18 Best Restaurants in Chiaia, Santa Lucia, and Nearby, Naples

In the evening, this fourth-generation fish shop becomes a trendy spot to enjoy an aperitif and a light meal. If you want to experience superb Neapolitan sushi and cold wine while sitting on a buoy stool, get here early: service is 7:30 pm–10:30 pm. A full fish lunch is served Tuesday–Sunday.

Run by the Di Porzio family since 1916, Umberto is one of the city's classic restaurants, combining the classiness of its neighborhood, Chiaia, and the friendliness one finds in other parts of Naples. Try the paccheri 'do tre dita ("three-finger" pasta with octopus, tomato, olives, and capers); it bears the nickname of the original Umberto, who happened to be short a few digits. Owner Massimo and sisters Lorella and Roberta (Umberto's grandchildren) are all wine experts and oversee a fantastic cellar. Note that Umberto has been catering to diners with a gluten allergy, as well as to vegetarians for years.

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.

Favored by meat eaters who can't abide another bite of bream, this dimly lit cozy dining den is known for dishes such as tender carpaccio with fresh artichoke hearts. There are also excellent house-made pasta selections, including orecchiette with chickpeas or alla barese (with chewy green turnips), but the highlights are the extravagant grilled meat plates. Finish up with a babà or slice of pastiera for desert.

A fave with Via dei Mille shoppers is Bar Guida, which offers you not only the luxury of being able to sit down, but also has a decent range of savory light meals.

Located in the shadow of Castel dell'Ovo, Caffè Megaride is a romantic outdoor setting for a snack and a coffee or aperitif. Take a break at one of the tables and gaze at Mt. Vesuvius beyond the masts of the nearby luxury yachts.

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.

For excellent pizza and a spectacular view, head to this hip little pie palace on the seaside promenade, on the corner of a street that includes more than 20 restaurants and bars. Locally grown or made peppers, olives, basil, prosciutto, ricotta, mozzarella, and other ingredients top a masterful wood-fired crust made with the lievito madre yeast starter. Nearly as tasty and just as tempting are such sinfully delicious snacks as the frittatina di maccheroni (macaroni frittata) and the potato croquettes. Enjoy them all, then walk along the lungomare to digest. In good weather there are few nicer places for people-watching and pizza eating than the outdoor patio at Gino Sorbillo.

Connoisseurs often say the most refined pastries in town can be found at Gran Caffè Cimmino. Many of the city's lawyers congregate here, to celebrate or commiserate with crisp, light cannoli; airy lemon eclairs; choux paste in the form of a mushroom laced with chocolate whipped cream; and delightful wild-strawberry tartlets. There are also preprepared pasta dishes for a quick lunch.

A classic address in the chic Chiaia district, in the summer months this bar sells their famous coffee-flavored chocolates in the shape of tiny coffeepots.

The first restaurant to open on the seafront, this elegant pizzeria has been an essential hangout for Naples's gilded youth since 1994. Offering 36 kinds of pizza—including gluten-free—plus a fine selection of salads and an ample buffet make this a refreshing change from the more minimal pizzerie. The various stuffed pizzas named after kings are classics with a modern twist: try the Boccone di Re Ferdinando, filled with salsiccia (sausage), friarielli (broccoli rabe), and provola (smoked mozzarella) cheese, or the half-fried, half-oven cooked Re di Napoli.

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.

This stylish place took the Naples dining scene by storm a few years back, and it remains popular thanks to the innovative cuisine of master chef Diego Nuzzo. A bar runs the length of the restaurant, where salami and other glorious tidbits are served. But for the real deal, take a table and be pampered with subtle dishes such as insalata di aragosta e gamberi alla catalana (lobster and prawn salad garnished with citrus). Large groups can book a private room.

A simple enoteca by day, L'Ebbrezza has a dining area in the back that fills up in the evening. Owner Luca's enthusiasm for what he does is quite moving—as you sample a recommended wine you can sense that he hopes you like it as much as he does. The attention paid to the quality of the wine carries over to the food. Here you can taste paccheri stuffed with eggplant parmigiana—or try one of the fantastic soups. Other highlights include the rare cheeses, among them the Sicilian ragusano di razza modicana and the local caciocavallo podolico, and the daily selection of hot dishes.

While flat, pan-cooked focaccia can make some pizza fundamentalists wince, this place makes mouthwatering slices of the crunchy-bottomed snacks with a variety of toppings. Skip the predictable tomato variations and go for the delicious potato-and-rosemary focaccia with melted provola. Washed down with a beer, this makes for a great speedy lunch or late-night snack.

This café is beloved not only for its excellent coffee but also for its beautiful cakes—concoctions of cream, chocolate, and fruit whose swirls of color make them look like Abstract Expressionist paintings. They also have a lunch menu.

Just around the corner from the Borgo Marinaro and the Hotel Vesuvio, this famous restaurant and pizzeria offers up its delights in a cool white-and-blue room. Try the house specialty, the Pizza Anastasia, with cherry tomatoes and lots of premium mozzarella. A wide sidewalk and the partial pedestrianization of Via Santa Lucia make this a pleasant venue for alfresco dining in summer.

The bright, clean, and simple decor reflects this place's lighter take on traditionally heavy Neapolitan food. The soupy pasta e piselli (with peas) is a wonderful surprise for anyone who has bad memories of pea soup, and the penne alla scarpariello (pasta with fresh tomato, basil, and pecorino cheese) is a specialty to set taste buds quivering.