Meet Gaia
“I was born and raised in Naples, but my family comes from different parts of Italy — my mother is from Bolzano, my grandmother was Venetian, and my grandfather Calabrian. Naples, though, has always been home. I work closely with people and with the city every day, and I think that’s why I’ve come to understand that Naples is difficult to explain from the outside. It’s a city you have to experience to really understand.”
1. If you had one day to change the mind of someone who says “I don’t like Naples,” what would you have them do?
I would definitely take them to Giuseppone a Mare. As soon as we arrive, we’d stop at Bar del Mare, order a spritz and a bag of chips, and then sit on the rocks by the water. Seen this way — between the sea and these simple pleasures — Naples completely shifts your perspective.
2. What dish do you think best represents Naples, and where should someone go to try the right version of it?
Without a doubt, genovese. I recommend Trattoria San Ferdinando on Via Nardones. It’s one of their specialties, but the rest of the menu never disappoints either. The house-made crocchè are incredible.
3. Where do you go for an aperitivo or late-night drink?
The usual meeting point is almost always Chiaia, with its mix of historic and contemporary bars. My favorites are ScottoJonno, Moby, Archivio Storico, Flanagan’s, and Riot.
4. Is there a place in Naples you love that visitors rarely see but absolutely should?
Marechiaro, without a doubt — especially Lo Scoglione. It still has an intimate atmosphere and feels removed from the parts of the city most visitors tend to see.
5. Which boutiques or vintage shops do you genuinely love and recommend?
Due di Picche, Retrophilia Vintage Clothing, and Boudoir. They’re the places I return to for interesting finds and pieces you don’t see everywhere.
6. Everyone knows Capri and the Amalfi Coast, but where do Neapolitans really go for the summer?
Ischia, without a doubt. There’s the sea, thermal baths and nature, but also so many different sides of the island to discover. No matter how many times you return, there’s always something new to find.
7. What’s an everyday Neapolitan habit or tradition that says more about the city than any landmark ever could?
Coffee, of course. In Naples, it’s an excuse for everything: to meet up, to clear the air, to start the day, or simply to take a break. It’s a small ritual that says a lot about the way people live here.
8. Naples moves between many worlds at once — historic grandeur and everyday street life, a deep food culture, and a slow-living mentality that exists alongside chaos. How do all these sides coexist, and how does that shape the way people live here?
Naples is a city where opposites don’t clash, they coexist. Grand history and everyday life sit side by side, just like sacredness and irony, slowness and chaos. This constant layering shapes the way you live here: you learn to navigate unspoken rules, to adapt, and to find balance even in unpredictability. It’s a city that teaches you the importance of human connection and shared time. Naples is never linear, but it’s precisely this complexity that makes it feel so alive, and so difficult to forget.
