N a p o l i

                  Eating is a big deal in Napoli. portions are copious, vegetables and fish are almost always fresh and local and though the cuisine tends to be steadfastly simple and traditional, it is an element of city life of which Neapolitans are very proud. Naples’ cuisine is excellent but best when its not complicated. Many of the city’s bigger and smarter restaurants merely serve a blander version of what you find in the cheaper and more interesting trattorie, which are where the city’s culinary heart lies. The pizza is a Neapolitan symbol worshipped by the city’s inhabitants, alongside San Gennaro and Maradona, and it’s true that they are not made quite as well anywhere else. A genuine Neapolitan pizza has a chewy rather than a crunchy crust, and the thinner, Roman version is pretty much sacrilege here.

               A pizza is often eaten as a whole meal on its own, whereas with other meals the norm is to have a first course (primo) often pasta or soup) followed by a main course (secondo), usually just a simple meat dish. You need to order your vegetables as a separate dish (contorno). The main course is often something you can construct yourself from a fairly wide choice of meats and vegetables. This may be on display, so you can go and point at what you want. Before any of this you can also have a starter (antipasto) and then at the end you can round it all off with a dessert (dolce). Cafés, and especially coffee, are another vital component of Neapolitan life