If you were to ask me what my ideal lunch is, I would answer without hesitation: paccheri alla Genovese with a large piece of stewed veal shank for the first course, followed by a big ball of buffalo mozzarella (preferably from Tenuta Vannulo, an organic buffalo dairy in Capaccio) with eggplant parmigiana on the side. The backbone of this perfect meal is the Genovese, a simple yet miraculous sauce made of meat (veal, beef or pork) and a heap of onions (red or white). Even those who say they don’t like the taste of onions are forced to recant once they taste the Genovese (after hours spent simmering with the meat, the tenderized and translucent onion slivers have no trace of the astringent smell or bite of raw onions).

The best meals in Naples often come without fanfare: a chalkboard menu, a crowded room and a plate of something unforgettable. This guide rounds up the trattorias and tavernas we love most for classic Neapolitan cooking.

From humble 18th-century street food to a high-end ingredient in Michelin-starred kitchens, we trace the rise of taralli, Naples’s much-loved snack.