and people I had been captivated by in the photos. While the city has made great strides to evolve and improve, it has remained resolutely the same, holding fast to the roots, traditions and population that have made it so special.
This means the prices haven’t skyrocketed (you should never pay more than €6 fora pizza Margherita or €1 for an espresso), the shops remain fiercely independent and you’ll still see clothes hanging from windows and baskets of groceries being winched up buildings, even in the most happening parts of town. These remnants of an unpolished past lend Naples an undeniably sexy edge that make it a thrilling place to be. And despite the new wave of tourists poking around, locals greet each visitor with characteristic openness and warmth, offering stories, directions and recommendations to ensure they experience the best of their city.
Admittedly, that is how I ended up on something of a wild-goose chase to sample the most-hyped spots around. For pizza, I queued for an hour to eat at the historic Sorbillo (absolutely worth it), and traipsed to the other side of town for Ciro Oliva’s creations at Concettina ai Tre Santi – pizzas so good they’re credited with single-handedly revitalising the run-down area of Rione Sanità. For a rich ragù Napoletano and fragrant Genovese pasta – ‘the way Nonna makes it’ – it was off to the tiny, tile-covered Osteria della Mattonella (book well in advance), then Caffè Gambrinus for sfogliatelle and babà.
Most recommended of all, however, was Mimì alla Ferrovia– a jewel in the grubby surroundings of the Garibaldi train station, considered by many the holy grail of Neapolitan cooking. It first opened in 1943 and has been run by descendants of the legendary Mimì ever since. Today, the kitchen is in the hands of the charismatic 32-year-old chef Salvatore Giugliano, who returned to the family business after cutting his teeth at various Michelin-starred establishments and has brought an air of contemporary cool to the traditional trattoria. ‘Come to the kitchen for a chat and ask what’s fuori menu [off menu],’ advises Giugliano – then prepare for the meal of a lifetime.
A special mention must also go to the city’s burgeoning drinks scene, where innovation elevates tradition to similarly spectacular effect. The speakeasy-style L’Antiquario has been voted one of the 50 Best Bars in the world, the just-opened Elements specialises in experimental cocktails, while Salvatore Cautero has transformed his family deli into an insider-favourite champagne bar. And a little further afield in Pomigliano d’Arco, there’s the ex-Connaught Bar mixologist Vincenzo Pagliara’s Laboratorio Folkloristico, which uses ‘local products with an international attitude and style’.
The only downside is that there aren’t enough meals or hours in the day to try it all. I finally understand why Chiacchio, the local stylist, had told me, ‘My main tip for Naples is to visit twice.’ Next time, I won’t leave it so long.
Clementina Jackson is Acting Site Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, working across news and features, trends, e-commerce and SEO. She was previously Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health, and Acting Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, where she was named as a PPA 30 Under 30 award winner for her work on size inclusivity. An experienced fashion, travel and luxury lifestyle journalist, Clementina has also written for Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Condé Nast Traveller, Tatler, Red and Italy Segreta.
