Naples is scary – but if there is one reason to brave the crumbling buildings, pickpockets and rubbish-strewn streets then it surely must be pizza. The city is acknowledged as the home of pizza and just a 10 minute walk away from Napoli Centrale Station you will find arguably the best pizzeria in Naples.
The name of the shop of Pizzeria Da Michele. It only serves 2 types of pizza – Margherita and Marinara. The Margherita consists of tomatoes, mozzarella, oil and basil. Any Australians reading this would expect the Marinara to be seafood but nope, it is just tomato, oregano, garlic and oil. These few ingredients are put onto a thin base and then cooked in a wood fired overn (pictured above) for a few minutes to cook.
The food may sound simple here, but the ingredients are fresh and local (for example the mozzarella is from Agerola, 35 km down the road from Naples), meaning the flavours are amazing. My personal favourite is the margherita, which had a bit more of a salty kick to it thanks to the mozzarella. However I also enjoyed the herbiness of the marinara, which could be a bit bitter at times thanks to the garlic.
The prices are Da Michele are ridiculously cheap – especially coming from Australia. A normal size pizza is plenty for one person and was only 4 euro when I visited in 2012. If you plan on coming here though, be prepared for a long wait unless you come early or late in the afternoon. Importantly, make sure to get a ticket from the front counter when you first arrive – this will save you a spot in the cue to get a table. After that, wait outside until your number is called.