Nestled in the bay under a looming Mt. Vesuvius, you will find the ancient port city of Naples. Amongst the noise and chaos, the population are diverse and generous. The only thing bigger than a Neapolitan’s voice is their heart – they are warm and accommodating people. With domestic and international tourism in this ancient city booming, there are plenty of great places to get a beer. In this article we’ll look at some of my personal favourite bars, beers and food pairings to be found in the city and the Campania region.
The City of Naples
The city of Naples (Napoli to the Italians) has a long and complex history. For many centuries, it’s position on the coast of the agriculturally productive land under Mt. Vesuvius has made it a crucial trading hub. The Port of Naples has historically been one of the most important ports in Europe and remains so to this day.
With its rich farming land and foreign trade, Naples has always been the target of attack and takeover. Settled at least 4000 years ago, there has been a huge variety of invaders, rulers and governments including Mycenaean, Greek, Athenian, Roman, Spanish, Austrian, French and even Nazi for a brief period. The city was, and is, very desirable as a trading hub and base for ships operating in the Mediterranean and beyond. Walking around the city, it is plain to see the influence of the invaders: the dialect, architecture, food, wine and beer all reflect the vibrant history of the city.
Beer in Naples
The Campania region, where Naples is located, has not traditionally been associated with beer production – even today there are only a handful of breweries operating. This means that it can be tricky to find local beers to buy on tap. Always ask your bartender – they’ll be able to steer you toward some local brews if that’s what you’re looking for.
Luckily, there are plenty of bars and cafes with draft beer to keep your thirst quenched. Naples is very much a night time city with most people not eating dinner until around 9:00PM. So, if you’re going out for a beer, wine or cocktail, bars will open late and stay open late. Below I’ll go through a few of my favourite places and share what I last drank there.
Il Birraiuolo is a very unassuming bar on Via Vincenzo Bellini. It’s small, nondescript, and a favourite place for locals and tourists to watch the football. They have 6 rotating taps of domestic beers and fridges stacked full of specialty and imported bottles and cans. Last time I visited, I drank their house American Pale Ale. It was perfectly balanced and not overly hoppy.
A quick walk down the road is OAK. This is a great bar for both beer and wine that has outdoor seating on the street. They have a good selection of local, domestic and foreign beer on tap plus plenty of cans and bottles. This venue is a bit of an institution so definitely worth a visit if you’re in the Centro Storico (historic centre). Here I drank a hearty session IPA called Paciana from Busa dei Brigati in the region of Veneto.
Further toward the bay, behind Piazza Plebiscito, you will find Spazzule. This is a tiny bar with on-street seating where you can watch the world go by. Sitting on mismatched stools and old beer kegs, you can enjoy birra bionda (lager) or birra rossa (amber ale) on tap plus local bottled beer from the region of Campania. The hoppy, amber rossa is my favourite and it clocks in at a hefty 7.5%.
The final stop I always make on a night out is Perditempo in the Centro Storico. While it is not specifically a beer bar, it is my favourite place for a cold drink in the city. The bar is tiny and jammed with books, posters and records that are for sale alongside the drinks. The crowd is noisy and spills out onto Via S. Pietro a Maiella until the early hours of the morning. It is a great mix of customers: students from the conservatorium of music and università, suits on their way home from the office, Napoli Antifa, creatives, expats, authors, journalists and just about anyone else you can imagine. If you really want to experience the soul of this wonderful city, grab a bottle of beer over the bar (€2.50 for a Forst) and find some new friends to chat with outside.
Related: Reviewing Italy’s Supermarket Beers
Food and Beer
No trip to Naples would be complete without some pizza. There are many pizzerias around the city where you can buy quality pizzas for less than €5. Naples is the birthplace of pizza and there is a proud tradition of serving the dish dating back hundreds of years (at least). Every pizzeria serves beer and it is more common to drink this than wine.
My favourite pizzeria is Starita which has been open for over 100 years and serves the classic domestic beers as well as a decent selection of German beer. Other great pizzerias around the city centre are Sorbillio and Da Michele. You might need to line up but I promise that it’s worth the wait. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous (and hungry) you can try pizza fritta – a whole pizza folded in half and deep fried.
While in Naples, it’s worth checking out some of the other great regional food. The fresh buffalo mozzarella is life changing and can be brought from any deli for a few euros. This traditional Campanian cheese is best enjoyed on the day that it is bought.
One of the most famous street foods of Naples is cuoppo: a paper cone filled with fried seafood (usually a mix of shrimp, squid, cod and sardines). This fried treat is perfect for a hot day and is best washed down with something cold and crisp like a Nastro Azzuro.
Finally there are the two famous pasta dishes of the city: pasta alla Genovese and pasta al ragù Napoletano (O rraù). Each of these dishes are pretty heavy with the Genovese being a slow cooked onion and beef mix while the ragù has a tomato base and a variety of meats. I would usually drink a local wine called Greco di Tufo with these dishes but I also like an IPA or APA with these dishes. These dishes can be found at virtually every restaurant but my two favourites are Tandem and La Taverna di Santa Chiara.
If you’re looking for a cold beer there’s plenty of places in Naples. Between the bars, pizzerias and cafes, you’re never far from a brew. The ancient, narrow streets of this port city can get pretty hot in summer – perfect for a cold beer and some great food.
Forza Napoli! Amore senza fine.