Naples invented pizza — so the bar here is high, and as a visitor it can be hard to tell a tourist trap from the real thing. This short guide explains what makes a pizza genuinely Neapolitan, what to look for in the historic centre, and how we approach it at EVO50.
It starts with the dough. A real Neapolitan pizza uses a soft, slow-leavened dough made from just flour, water, salt and yeast — no oil, no shortcuts. Slow leavening is what makes it light and easy to digest, with the puffy, slightly charred rim (the cornicione) that is the signature of the style.
Then there is the bake: a very hot oven and a short cook, so the centre stays soft and foldable rather than crisp. Authentic Neapolitan pizza is eaten with a knife and fork as often as by hand — and the middle is meant to be a little soft. That is not a flaw; it is the point.
Classic Neapolitan pizza is a small, fixed canon — Margherita, Marinara, and a handful of others. But the best pizzerias in Naples today also evolve the tradition, keeping the dough and the technique sacred while playing with toppings that tell the story of the region.
That is exactly where EVO50 sits — the name itself stands for evoluzione, the evolution of the dough through quality pairings. Our dough is a direct dough with a small percentage of pasta di riporto, which gives an exceptionally soft, digestible result. On top, we build flavours that go beyond the classics without betraying them.
When a pizza is this simple, the ingredients are everything. Look for:
- Campania DOP ingredients — this region grows the tomatoes and makes the cheese that define the style. - Real mozzarella — fior di latte or buffalo mozzarella, added so it melts without flooding the pizza. - Extra-virgin olive oil — a finishing drizzle, not a frying medium.
At EVO50 we use selected Italian ingredients with a strong Campania bias, because the territory is part of the flavour.
If you want a sense of how we evolve the tradition: our signature EVO 50 pairs salame nero casertano, confit cherry tomatoes and provolone del Monaco — a play between savoury and sweet. Domenica a Napoli brings the Sunday classic onto a pizza with slow-cooked Genovese and oven potatoes. And for dessert, Ricotta, Walnuts and Honey is an unexpected balance of sweet and savoury.
Every pizza is also available gluten-free, prepared with a dedicated anti-contamination process — so a coeliac guest and a non-coeliac guest can share the same table.
A quick checklist when you are choosing where to eat in Naples old town:
- A short, confident menu rather than an endless one. - Pizzaioli working a real oven you can see. - Dough that is soft and foldable, with a charred, airy rim. - Honest sourcing — places proud of where their ingredients come from.
EVO50 is at Calata SS. Cosma e Damiano 22, in the UNESCO-listed historic centre — a few minutes on foot from the Duomo, Spaccanapoli and the University of Naples Federico II. We are a little tucked away, which is part of the charm; our guests rate us 4.7 out of 5 across nearly a thousand reviews. We are open Monday to Saturday, 7–11 PM.
Have a look at the full menu, or book a table and come find us.
Buon appetito — and welcome to Naples.
