Emily Eats Everywhere

📌TL;DR

❤️ The most delicious pastry in Naples: sfogliatella
🍴 What is it? A famous layered pastry filled with ricotta cheese and citrus flavors. 
🗣️ How to pronounce it: sfo-lyah-TELL-ah
📍 Where to eat it: Sfogliatelle Attanasio (near the train station) and Ceraldi Caffe

“Napule tre cose tene e belle… o’ mare, o’ Vesuvio e ‘e sfugliatelle” read the napkin from the first bakery we ate at in Naples.  

It’s an old Neapolitan saying that—after spending a few wonderful days in Naples—I completely agree with: “Naples has three beautiful things: her ocean, her Vesuvius, and her sfogliatella.” 

However, being the foodie that I am, I would change the order. First and foremost, “her sfogliatella.” If there’s one thing you absolutely must try in Naples, it’s sfogliatella. 

They’re all over the place in the city. You can find them in the morning for breakfast, mid-day, and even in the evening. I had at least one (often more) every day we spent in Naples—and my only regret is not eating more.  

What is Sfogliatella?

Sfogliatella is an absolutely mouth-watering pastry that originated in the city of Naples. It’s made with layers of flaky pastry (in Italian, “sfogliare” means leaf or layer) topped with powdered sugar. The inside is filled with a creamy and citrusy ricotta cheese and dried fruit mixture. 

For the history buffs, this pastry was invented by some divinely inspired nuns at the Santa Rosa Convent in Conca dei Marini (a town in between Positano and Amalfi) in the early 1700s. Later, a pastry chef named Pasquale Pintauro, perfected the recipe and brought it to Naples. 

The Two Types of Sfogliatella 

There’s two types of sfogliatella. Both have a very similar delicious creamy ricotta-citrus filling. 

The original—sfogliatella riccia—has the flaky layers that give it a shell-like appearance. 

The other variation—sfogliatella frolla—has a round, circular look and a softer, thicker texture. It’s a buttery, shortcrust dough (that’s what “frolla” means in Italian). And it’s basically an easy-to-make version, since you don’t have to make a thousand-layered dough. 

Try them both, they’re both absolutely incredible. Personally, I fell in love with sfogliatella frolla, it’s soft and crumbly and just melts in your mouth. I couldn’t get enough of it. 

How to Pronounce (and Order) Sfogliatella in Naples 

If you’re like me and had absolutely zero clue how to even say “sfogliatella,” don’t worry. I’ve got you covered. 

Here’s exactly how to pronounce this delicious treat: sfo-lyah-TELL-ah. Put the emphasis on “TELL” and say it with your best Italian accent. (Listen to this video to hear the pronunciation.)

Now, let’s see how to pronounce the different types of sfogliatella. Here’s how to pronounce riccia: REE-chee-ah. (See video here.) Here’s how to pronounce frolla: FROH-lah. 

I’ll admit, I didn’t learn how to pronounce it (despite asking multiple, very patient Italian bakery owners) until after our time in Naples was through. Yes, I was too busy enjoying sfogliatella to learn how to say it. But when I go back, you betcha I’ll be prepared.

The Best Places to Eat Sfogliatella in Naples 

The first bakery we went to to try sfogliatella was at Sfogliatelle Attanasio, near the train station. This place was highly recommended from many different blog posts about street food in Naples. I was worried it was going to be over-hyped, but it was not. It was so good. 

We got a Sfogliatella Santa Rosa and Sfogliatella Santa Sofia which were both topped with a delicious vanilla-y cream, fresh berries, and powdered sugar. One was in the riccia style and the other was in the frolla style (although honestly I can’t remember which was which). 

Make sure you order and pay first, then show one of the people behind the counter your receipt to pick up your pastries. 

Sfogliatelle Attanasio Information

Address: Vico Ferrovia, 1, 80142 Napoli NA, Italy 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sfogliatelleattanasio/?hl=en 

Operating Hours: Tuesday – Sunday from 6am – 7:30pm (closed Mondays)

Average Cost: 2 – 3 € per pastry 

The second best place we had sfogliatella at was this cute cafe right off Via Toledo called Ceraldi Caffe. A quality sfogliatella frolla at a very cute cafe right on a busy street corner. 

Ceraldi Caffe Information

Address: Piazza Carità, 14, 80134 Napoli NA, Italy

Website: https://ceraldicaffe.it/  

Operating Hours: 6:30am – 8:30pm 

Average Cost per person: 1 – 10 € 

I also liked the sfogliatella at Manì – Sfogliatelle e Babà, a little pastry shop on Umberto I street. They had so many delicious looking pastries and an adorably decorated little shop with a floral backdrop. 

The sfogliatella here were really good. Great spot to grab a quick pastry before heading to your next stop!

Manì – Sfogliatelle e Babà Information

Address: C.so Umberto I, 245, 80138 Napoli NA, Italy

Operating Hours: 7am – 8pm 

Average Cost per person: 1 – 10 € 

Honestly, sfogliatella is the reason to visit Naples. Yes, the pizza is good, Capri island is beautiful, the ocean is absolutely stunning, but sfogliatella? She’s the real winner.