Easter 2025 proved disastrous for businesses in the Campi Flegrei, which, despite efforts to curb alarmism and revitalise the area, unfortunately recorded a 20% drop in tourism compared to the previous year (with cancellations mainly by Italian tourists, while foreign visitors generally maintained their bookings, as highlighted by Roberto Laringe, president of Federalberghi Campi Flegrei), mainly due to the phenomenon of bradyseism and, indeed, to media alarmism. The president of the Campania Region, Vincenzo De Luca, described the decline as “inevitable,” urging not to dramatise and to ensure services and prevention. Nevertheless, restaurateurs and hoteliers have launched serious warnings. It is, after all, a real pity: the Campi Flegrei offer spectacular landscapes, a millennia-old history to discover, and a rich and varied gastronomy with venues for every taste and budget. Here are the best.
Where to eat in the Campi Flegrei
Where to eat in Bacoli
Hosteria Bugiarda
Restaurant. One of the most appreciated addresses in the area, offering gourmet cuisine with recognisable flavours, featuring many original ideas and a good quality/price ratio. Highlights include the “Bugiarda pasta and potatoes” (the house specialty), made with new potato spaghetti, violet potato brunoise, and smoked provola cheese essence, the tuna shabu shabu with vegetable coriander and Mediterranean bread, and the spaghetti with butter, anchovies and chives. Good wine cellar and skilled management.
Hosteria Bugiarda – via Terme Romane, 83 – 081 18245582 – hosteriabugiarda.it
Caracol
Restaurant. True, the location and view are breathtaking, but the cuisine, for its precision, maturity, and beauty, can truly steal the scene from the panorama over the islands of the Campanian archipelago (Procida, Ischia, and Capri). The terrace is masterfully overseen by an old acquaintance, Ciro Sannino, maître and sommelier of great experience, with Giannantonio Scotto di Vetta, a true Phlegraean native. Angelo Carannante, at the helm in the kitchen, is clearly in a state of grace right from the entrée, offering a technical and complex journey without missteps. Well-stocked cellar.
Caracol – loc. Capomiseno – via Faro, 44 – 081 5233052 – caracolgourmet.it
Riccio Restaurant
Restaurant. A well-kept environment, an outdoor terrace overlooking the harbour, and a culinary offering centred on the flavours of the sea, ranging from classic dishes to more innovative creations, with the menu changing based on the daily catch. Recommended are the raw fish dishes and seafood, the fish salamis, the sea urchin spaghetti, and the Gulf-style fried fish. Good desserts. Regional focus in the wine list.
Riccio Restaurant – via Molo di Baia, 47 – 081 8688617 – Facebook
Il Testardo – Locanda Atipica
Restaurant. Over ten years of activity for this venue at the entrance to the harbour, set inside an ancient Roman cistern with a pleasant internal courtyard. The menu focuses mainly on seafood (there are also options for meat lovers) with raw dishes, oysters, savoury first courses, crisp fried dishes, and fresh catch for the main courses. Well-stocked and valid wine cellar. Precise and friendly service.
Il Testardo – Locanda Atipica – via Lucullo, 100 – 081 8687701 – iltestardo.it
Where to eat in Giugliano in Campania
Fenesta Verde
Trattoria. This establishment has been operating since 1948, inaugurated after World War II and managed through generations of the same family. Today, sisters Luisa and Laura Iodice are in the kitchen, with their husbands Guido and Giacomo running the dining room, all firmly at the helm of a simple yet honest table offering traditional dishes: minestra maritata, pasta and potatoes with smoked provola, pork rib with papaccelle peppers. The valid wine list is curated by Laura and Giacomo’s son.
Fenesta Verde – vico Sorbo, 1 – 081 8941239 – Facebook
Where to eat in Monte di Procida
Don Salvatore Ristorante & Relais
Restaurant. An enchanting hotel near the sea, surrounded by nature, with a beautiful lemon garden, modern and comfortable rooms, and a carefully curated cuisine that highlights the best local products. Vegetables come from the property's own garden, and there is a selection of meats from around the world for carnivore enthusiasts. Elegant yet informal environment, excellent wine cellar on display, and service in keeping with the style.
Don Salvatore Ristorante & Relais – via Cappella, 309 – donsalvatore.eu
Esperia Osteria Flegrea
Pizzeria. But also an osteria and grill. 150 seats between the panoramic terrace, indoor rooms, and a rich and interesting open wine cellar, offering a multifunctional experience with a splendid view. Patron Mosè Costigliola returned from New York, where his parents managed the Marco Polo Italian restaurant on Long Island, and in 2008, together with his sister, decided to transform the family farm and adjoining farmhouse into a modern osteria promoting proximity, sustainability, and seasonality. Especially popular with a young clientele, though Esperia’s appeal is broad and diverse. Dishes are seasonal and traditional, and pizzas, made with a direct dough, are served Neapolitan-style, in a small pan or fried—definitely worth trying.
Esperia Osteria Flegrea – via Panoramica, 188 – 081 8683474 – esperiaosteriaflegrea.it
Lavinum
Agritourism. Phlegraean cuisine in a charming setting, an ancient wine cellar turned restaurant, within a wine resort (with several rooms) restored with great care to its elegant rural charm. From the terrace, the view is breathtaking (there is also a convivial table in the panoramic vineyard). Young chef Christian Guida serves the flavours and products of the area (many sourced from the vegetable garden), with a focus on seafood (procured from nearby Procida) and local poultry. Wines from the estate itself are served, and the service is kind and welcoming.
Lavinum – via Torregaveta, 137bis – 081 4619439 – lavinum.it
Ciro Mazzella – Paninoteca dal 1974
Street Food. Having moved the historic business from a small kiosk on the pavement to the Mazzella Gastropub, it remains a point of reference for those looking for simple yet quality sandwiches. A triangular Sardinian semolina roll is grilled over a small charcoal fire and filled with your choice of hamburger, sausage, porchetta, local scamorza cheese, and other typical sides like friarielli greens.
Ciro Mazzella – Paninoteca dal 1974 – via Panoramica, 123 – 081 8682814 – Facebook
Where to eat in Pozzuoli
Abraxas
Trattoria. A solid institution with a rustic, warm, and familial atmosphere thanks to affectionate service and interiors rich in wood and brick arches. The menu is based only on genuine products from well-known suppliers, all individually named. Recommended dishes include raw seafood, potato gnocchi with white ragù of Nero Casertano pig and pecorino fondue, Wagyu and Marchigiana beef hamburger filled with scamorza cheese, roast ham with lemon potato purée and spicy sauce. Well-studied and varied wine list. There is also the Fuoco Bistrot wine bar.
Abraxas – loc. Lucrino – via Scalandrone, 15 – 081 8549347 – abraxasosteria.it
Armonì
Restaurant. Chef Mariano Armonia, behind this interesting seafront address, was the organiser of the #CampiFlegreiLive event held recently at Villa Avellino in Pozzuoli to promote the area and counter the decline in tourism. In his bright venue, with many remarkable bottles on display, he proposes traditional dishes revisited with technique, originality, and attention to aesthetics, such as the savoury tiramisu with basil crumble, buffalo mousse, crispy pancetta, and coffee powder.
Armonì – c.so Umberto I, 177 – 081 8664759 – Facebook
Il Capitano
Restaurant. A story dating back to 1890, when a ship’s captain found refuge in Pozzuoli and transformed a boat depot into an inn. The menu focuses on seafood cuisine, with excellent combinations such as buckwheat egg tagliolini with sea urchins or classic spaghetti with garlic, oil, and clams. Good wine list and attentive service.
Il Capitano – l.mare C. Colombo, 13 – 081 5262283 – Facebook
La Fattoria del Campiglione
Grillhouse. An institution for grilled meats, confirmed over the years (soon celebrating its 30th anniversary). A winning formula driven by constant pursuit of quality cuts, including imported meats displayed in the visible fridge, and transparent information about the origin and treatment of the products. Starters feature cold cuts, cheeses, and mozzarella, followed by pasta dishes like paccheri with genovese sauce, and of course, all kinds of grilled meats. Local and national wines. Efficient service.
La Fattoria del Campiglione – via Vicinale Campana, 2 – 329 339421 – Facebook
Agriturismo Il Gruccione
Agritourism. Located on the border between Naples and Pozzuoli, overlooking the Solfatara volcano, at the Iovino Monte Spina winery where native grape varieties have been cultivated since 1892. The Gruccione offers seasonal cuisine inspired by Phlegraean tradition and based on produce from the Monte Spina vegetable garden. The menu changes weekly. A summer favourite is the aubergine parmigiana, sometimes enjoyed during open-air theatre performances beneath pergolas. Always available are local fried specialities, dairy products, and cold cuts.
Agriturismo Il Gruccione – Azienda Vitivinicola Iovino Monte Spina – via S. Gennaro Agnano, 63 – 081 5206719 – vitivinicolaiovino.com
Punto Nave
Restaurant. A place with the wind in its sails six days a week (booking is essential). Two brothers at the helm: Simone in the kitchen and Daniele in the dining room, with Daniele’s wife Serena as sommelier. The walls are lined with the restaurant’s extensive wine and spirits collection. Seafood dominates the menu, with raw dishes and an oyster bar as highlights. Try the chu-toro sashimi seared and marinated with ponzu sauce and jalapeño, Cantabrian anchovies, tuna jamón, oyster selections by season, granceola (spider crab) linguine with white prawns from Procida, and the Spanish-style fish stew. Home-made desserts. Young, cheerful, and efficient service.
Punto Nave – loc. Monterusciello – via L. Bovio, 23 – 081 5241845 – puntonave.it
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