Gran Caffè Gambrinus

Vincenzo Apuzzo opened the café in 1860 on the ground floor of the Palazzo della Foresteria. In 1890 it was relaunched as Gambrinus, with rooms designed by the architect Antonio Curri and painted by Neapolitan artists of the day. Writers and politicians made it their salon: Oscar Wilde, Gabriele D’Annunzio and Ernest Hemingway are among its recorded guests.

The Sergio family took over in 1973, brought the rooms back together and still run it today. They also revived the Neapolitan custom of the caffè sospeso, paying for an extra coffee for someone who cannot afford one.

Its history has had darker moments: in 1938 the Fascist prefect closed it as a meeting place for anti-fascists. Today it is part of the city’s ritual, and Italian presidents visiting Naples traditionally stop here for a coffee.

Have an espresso at the counter, the Neapolitan way, with a sfogliatella: the crisp, layered riccia or the softer frolla. A rum-soaked babà is the other classic. The café also serves gelato and savoury snacks, and its mirrored Salone degli Specchi is the place to sit if you want to linger.

Gambrinus is about 500 metres from the Molosiglio harbour and the Molo Beverello pier, an easy, flat walk past the Royal Palace. It makes a good first or last stop on a day ashore in the city.

There is no need to book. Expect a crowd at the counter in the morning and after lunch; table service costs more than standing at the bar, as in most Italian cafés.