Antica Pizzeria Di Matteo — Restaurant in Naples

We went to this place under the recommendation of the hotel manager who said it was his "2nd favourite" place for pizza in Napoli. We obviously went with high expectations, and were sorely disappointed with the overall experience. When we arrived, we weren't sure if the place was actually open for dining-in and the impression you are given is that it is a takeaway service. You have to approach the chefs / kitchen staff as you actually walk through and past them to go into the two floored dining-in experience. Rather than a warm welcome, we were simply pointed to an entry point and waved in. The place itself could do with a massive overhaul and update. It's clearly not entered the 21st Century and the place looks grubby, and most likely hasn't changed since ex-US President, Bill Clinton visited the establishment (a photo of which is proudly adorned on their menu). The waiters barely acknowledged our existence and pointed to a table for us to sit and order our food. When asked what we wanted by a waiter, my partner was told her pizza wasn't available. She didn't know what to pick and feeling pressured to make a decision by the waiter, she asked him what was the "best" pizza they had, his response was "Margherita" - how adventurous... The place had no atmosphere whatsoever, with other diners looking disappointed and unhappy. Honestly, it was like dining in a Soviet era cafeteria where no one was allowed to express joy or be a little loud and happy about their food. The pizzas arrived and I was disappointed. I felt mine was drenched in olive oil and the dough was far too thin. My partners pizza was better, however, we both agreed we had had much better margherita pizza in Rome. Overall, the place needs an update and the whole experience was just a disappointment. There are better pizzas and places with an actual atmosphere and good waiting staff in Napoli, and this place in my opinion, doesn't warrant or deserve a visit...

When I sat down, there was no table cloths, menu or nothing. I waited patiently because it was in the middle of lunch time. Soon I noticed waiters don’t care. They are unprofessional and don’t pay attention to customers. They’re just not interested. After a while, they put a table napkin, a plastic cup and menus. I started looking at the drink menu, decided what to order for a drink. Then I opened the food menu, a waiter with a white t-shirt came and said prego. I wasn’t ready because I just got the menu after waiting for a while and haven’t even looked at the food menu yet so I asked him what’s most popular and he said he doesn’t speak English in Italian and left. I thought he was gonna bring an English speaking staff but he did not come back. When I asked the question, I accidentally fell the plastic cup on the floor because nothing was inside and super light, and he saw it but just ignored it. He didn’t pick it up or bring a new one. After he left, I waited for a while and since he didn’t come back, I told another staff that I’m ready to order and the staff who takes orders didn’t come for a while again so when I was about to leave, he finally came so I ordered a fried pizza and water. I could finally order after half an hour. They brought a water bottle and there was no cup on the table because it’s on the floor but they didn’t bring a cup. I didn’t need it but it just felt so weird and no respect. Food was good. The bathroom was absolutely disgusting. I think someone vomited. I should have eaten somewhere else. It was a huge time loss as I wanted to visit many places afterwards. Especially considering that it’s located in the middle of many tourist attractions, I do not recommend it at all....

Naples is a city where even the humblest pizzeria can deliver a slice of heaven. Sadly, this establishment proved the exception to that rule. What should have been a celebration of Neapolitan tradition unraveled into the most disappointing dining experience of our week.

The ordeal began with a 20-minute wait outside, tolerable enough, but once seated we languished for another half-hour before a server even approached to take our order. Fifteen more minutes passed before the food arrived, by which point our appetite had given way to frustration.

And then came the real letdown: the Margherita. In the birthplace of this iconic dish, one expects a delicate balance of molten mozzarella, fragrant tomato, and airy crust. Instead, what arrived was a pale imitation—the cheese congealed and rubbery, resisting the very idea of melting. It was a joyless rendition, unworthy of the Neapolitan name.

The fried pizza fared no better. Advertised as being filled with prosciutto or salame, it instead harbored a muddled, offal-like filling that felt both deceptive and unpalatable. In a city where authenticity is sacred, this was a culinary betrayal. And for a restaurant as renowned, plastic glasses were something I have never seen before.

In Naples, mediocrity is rare—but when it appears, it is glaring. This restaurant, regrettably, offered the lowest note in an otherwise harmonious symphony of flavors...