3 Best Restaurants in The Bay of Naples, Italy

Carrying on a tradition of top-quality cuisine started by his father, chef Paolo Gramaglia and his wife Laila—the pastry chef and sommelier—run this Michelin-starred restaurant that consistently ranks among Campania's best. The presentation of every dish is beautiful, and service is impeccable; what's more, the restaurant sometimes hosts Roman-inspired banquets with musical accompaniment.

The celebrated site of oyster beds and fish farms in ancient times, Lake Lucrino is now the setting for this rustic trattoria. Quirky Ruggiero runs the dining room with a whimsical charm—don't be shocked if he addresses you through his megaphone or warmly embraces you when you leave—and his wife, Maria, lovingly prepares specialties from land, sea, and lake, much to the delight of the locals who tend to pack the place.

Doing a brisk trade with both stranieri and napoletani—always a good sign—this restaurant and pizzeria on the roundabout near the Circumvesuviana station is a 10-minute walk from the excavations of Herculaneum. Dishes vary according to season but always draw on local recipes: pasta e fagioli (with beans) is a winter favorite, and richly garnished schiaffoni (flat tube pasta) with seafood is a summer stalwart. If you're sensitive to traffic noise, avoid sitting at the outside tables.