Gran Caffè Gambrinus

The food was generous, rich in flavor and the patisserie crunchy and sweet, the waiters don’t really seem to enjoy their gig, but that’s pretty avg in Napoli (or Italy). In spite of that, the service is fast as almost everything just needs to be warmed up. Coffee is great and fresh OJ is a little ray of sunshine trough the overall experience.

The place is gorgeous. Waitstaff are not the friendliest but food and coffee are good. What i also found off-putting is how when they first open, you can only order the pastries and coffee. Can't order breakfast which is weird at 7AM .. since that is breakfast time.

The place is beautiful inside. You have to wait on a queue to get seated. The staff is rude, does not speak much English. Considering 80% of the customer base is tourists then it would be nice to speak something else rather than Italian. The food is very overpriced, average taste. The only good thing was the affogato. It's a shame that it is the oldest café in Naples and it looks so beautiful, but the experience the staff provides is horrible. I would not recommend. It's nice just to go see the inside and have a coffee.

This cafe is beautiful, definitely a tourist hot spot but I would say it’s worth it. There was a queue for outdoor seating but plenty of indoor seating. The indoors restaurant is stunning, so grand. Menu items are expensive but nice and service is good. There is savory and sweet food options.

Great place but the indoor seating needs to be open sooner. Loved the chocolate croissant. We couldn’t go back the next day because the indoor seating wasn’t open before 9am. Also, because I couldn’t get in here I found a place next door with way better coffee. The Professoro Brand. So that’s was cool.

This spot in the heart of Naples feels like a little time machine. The interior is super vintage and absolutely eye-catching. Great service, delicious products, and an amazing atmosphere. That said, we were kept waiting in line even though there were free tables inside — which wasn’t very polite. Still, definitely worth a visit!

We visited Gran Caffè Gambrinus and ordered non-alcoholic cocktails and ice cream. The ice cream was delicious – rich, creamy, and full of flavor. However, the mocktails were disappointing: very basic and lacking any real creativity or taste. The place has a nice atmosphere and is worth a visit for the dessert, but I wouldn’t recommend it for non-alcoholic drinks.

This is probably one of the coolest places in the city. First off, this place has been visited by a lot of famous people. The service was decent, the drinks were pretty good and the free snacks that came with our drinks were welcomed. We really enjoyed our time. The reason for 4 stars, the bathroom. They were absolutely disgusting, even with a porter working them. They were so unclean. I recommend visiting this place but definitely do not venture into the bathroom.

Even if you don't plunk down euros for a pricey coffee, it's well worthwhile to see the interior of this stately, venerable historic coffeehouse. I like the look of real hollowed-out lemons stuffed with lemon ice cream. And the most famous old coffeehouse in Naples has a mini "museum" of unwashed coffee cups from famous customers. Here you see Pope Francisco and Angela Merkel. Ha!

Stopped by on a Saturday at around noon to see the oldest cafe in Naples. The original plan was to sit down in the dining area, have some coffee and some pastries. But we didn't want to fill up on pastries at lunchtime, so we just went to the quick service area. You have to order/pay at the register first, which was kind of confusing because I don't recall seeing a menu there. So we just showed a picture of the pastry we wanted and we got the pistachio sfogliatella. It was amazing. It was so light and airy, which went perfectly with the richness of the pistachio creme, which wasn't overly sweet. My only regret was not trying more things. Their custard topped pastries looked really good. My advice would be to come with an empty stomach and sit in the dining room, so you can really enjoy your pastry with a cup of espresso.

We were looking for some traditional coffee and tiramisu and found this place on Yelp! The café offers both outdoor and indoor seating. We liked it so much that we went twice and tried both seating options. The first time, my husband got a cappuccino, and I ordered a café latte. For food, I had the mini marinara pizzas. The food and coffee came out relatively quickly. I really enjoyed my café latte; it was creamy and delicious. My husband liked his cappuccino, though he was a bit disappointed by the quantity. However, that's typical for cappuccinos. The marinara pizzas were Sicilian style with a delicious sauce and no cheese, which was exactly what I wanted. The second time we visited, we just had the tiramisu. I must say it was one of the best I've ever tried. If you are in Naples, I highly recommend checking out this café. I promise you won't be disappointed. Additionally, the indoor ambience was mind-blowing, and I definitely recommend experiencing it.

Amazing coffee in a beautiful spot. Service is nice too. You can get better food elsewhere, but all and all very good.

Staff is very sweet. I enjoy sitting in the outdoor patio area. The desserts are decent but the drinks are really good.

Nice patio but that's about it. The food was not great and they got one of the coffee orders wrong. Overall it was overcrowded and overpriced but a nice place to rest your feet and charge your phone.

It is crowded, hot and not air conditioned but the atmosphere is charming old school and the desert and sandwiches excellent. We tried this place twice and it did not disappoint : The baba was very moist and reasonably priced at $ 6 and the mozzarella and tomato sandwich fresh and generously. The server spoke english and the whole experience was worth the stop. I do advise to eat on the terrace so you can linger and people watch while enjoying your orders.

We were in Naples, Italy early one morning we planned to stop for an expresso and local pastry. Gran Caffe Gambrinus is a more upscale breakfast location to grab an express at the bar - or get table service inside or outside under the tent. Service was fast, location great and java was hot! Great pastries!

tourist trap - overpriced... But - it is the oldest cafe in Napoli so adjust your expectations accordingly.

Gran Caffe Gambrinus in Naples provided an okay experience. Took us a while to get our order in. While the elegant ambiance and decent coffee and pastries were enjoyable, we were disappointed to be told to pay in cash when we saw others paying with cards on our way out. This inconsistency left a slightly bitter taste in our overall visit.

The Gran Caffe Gambinus is a bustling 19th century coffee & pastry shop. An elegant setting offering many varieties of sfogiatelle which is the pastry we wanted. It's always been my favorite and the favorite of my parents and grandparents, and since they were from Italy, having a sfogiatelle feels like they are still with me. Amazing the power of food to evoke such memories and connections! While you can definitely get a sfogiatelle anywhere in Naples since they were invented here and it's one of the food items they are famous for, we chose Caffe Gambrinus because of the charm and elegance. Inside is exquisite. The domed ceiling, marble floors, chandeliers, wooden coffee bar in the back packed with people having a late afternoon espresso. Like a scene from a movie. The pastry counter is huge and filled with so many types of sfogiatelle. Not just the original but sfogiatelle topped with different flavored pastry creams and fruit. They looked amazing but I'm all about the original, the extra crispy outer shell and the creamy ricotta inside,the perfect satisfying bite of a not to sweet pastry. You dont order at the pastry counter. You go to the cashier, tell them what you want and pay, then they give you a receipt that you bring to the pastry case. The sfogiatelle were just $2.50 for the large regular. There is a dining area where you can sit but it's way too crowded for me. They also had lots of tables outside under a canopy. We all got pastries to go. Located on the corner as you enter this very busy area, just a 2 minute walk from the train station, it's definitely touristy but we wanted to experience the charm of this old establishment. Anywhere along this same street you can purchase sfogiatelle, cannoli, fried pizza, panini, pizza and so many food items. At 4:00 every stand and restaurant was packed so this must be a common ritual. How they eat all of this food and look so good is one of life's mysteries!

Tasty pastry cafe. We enjoyed cappuccino and graffa (Italian sugar coated donuts) on a rainy Naples morning. Service is never rushed, so we were able to enjoy our breakfast while waiting for the rain to end. I'm glad we were able to find this wonderful place! Great way to begin our only day in Naples!

Well, what can I say about Cafe Gambrinus that had not been said already. Pretty sure you will read all sorts of comments on this being a tourist trap, expensive, etc. I am going to try and keep it real for all of you. Seeing as like myself, most of us reading this are possibly visiting Naples, Italy I have to tell you that you would be remiss of you did not visit Cafe Gambrinus. Cafe Gambrinus is Naples oldest and most historic caffe and ristorante. This caffe has been at the same location since 1860 roughly and is essentially a landmark. Does this make them somewhat touristy, absolutely. Does these make them a little pricey, absolutely. Does this mean the food and service they provide is not good, absolutely NOT where Cafe Gambrinus is concerned. Plenty of locals were in full force at this caffe on a daily basis and as we know the locals typically know best. Most of you may know that I am not big on touristy type restaurants but Cafe Gambrinus would definitely be an exception to my usual rule. The overall ambiance of the caffe is very Italian and quite beautiful as the interiors are very well decorated. The outdoor dining area is also very, very nice and in full view of Plaza Plebiscito which is the largest plaza in Napoli and adjacent to Via Chiaia, Via Toledo, the Royal Palace and the Spanish Quarter as well. We visited Cafe Gambrinus on two separate occasions and loved the food and the service. We ordered fresh fruits, croissants, cafe latte's and pastries on one occasion and on another we ordered a more America style breakfast's. Everything was very fresh and all pastries are baked on site from what we could tell. With regards to the fresh fruits, you can specify more of one fruit or another if you like. Highly recommend you all try the melons as they weee phenomenal and the strawberries were incredible. Naples, Italy region has a large agricultural industry and they grow many of these fruits locally in the Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi areas. Truthfully I don't think you can go wrong at Cafe Gambrinus, so long as you remember that it will not be inexpensive but well worth it in my opinion. Hey, if you are already enjoying Naples, go ahead and treat yourself and pay them a visit as they are a local landmark and i am sure you will enjoy it. We typically visited them early as they are open at 7 AM daily but no worries if you like sleeping in as they are open pretty late. Wishing you all a great time in Naples, Italy, Enjoy m'es amis and Bon Appétit!

I absolutely recommend this café. How could someone not recommended? It's absolutely fabulous and it's a historical café in the center of a very fine elegant shopping district. Don't kill yourself. Naples is a wonderful place with wonderful cafés, trattoria's and restaurants. A trip to Naples that doesn't include. Gambrinus is a wasted trip. It's like going there and not seeing the veiled Christ at the Capella San Severo.

very pretty inside and the staff was sooo nice! kind of overpriced imo but i enjoyed eating it while walking around outside. it was a bit too sweet for me...

More expensive than other places in Naples. The pastries and coffee were just ok. But worth a visit for the ambiance and history.

This was so delicious and a great way to start the morning. It was a little hard to get the waiters attention (weren't the friendliest) but the coffee and food made up for it.

One of the worse coffee experience ever at this 162 years old cafe. Waited 30 minutes on a table with delayed services while customers after us finished their coffee, paid and left. Don't ask me why but as if that's the norm there - 1 minute. Wait. Peng.cafe @ IG

Gran Caffè Gambrinus is a historic café, pasticceria, and gelateria that opened in Naples, Italy in 1860. It was founded by Vincenzo Apuzzo. It originally opened under the name 'Gran Café' not long after Naples joined the newly unified Kingdom of Italy. Apuzzo dreamed of making his café the most important one in the newborn Italy. By the late 1880s it had fallen on hard times. New owner Mario Vacca commissioned a complete reconstruction and refurbishment with beautiful paintings. At this time it was dubbed 'Gran Caffè Gambrinus'. It was named for the legendary icon thought of as the patron saint of beer. The intention was to merge the two most popular beverages of Europe: beer (pale, cold, Nordic) and coffee (dark, hot, Neapolitan). Following its grand reopening, it became a popular social center for members of royalty, nobility, intellectuals and artists such as Oscar Wilde and Ernest Hemingway. In 1938, the new fascist government declared the café an anti-fascist place and ordered it closed. In 1973, Michele Sergio and his family took over Gambrinus and slowly restored it to the beauty of its glory days. My wife and I visited Gambrinus during our honeymoon in July 2018. The place was just beautiful and was filled with the delicious aroma of Italian coffee and freshly baked pastries. We just had pizza for lunch and were looking for something sweet for dessert. When most people think of Italian pastries, they think of cannoli. Cannoli are actually Sicilian in origin, and are referred to as 'Cannoli Siciliani' throughout the rest of Italy. In Naples, the popular pastries are Sfogliatelle (or as we say back home in New Haven: 'shfooyadels'). I ordered one topped with a cherry while my wife had one topped with pistachio cream. They were probably the best sfogliatelle that we ever ate. We ate them at the bar counter. If we wanted to sit at a table then they would have cost double. Other pastries that looked really good were their cannoli, zeppole, and rum baba. Their gelato selection also looked very impressive. It was so cool to eat delicious pastries in a place where so many famous historical figures had frequented.

One of the oldest cafes in Naples I am told, it's a classical institution that's definitely worth a visit. If you are willing to splurge a bit, come enjoy this cafe in the seated area. The pastries are lovely, get the dessert platter if you want to try a bit of each of their highlights. The cannoli was our favorite and definitely enjoyed a taste of the classic baba without trying to eat a full one. Being late afternoon, we went with a hibiscus tea than their famous coffee. The tea was served in beautiful ceramic pots and comes with lovely cookies to complement your order.

A historic cafe, but full of tourists and generally serves mediocre coffee and food. tried their sfogliatella which was very underwhelming and expensive. Better go to a local cafe and see the cafe interior from the outside.

I went to this place after seeing it on social media as a recommendation. Let me tell you- this place was packed and for a good reason. The service and food was great! I ended up going inside on my first visit and having a pistachio coffee concoction and it was to die for! The restaurant is beautiful and the gentleman serving me my coffee was so friendly and welcoming. I only spent two nights in Naples, but this place will always be on my must do list when I go back.

beautiful and elegant cafe in napoli. its a "touristy" spot and a bit overpriced for table seating, but definitely an experience when you are in napoli. their raspberry sfogiatelle, raspberry tart and pistachio cannole are worth a try! the desserts are different from the ones i've had back in the US - the cream is thicker and the flavors are more authentic

This is the Vatican of sweet shops and a must see for all who pass through the city. Located on one of the busier street corners the outdoor seating and indoor coffee tea Room are not to be missed. Be sure to check out some of the glass display cases by the entrance to the tea Room which have a bit of the history of notable and important people who have come through these doors and had a sip and a bite at the very tables you too can sit at. The coffee is standard which means it's excellent for being in Italy. There are 3 rooms where you can get your sweet tooth satisfied. One Room is dedicated to gelato and sweet cookies already prepared in bags to go for easy travel. The main hallway and entrance has a sweet bar that contains many of the cakes and pastries full size and individual portion that you can point to and choose from. The 3rd area is an actual bar where you can get all your libations whether they be coffee based or alcohol base or a mixture of both. You have 2 options here, you can sit down and order and they will bring it to you or you can order at the counter's and tell them that you're going to be sitting down and they will bring it too. So if you don't know exactly what you want it's easy enough to choose by pointing and it will arrive safe at your table just minutes later. Staff is friendly but a little bit on the snooty side you can understand this mean a very high class joint. But do not worry to all the weary tourists and travelers the service is good they pay attention to the details and they're happy to make you happy.

Coffee (Cafe) was good. Sfogliatella was okay. Entire place seems like a tourist trap, found some smaller spots with better (and worse) pastries and comparable coffee. Just really annoying to be in a busy spot with small space - might be worth to sit down here (I didn't).

This place is gorgeous and super yummy!! I had dessert, expresso, and ice cream. Sooo Delicious, this place is a must in Naples!! The history is cool and it's just fabulous.

Famous, busy, upscale coffee shop in Napoli. They serve all kinds of coffee drinks, gelato, pastries, etc. I got the granita di caffè which was a bit sweet (as expected I guess) but refreshing for the summer heat.

When you see this place, run! Lol. Ordered some sides. Pizza and another thing and both was gross. Literally the worst I ever had. Remember back in elementary when they serve you soggy microwaved, well this was worst. We sent it back and they don't take it off bill. The margarita that I ordered was horrible as well.

We went to this cafe as was told by our guides that it was the most famous patisserie and coffee place in all of Naples. Oscar Wilde, Hemingway, Jean Paul Satre (Are I in Naples? Does Naples exists?) and Mussolini were all patrons (obvs not at the same time ;-) and this place is also much lauded for it's superb 1890's Belle Epoch decor. Unfortunately, a lot of other folks (locals and tourists) were also aware of this and so this place was packed and forget getting a table to sit, it took us ages to even get a staff member to take our order, and finally we were luckily rescued by one of our guides, who came into the store to get a coffee and flagged down a staff-member and put in the order for us. We got the two delicacies of the area, a tasty and heavily alcohol rum babà, that was moist and definitely made my knees weak with how potent the rum was, and also a 'lobster tail' which was delicately made puff pastry, with a gazillion pastry layers. Its the pastry in my photos where the texture resembles stacked leaves. For my taste, the rum babà was definitely more tasty, and I found the lobster tail texture to be too dry. I'd def try coming here again, if in the area, however, if possible, try to come with a local so you can get your order in! Yelp 282/ 2018

Be aware that they have separate counter and seating prices...the seated prices in the cafe are 3-4 times more expensive than eating/drinking at the bar. To order at the counter, go to the main register and tell the cashier which drinks and pastries you want. After you pay, they'll give you a ticket to hand over to the pastry server and a ticket to hand over to the baristas, which serves as your actual order. There weren't any names in the pastry display so I just took pictures of what I wanted and showed my phone to the cashier - it worked perfectly! Despite the rather confusing ordering process, this spot is perfect for a little pick-me-up. The cappuccinos are deeelicious. I was actually expecting a lot more tourists here but we were surrounded by locals, which is always a good thing!

Because of the historical and cultural nature of Gran Caffe Gambrinus, it made its way to our must-see list for Naples. We took a seat outside so we could still oogle the Plazza del Plebescito. The menu is extensive. We had an espresso, a cocktail, and a pastry tray. We were excited when the cocktail came with a tray of salty snacks and a bowl of olives. Everything was wonderful. The pastry tray came with five mini pastries and all were delish. Service was surprisingly attentive for a sidewalk situation. I expected to see the server once, but we saw him about 3-4 times, very spiffy. The place is beautiful. We went inside and purchased some cup/saucer sets to take home. I think the wifi there is spotty so make sure to have cash on you. Do not depend on the plastic as they may not be able to connect to the network.

Not bad, espresso was good and ice cream was better! We came in around 11 pm had our short snack called it a night, beautiful decor.

This cafe is listed as the no.7 most beautiful cafe in the world. Unfortunately for me, I didn't even know it extended to the inside and ending up sitting outside instead. Apparently the decor inside is very extravagant but no one helped us as I wandered around inside wondering where there were places to sit in there. There's also no A/C if you sit inside. My mom and I ended up sitting outside instead and ordered a few coffees and a cannoli. The coffee tasted good and the cannoli was huge. The menu is quite large and they serve numerous types of coffee, desserts, hot foods, etc. It was a bit hard flagging down the right people outside though because only one waiter was taking orders. The rest were runners or bussers. Then you have to flag the same one down to pay. Definitely missed out on the opportunity to see the inside.

Fantastic establishment, absolutely prime position, variety of choices with food and pastries all excellent

We stopped here for dessert at the end of December 2018. It was super crowded but my brother-in-law speaks some Italian and got us a table inside at the back where the decor is very nice. The drinks were good and the desserts were tasty. They have a large selection of coffee beverages and desserts. The staff was attentive and friendly. The front was a mad house though-very very crowded. I'm surprised we got a table.

Came here Saturday morning in November around 8am and it was pretty much completely empty (I guess Italians and tourists don't wake up that early). I knew this was a touristy spot, but I still wanted to drop by to try out some of their popular drinks and check out the historical and cultural importance of this place. From a cafe perspective, it was a bit underwhelming, I got the Sfogliatelle and Caffe Gambrinus at the bar, which weren't bad and was significantly cheaper than sitting down. But besides that, there wasn't anything really special about the place. It was very spacious. It was a cool spot to visit, but I don't think it's anything special and would probably be fine to skip.

This place is discriminating against Americans citizens and residents. This is the only place in Naples where, if you are American, they won't let you in and they will offend you saying that you dont have the requirements to sit. Although it is an historic place, there are many more caffe in Naples where coffee is great and they are polite and respectful of tourists. Stay away.

Touristy and underwhelming. Also overpriced. Waiter was rude and condescending. You may be tempted to go and try this place because it has shown on tv and on travel guides, but let me save you time, money and disappointment. The food also was below what I expected. Simple sandwiches, the same you could buy at any cafe on an office building.

I ate here twice during my stay in Naples. The service was great and the pastries were delicious. It is a little pricey for coffee, but worth it. Our first morning we tried sfogliatella (delicious!), baba and a croissant. Our second visit we tried a strawberry tart, chocolate cake and a ham and cheese sandwich. Everything was tasty!

A coworker of mine who was born/raised from Napoli suggested that I come here. Yes it's extremely touristy, but it's a staple. If you sit outside or dine in, the prices are about triple of what you would pay inside at the bar, so be cognizant of that. Had the dessert sampler which was okay. Sitting outside is great for people watching!

Tried due espressi baba and other signature Napoli dessert, espresso was good, slightly pricey, average dessert

Very old stile coffee bar with delicious pastries of traditional food of Napoli. High level rooms and services ... very nice

If you came to Naples and did not try a pastry at gambrinus you weren't here. Indulging state of the art sfogliatellas and babbas of all shapes and sizes. Just take a look at the pictures. Only downside, super hyper crowded. But it needs to be done.

Terrible service despite an average of 6 wait staff milling around in the small outdoor tented area. Wait staff were arguing with each other (about their roles and coverage of different areas, I think) the entire time. Every table had to flag down a waiter several times just to order; one local got up and walked a waiter over to her table to order. One older gentleman working there was very sweet, but the rest of staff were rude rude rude. Sandwich was mediocre at best. And to top it off, a cup of tea was 8 Euros! Our fault for not reading the drinks menu more closely, but who would ever imagine a tea bag and hot water would be even close to 8 Euros!

My husband and I only dropped in for one of their coffees and had it at the bar. The staff stopped to answer my question but wasn't too warm about it. I think the staff may be uptight here because they can-because it's such s historical place and people will come here anyways. Anyways, we ordered the Nonno and Nocciola at the cashier then took the ticket to the counter. The two coffees we had were sweet and delicious! Perfect for a sweet treat. The Nonno is served cold and tasted my coffee ice cream. My husband got the Nocciola and said it was too sweet for him. I'm not sure how the rest of the caffe is like since we were in and out pretty quickly. Would come back for this sweet treat despite the cold service.

We happened upon Gambrinus one afternoon walking back to our hotel in Chiaia. We stopped in for cup of the caffe nocciola, a divine espresso with hazelnut cream, standing at the counter. I'm definitely a purist when it comes to my coffee, but this was a serious YUM. We were given a carafe of water with the nocciola -- a nice touch. The second time we passed the Caffe, I had a Sfogliatelle, a childhood favorite of mine, along with my nocciola. The woman behind the counter handed me the plate without dusting the pastry with powdered sugar. After obliging me with the sugar, she practically threw the plate at me. The 4-Stars are for the nocciola and the pastry, certainly not for the general attitude of the staff.

Facing the Piazza Plebiscito, the Gran Caffe Gambrinus, once boasted of being the hang out joint of literary genius Oscar Wilde. Nowadays, it's the perfect stop to rest your weary feet from Naples dirty streets. Ample people watching to be had, but at a price. Prices for drinks and food double if you decide to sit at a table rather than stand at the bar. My husband and I each enjoyed a bottle Nastro Azzuro (€5) as we munched on their complimentary bar nibbles (delicious and fresh green olives and a variety of rice/potato croquettes). They've got a huge gelato selection and also serve typical Neopolitan treats such as sfogliatella (flaky sweet pastry stuffed with ricotta) and baba (rum-soaked cake in the shape of a mushroom).

We were there a couple of years ago and my wife and I each ordered a cannoli. We took a bite at nearly the same time. Immediately we looked at each other and said these exact word..."WOW" Needless to say they were the most delicious creamiest pastries imaginable. The restaurant was absolutely charming. Service and ambiance perfect.

Love love!!! My favorite coffee was hazelnut !! Cafe alla nocciola! Deserts are amazing- ricotta e pear yum; wild strawberries pastries are so good! Quick service , friendly ! no complaints!