Naples pulses with energy at all times of the day. Whether you’re in the mood for craft beer at a hidden dive, chic cocktails close to the bay, or a classic spritz in a buzzing piazza, the city offers endless nightlife options.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through some of Naples’ best spots to grab a drink. Plus, you’ll find a map at the end of all the bars mentioned throughout the blog.
Vico Quercia – a trio of hidden, divey craft beer gems.
If craft beer is your thing, head to Vico Quercia, a narrow alleyway just off Spaccanapoli that’s a hidden gem for beer lovers. This short stretch is packed with some of the coolest bars in the city – especially for craft beer lovers.
Three of our favourites were:
OAK – a cosy, hidden gem for craft beer and wine
As well as a huge range of beer and ales, there’s a good range of organic wine. In the evening (especially on weekends) OAK was often heaving during our visit, with locals and tourists spilling out of the dark, atmospheric bar onto the surrounding streets.
Colpa d’Alfredo – Italian beer, cocktails and wine in a cool dive bar
A tiny space with dive bar-vibes and some outdoor seating, Colpa d’Alfredo serves cocktails, affordable spritzes, and some great local beers. With its friendly local buzz, excellent drinks and cool cartoon-skull aesthetic, it was possibly our favourite bar we visited in Naples.
Blind Pig – Hideout Drinkery
Another of Naples’ best selections of craft beer, and a good wine list. Like the other bars in this area, locals often spill out onto the benches lining the cosy, narrow alleyway.
Elsewhere on this stretch you’ll find MMB, a compact spot that often puts on live music and DJs.
Piazza Bellini – spritzes in a bustling, historic square
One of Naples’ main nightlife spots, busy on just about any given night due to its proximity to university buildings, is Piazza Bellini. This gorgeous square centres on the excavated walls of the Ancient Greek city of Neapolis.
Surrounding this pocket of Naples’ history are countless bars mostly focused on spritzes (Limoncello spritz, Aperol spritz, Maradona spritz – take your pick), filled with students and locals.
A couple of especially popular spots are Spazio Nea at the top of the square, and Toguan 76 at the bottom. But wherever you go, this is one of Naples’ most vibrant spots for a drink.
Libreria Berisio – bookshop turned cocktail bar
Via Port’alba is one of Naples’ most magical historic streets. For decades, it has been home to a number of second-hand bookshops.
One of them – Libreria Berisio, which has been providing the people of Naples with reading material since 1956 – moonlights as one of Centro Storico’s best cocktail bars.
Sitting on this beautiful, sloping street, having a drink surrounded by books is a great way to start a night. To add to the ambience, a few doors away is Antica Pizzeria Port’alba – the oldest pizzeria in the world.
Decumano – people watching on bustling Spaccanapoli
Buzzing, vibrant, noisy, busy – whatever you want to call it, the main street of Spaccanapoli isn’t the most relaxing spot for a drink. But it is a fun one.
Decumano is a great spot to grab a local beer or affordable spritz, soak up the atmosphere and watch the chaotic masterpiece that is life in central Naples unfold in front of you. We didn’t try the food, but it didn’t look great for the price.
L’Antiquario – chic cocktail bar in classy Chiaia
While Centro Storico is the place for cheap drinks, edgy bars and rustic vibes, Chiaia is all class.
Pick of the bunch is L’Antiquario, just a street or two away from the bay serving some of the best cocktails in Naples. With its speakeasy-vibes and occasional live jazz, it’s a great place to add a bit of roaring twenties elegance to your time in the city.
Vomero – Naples’ take on British pubs
The hilltop neighbourhood of Vomero is one of the best places to stay in Naples. But even if you’re not staying in the area, it’s well worth taking the short funicular from the centre to spend an evening exploring its excellent bars and restaurants, and enjoying the breathtaking vistas across the Bay of Naples.
In particular, Vomero is famous for its take on classic British pubs. This means it’s a great place to watch the football, or to get a decent pint of Guinness.
A few bars particularly popular with the locals include the Penny Black Pub, Bierkeller and the Frank Malone Pub and Brewstore.
But Vomero isn’t all about pubs…
Barrio Botanico – Vomero’s tucked away cocktail Oasis
Barrio Botanico was, hands down, the most beautiful bar we visited in Naples. You need to know it’s there – hidden in a small courtyard. But visit on a weekend and it’s clear that this bar is Vomero’s worst kept secret. Excellent drinks, accompanied by equally excellent snacks and a lovely friendly atmosphere.
Best of all, though, is the environment: a peaceful, historic courtyard which has been turned into a lush garden. Naturally, this is all very elegant – so prices can be a bit high. We didn’t try the food, but reviews suggest it isn’t the best place for a meal. For a drink, though – simply bellisimo.
Fonoteca – Record store meets cocktail bar
How to make a bar in one of Naples’ best neighbourhoods even cooler? Fuse it with a record store, of course. Fonoteca is a relaxed bar, with excellent and varied music and an extensive cocktail and wine list. It’s also a fully functioning record shop, mainly specialising in indie and prog rock.
Gran Caffè Gambrinus – Naples’ elegant 19th century coffeehouse
While not strictly a bar, I couldn’t write a blog about where to get a drink in Naples without mentioning Gran Caffè Gambrinus. Facing Piazza del Plebiscito, the Caffe has been a meeting place for intellectuals for nearly 200 years. It counts Ernest Hemingway, Oscar Wilde and Jean Paul Sartre among its former patrons.
It’s a formal setting that serves coffee, pastries and alcoholic drinks at very high prices for Naples. But it’s also utterly beautiful, worth visiting for its ambience, history and ornate decorations.
A great way to explore Naples’ nightlife is with a guided tour – such as this guided pub crawl in the Old Town.
A map of top bars to try while in Naples
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