In a city with such a conservative attitude toward gastronomy, it’s rare for new foods, new preparations and new trends to flourish. Naples has continued to reject the aggressive advances of globalized food: The number of fast food chains can be counted on one hand (although many have tried their luck in the city), and the latest international fashions, from poke to kebab, struggle to make inroads. There is one exception: the muffin, an American dessert that has become widespread in the city’s bars. But, of course, Neapolitans proceeded to modify this novelty according to the tastes and traditions of South Italy. It is not uncommon to find rustic savory muffins, made with ricotta and cigoli (pork crackling).

A philosophical bar with a throwback name, Cuccuma Caffè opened in October 2018 as a counterpoint to the Neapolitan coffee culture – unlike the many, many bars where you sling back a shot of espresso while standing at the counter, this spot prioritizes a slow coffee. Achille Munari, 32, fell in love with Naples when he arrived 10 years ago from Umbria and decided to stay here in our city. A brilliant guy, Achille prefers a calm, relaxed pace of life, one that allows for reflection and conversation. So he decided to set up a bar that puts his life philosophy into practice.

One tip often given to travelers is to look for restaurants full of locals. In fact, we do the same thing when dining out in Naples: If we see a spot packed with groups of employees or policemen on their lunch break, it’s almost a guarantee that we’ll eat well. Trattoria Avellinese, the late Peppino (Giuseppe) Cipriano’s restaurant near the central train station, is one place that’s always crowded with Neapolitans. Moreover, we can personally testify that this trattoria is a local favorite. Growing up, we lived near Piazza Garibaldi, and whenever our family went out for lunch – which, to tell the truth, wasn’t that often – we went to Peppino’s place.