Chiaia

Naples, Italy

The elegant seafront district of smart shops, aperitivo bars and refined restaurants. The city's polished, upmarket side.

Places in Chiaia

President (Pompei) / Palazzo Petrucci Michelin-starred rooms giving Neapolitan tradition a refined, contemporary treatment. The elegant end of the city's dining.
L'Antiquario A low-lit speakeasy-style cocktail bar, one of the city's best for a serious drink. Grown-up and characterful.
Chiaia aperitivo bars The elegant seafront district's bars are the smart place for an aperitivo, spritz in hand as the evening begins. Stylish and relaxed.

Best time to visit: April to June and September to October for warm, comfortable weather and thinner crowds. Summer is hot and busy; the coast and islands are at their best. Winter is mild and atmospheric.
Getting around: The centre is best walked (and best not driven — the traffic is legendary). The Metro, funiculars and buses cover the hills; the Circumvesuviana train reaches Pompeii, Herculaneum and Sorrento. Ferries serve Capri, Ischia and the Amalfi Coast.
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Language: Italian. English is common in tourism.
Timezone: CET (UTC+1, UTC+2 in summer)
Current trends: A pizza scene reaching new heights beyond the famous names; a revival of Neapolitan fine dining and Chiaia's smart tables; a growing aperitivo-and-cocktail culture around Piazza Bellini; and the city's grit increasingly drawing culture-seeking travellers.

Centro Storico — The UNESCO-listed ancient core, a dense grid of Greco-Roman streets, Baroque churches and the pizza-and-street-food heart around Spaccanapoli. The soul of the city.
Quartieri Spagnoli — The tight, vertical Spanish Quarter of washing-strung lanes, street shrines and the giant Maradona mural, intensely local. Naples at its most authentic.
Vomero — A leafy hilltop district reached by funicular, with the Castel Sant'Elmo, gardens and sweeping bay views. A calmer, residential escape.
Santa Lucia & Borgo Marinari — The waterfront quarter beneath the Castel dell'Ovo, of seafood restaurants and grand hotels facing the bay. Beautiful and serene.