The best pizza in Naples

We came to Naples for the pizza.

Naples is more gritty than pretty, there's washing hanging out of every home and graffiti all over the streets. Walking down the cobbled alleyways, you'll see families sitting outside chatting loudly and people gathered to watch football matches on big screens. It feels like a city with a lot of heart.

But more importantly, it's home to the best pizza in the world. Neapolitan pizza has a soft, chewy base that's chargrilled and smoky from the wood-fired oven. Traditionally people eat margherita (tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil) or marinara (tomato sauce, oregano and garlic) pizzas. You don't need toppings when they're this good.

Pizzeria Gino Sorbillo

Recommended by our guidebook and our airbnb host, Pizzeria Gino Sorbillo happened to be across the street from our apartment and so it was our first pizza. The base was chewy on the edges and thin in the middle, giving it the 'soupy' texture that's characteristic of Neapolitan pizzas. The marinara sauce was garlicky and flavourful, and the margherita was great too.

32 Via dei Tribunali, Napoli. Margherita: €3.30.

Pizzeria Di Matteo

A lot of the pizzerias in Naples have a claim to fame, and Pizzeria Di Matteo's is that Bill Clinton visited in 1994 (a fact that they're very proud of – his picture is on the front of the menus!). The pizzas here have a little less sauce, so the centre was not as soupy, and a thicker base that I loved, really chewy and charred.

94 Via dei Tribunali, Napoli. Margherita: €3.50.

Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba

This is the world's first pizzeria. Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba a bit more upmarket than the others, with a nice seating area outside and suited waiters. The tomato sauce had so much flavour, but the base was very soft and didn't quite match up to the others.

18 Via Port'Alba, Napoli. Margherita: €4.50.

Pizzeria Starita

Pizzeria Starita has something special on their menu – fried pizza! The dough was almost like a savoury donut, with a juicy tomato sauce and smoked cheese on top. Surprisingly, it wasn't greasy at all, but it was very rich. The margherita was really good too and this was by far the nicest dining experience.

27–28 Via Materdei, Napoli. Margherita: €4.

The verdict

So, what was the best pizza? Let's be real, these are the best pizzas I've ever had and they were all great. My favourite was probably Di Matteo's, it had a perfect chewy and charred base. But if you're looking for somewhere atmospheric for a nice meal out, head to Starita.

For more Italian food, here's what to eat in Emilia-Romagna!