Gran Caffè Gambrinus

This Italian City Is the Birthplace of Pizza—and It Is Packed with Fascinating History

"This 19th-century institution just off the elegant Piazza del Plebiscito is a Belle Époque masterpiece where white-jacketed waiters serve fancy espresso drinks and pastries to well-dressed guests. Long considered the meeting place for the elite, it has hosted illustrious guests including Empress Sisi, poet Gabriele d’Annunzio, Oscar Wilde, and Ernest Hemingway." - Laura Itzkowitz Laura Itzkowitz Laura Itzkowitz is a writer and editor based in Rome. She has been contributing to Travel + Leisure since 2014, when she started as a fact checker before becoming a contributing digital editor in 2015. She has also held positions as a contributing editor at The Points Guy and the NYC cities editor at DuJour Magazine. In addition to Travel + Leisure, her writing has appeared in Architectural Digest, Surface Magazine, Brooklyn Magazine, T Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, GQ, Departures, Afar, Fodor's, Town & Country, Condé Nast Traveler, Robb Report, Hemispheres, and others. When she's not jetsetting around Italy and beyond, she can be found in Rome, enjoying some cacio e pepe or relaxing at home with her husband and two dogs. Originally from the Boston area, Laura moved to New York City in 2011 to pursue a master's degree in creative writing and translation at Columbia University. She also holds a bachelor's degree in French from Smith College. * 10+ years of experience writing and editing * Co-wrote "New York: Hidden Bars & Restaurants," an award-winning guide to New York City's speakeasy scene published by Jonglez Editions in 2015 * Contributed to "Fodor's Brooklyn," published by Penguin Random House in 2015, which won silver in the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism competition * Contributed an essay to "Epic Hikes of Europe," published by Lonely Planet in 2021 * Updated the 2022 edition of "Fodor's Essential Italy" Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines

How to Plan the Perfect Trip to Naples, Italy

"A 19th-century Belle Epoque institution just off Piazza del Plebiscito where white-jacketed waiters serve elaborate espresso drinks and pastries to well-dressed guests; long considered the meeting place for the elite, it has hosted Empress Sisi, poet Gabriele d’Annunzio, Oscar Wilde, and Ernest Hemingway." - Laura Itzkowitz Laura Itzkowitz Laura Itzkowitz is a writer and editor based in Rome. She has been contributing to Travel + Leisure since 2014, when she started as a fact checker before becoming a contributing digital editor in 2015. She has also held positions as a contributing editor at The Points Guy and the NYC cities editor at DuJour Magazine. In addition to Travel + Leisure, her writing has appeared in Architectural Digest, Surface Magazine, Brooklyn Magazine, T Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, GQ, Departures, Afar, Fodor's, Town & Country, Condé Nast Traveler, Robb Report, Hemispheres, and others. When she's not jetsetting around Italy and beyond, she can be found in Rome, enjoying some cacio e pepe or relaxing at home with her husband and two dogs. Originally from the Boston area, Laura moved to New York City in 2011 to pursue a master's degree in creative writing and translation at Columbia University. She also holds a bachelor's degree in French from Smith College. * 10+ years of experience writing and editing * Co-wrote "New York: Hidden Bars & Restaurants," an award-winning guide to New York City's speakeasy scene published by Jonglez Editions in 2015 * Contributed to "Fodor's Brooklyn," published by Penguin Random House in 2015, which won silver in the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism competition * Contributed an essay to "Epic Hikes of Europe," published by Lonely Planet in 2021 * Updated the 2022 edition of "Fodor's Essential Italy" Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines

Openings: Una Pizza Napoletana Becomes a Coffee Counter

"Caffè Napoletana is a Saturday-only coffee counter transformed from Una Pizza Napoletana. The menu is limited with attention to detail, offering espresso, cappuccino, and espresso con panna. Snack cakes are imported from Italy, and juices are freshly made. The coffee beans are a mix of Robusta and Arabica from Kimbo in Naples, and the espresso is made using a Faema Thermosifonic President machine. Only four people are allowed to pull shots, ensuring quality control." - Jason Diamond

Back in Naples, a police captain teaches Stanley about the Neapolitan tradition of Caffè Sospeso: he buys two coffees and one extra, so when a person in need shows up, the coffee seller gives them a free drink that their fellow citizen has paid for earlier. Gran Caffe Gambrinus, the oldest and perhaps grandest cafe in Naples, is one of the cafes in the city that practices this tradition.