La Cantina di via Sapienza — Restaurant in Naples

It would be 3.5/5 if Google did half-stars.

My pasta course took an eternity to come. I initially wondered why, but quickly saw the volume of take-away boxes flying out the kitchen and realised most people had ordered delivery since it was bucketing down outside.

Eventually a steaming pile of rigatoni arrived at the table and my mouth watered. Diving in was a divine example of simplicity and honesty. This was al dente to the core, the sauce was hearty and homey and deep. I managed to scarf my way through the entire bowl, almost forgetting I had another course coming.

The primi course had already bludgeoned me and I felt incapable of shoving anymore into my mouth. Luckily for me the meatballs were not spectacular, so I felt justified in not finishing the plate. Nonna kept glancing over, perhaps because I was dressed all in black, perhaps because most clients here don't take photographs of their food.

The tomato sauce was pretty standard, almost like opening a bottle of passata and heating it up. Texturally the meatball ate dry and were quite firm. It lacked the delicate touch, which is of course reminiscent of home-cooking, but sometimes you appreciate mouth-feel as well as taste. I munched through one and half and threw in the towl, paid the bill, thanked the wonderful family and braced for the rain.

In terms of authenticity, this was an experience. In terms of flavour it was...

The hidden gem of Naples - we have been here for 10 days and this is the best restaurant we've been to. Forget the hawkers shouting "pizza pasta pizza pasta" and walk 2 minutes off the beaten path to come here instead. Treat yourself to a glass of house wine (2 euro for 8oz/250ml), open the menu (with English translation) and enjoy local dishes and seasonal vegetables cooked simply with garlic and olive oil. Make sure to order the verdure - a combination of four vegetable sides for 4 euro (good luck finding this much veg anywhere else in Naples). The sausage, meatballs, eggplant parm, and tomato with anchovies on toast are all excellent choices. Even if you've had it elsewhere in Naples, you'll want to try it here to see how it really...

This wonderful little eatery is only open for lunch until 3pm,so be sure to get in before that. Everything we ordered, from the side of vegetables to the gnocchi to the zuppa forte (spicy pork offal) were truly scrumptious. The sauces were complex and deep without being rich in fat, and the gnocchi simply melted in the mouth with a cheesy finish.

My highlight, though, was the bread basket - be sure to ask for the chilli oil and parmigiano, and make your own bites with those + the crusty bread.

Service is quick and the host is ever so gracious, the prices are far too low to justify the portions and quality of the food, and the ambience is as cosy and comforting as you can imagine. If you're in Naples, this is...