Piazza Bellini in the historic centre is the nightly gathering point for Naples' student population: outdoor tables, cheap wine, and a circuit of bars that run until 2am or later.
Year-round. Summer (July-August) sees many locals leave the city; the best months are spring and autumn.
Piazza Bellini sits in the heart of Naples' historic centre (Centro Storico), which UNESCO designated a World Heritage Site in 1995. The piazza is roughly 100 metres square, with remnants of the ancient Greek city walls visible in the sunken area at the centre. The bars around the perimeter — Libreria Berisio, Intra Moenia, and several others — put their tables outside from spring to autumn and run until 2-3am on weekends. The crowd is a mix of university students from Federico II (one of the oldest universities in Europe, founded 1224) and backpackers. Beer costs €3-4; a glass of Campanian wine €3-5.
Naples has a different character from Rome or Florence. It is louder, cheaper, and less obviously tourist-oriented. The Spaccanapoli axis — the long straight street that cuts through the historic centre — is the main artery for eating and drinking; moving from one end to the other in an evening gives you a cross-section of the neighbourhood that no single venue replicates. Street food is continuous: pizza fritta (fried pizza) costs €2-3 from the small shops on the side streets; sfogliatelle (shell-shaped pastry with ricotta) costs €1.50-2.50 from the early-morning pastry shops that are worth visiting before bed.
Party hostels within reach of Naples's main celebrations. Ranked by guest rating.
Day-by-day breakdown
Start at Piazza Bellini at around 8pm. The outdoor tables are occupied from around 7pm; standing space fills by 9pm on Thursdays and Fridays. Move along Via dei Tribunali (a block north of Spaccanapoli) for pizza at Gino Sorbillo or Di Matteo (€5-8 for a full Margherita): these are the most reliable for the classic Neapolitan style. Then south to Spaccanapoli for the bar circuit through Largo San Giovanni Maggiore and the alleys running east toward the Conservatorio area.
Bourbon Street in the Piazza Bellini area runs live jazz and blues from around 10pm. Rising Sud in the Quartieri Spagnoli is the main options for electronic music and DJ nights. The Quartieri Spagnoli (Spanish Quarter), west of Piazza del Gesù, has a dense concentration of late bars and is the liveliest after midnight. Walk north from Piazza del Gesù up Via Toledo and turn left into the first cross street.
Pre-booked private transfers and shared shuttles for your arrival.
