Ostaria Pignatelli

The atmosphere of sitting in the square with except food and wine. Executed by top quality staff was exactly the dinner we were looking for in our visit. Excellent fresh and local ingredients prepared perfectly. We showed up without reservations at opening and were lucky to get a table.

Ostaria Pignatelli in Chiaia is worth visiting when in Naples. This classic Italian, or rather Neapolitan, restaurant serves high quality meals and offers guests outdoor and indoor seating. The waiter was kind enough to advise me against ordering a main and a starter as they would be too much for me. He recommended the fish of the day served breaded and wow, fresh as if it was just plucked from the sea - delicious! When I finished, the waiter insisted that I try the zeppole di San Giuseppe, a typical pastry for that time of year, which I did try. It didn’t compare to the fish it was still nice to try especially as every table had ordered it too.

I really enjoyed this ostaria: it's the perfect combination of friendly service, atmosphere, and impeccable cuisine. The shrimp risotto and grilled octopus are worth every euro. Wine lovers will enjoy the selection, and those with a sweet tooth will enjoy the excellent dessert selection, although I stopped on the standard tiramisu, which was a real surprise (in a good way). The only downside is the outdoor patio, which is close to the road, but that's common in Naples. So, I highly recommend visiting!

Food was not bad it just didn’t have much of the wow factor that you would expect. My experience was pleasant and the staff were nice however the service felt very disorganized. I had the salad with octopus, the prawn risotto, and the tiramisu. The octopus was a bit chewy, the risotto was a bit cold, and the tiramisu felt store bought. The prawn however was delicious!

We dined at Ostaria Pignatelli during our stay in Naples. We started with the parmigiana, followed by candele alla genovese and spaghetti alla luciana, and ordered a bottle of Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio (Muscari). The wine was actually the highlight of the meal – elegant, balanced, and very enjoyable. The food itself felt somewhat underwhelming. The parmigiana was noticeably acidic, which dominated the dish. The two pasta dishes were correctly prepared but did not leave a strong impression and lacked the depth of flavor we had expected. The service was polite but rather reserved. At the end of the meal we were not asked whether we had enjoyed the dishes, which made the experience feel a bit distant. Given this experience, it was somewhat difficult for us to understand how the restaurant came to be recommended by the Michelin Guide. Overall, the evening was pleasant, but it did not meet the expectations created by the restaurant’s reputation. We found nothing special about it.