For my first dinner in Napoli, I was tempted by Pescheria Azzurra's premise of high quality seafood in a rustic, energetic setting. Upon arrival at 10pm the restaurant was packed, and after a short wait, we were ushered to a table.

We ordered a variety of dishes from the menu, especially excited for the fried seafood and a mussel and pecorino pasta dish. First to arrive were small bites consisting of fried zucchini and eggplants in a tomato based sauce. I found both dishes tasty, especially the latter, which benefited from the high quality of tomatoes. Next to arrive in succession was an octopus in a tomato and basil sauce and the platter of fried seafood. Both dishes were rather disappointing, the octopus tough and overly acidic and the fried seafood boring after the first few bites.

The last dish placed on the table, and the definite highlight of the meal was a a simple but incredible dish of spaghetti and mussels. Coated in a mixture of olive oil, pecorino and a seafood flavour from the mussels, each bite was rich and delicious and only accentuated by the odd parsley leaf and mussel. In contention with another dish I had sampled in Sorrento a few days prior, the spaghetti was one of the best I've ever had.

Overall, while each element at Pescheria Azzurra didn't wow, it was hard not to leave feeling more than satisfied by the quality of the pasta we had sampled and the convivial, rustic atmosphere.