Note, I did not say the “best” pizza in Naples.  I would be a complete idiot to stake out that kind of ground.  Come on, pizza was supposedly invented in Naples.  There are pizzerias in Naples that are over 100 years old.  There are hundreds, if not thousands, of pizzerias in Naples.  And, I’m going to tell you right now that we flatly refused to wait in line at some of the pizzerias said to have the best pizza in Naples (I’m looking at you da Michele and Sorbillo).  But, even if you like us refuse to wait in line for your pizza (and “lines” here are not orderly queues but rather unruly crushes of people), you can eat some of the best pizza of your life.  So, which pizzas do you have to eat in Naples?

At the top of your list should be Pizzeria Giuliano.  This is one of the more recently established pizzerias we visited — it has only been around since 1965 (a baby in Naples).  This place doesn’t look like much from the outside.  Harsh, fluorescent lighting and rickety tables and chairs.  But, don’t let that put you off.  We were the only non-Italian speakers in the place and we were the only people that even glanced at the menu.  And, the pizza was outstanding.

Margherita pizza at Pizzeria Giuliano.  It doesn’t look like much, but the tomato sauce was probably the best I’ve ever had in my entire life (and I’m guessing it was nothing but tomatoes and olive oil).  This was my favorite pizza in Naples.

Porchetta pizza at Pizzeria Giuliano.  No red sauce on this one, but the porchetta was out of this world.

Next, try the pizza at Pizzeria DiMatteo, which has been in business since 1936 (making it an adolescent in the pizza making game in Naples).  Plan your trip carefully, or you may be stuck in a line.  But, if you arrive for an early lunch, you will get whisked right in.  DiMatteo was far more touristy than Giuliano, but the pizza was every bit as good.  Bill Clinton even ate here when he was president.

The margherita pizza at Pizzeria DeMatteo.  The cheese was the star here — just the right amount of chew and just the right amount of salt.

Cotto (cooked ham) and crocche (fried potato things) at DeMatteo.  Surprisingly good.

Another place that should be on your list is Pizzeria Da Attilio.  Attilio has been around since 1938.  Once again, we arrived right at opening and didn’t face any lines — the small crowd appeared to be mainly Italian tourists.  Service was friendly and the pizza was delicious.  Note there is a restaurant dog too.

Half margherita, half marinara.  The perfect combo when you don’t want a belly full of cheese.

See those pointy bits?  They were filled with fresh ricotta cheese.  Robert said this was his favorite pizza in all of Naples.

Finally, check out Pizzerie Starita.  They’ve been around since 1901.  This was, by far, the most touristy pizza place we visited.  Everyone spoke English to us and they actually brought us the check before we even asked for it (which is pretty much unheard of in Italy).  And, they made sure to tell us the tip was not included (very off putting in a country where tips are not expected).  But, they do something pretty unique.  The serve a pizza on a fried crust.

The montanara starita pizza at Starita.  The fried crust just added an extra dimension to the pizza.

I will say, with the exception of a roadside stand by the train station, I didn’t have a single bad pizza in Naples so wherever you go you are unlikely to go wrong.  My only regret is that we didn’t spend enough time in Naples to try even more pizzas….