The restaurant that feels like a living room in the heart of Vomero: between Genovese sauce and Champagne at popular prices

by Titti Masiello

La vie en rose in Naples is on Via Filippo Cifariello, painted with small, understated commercial signs, all managed by women. It’s a carnival of flavours on one of the few streets in the heart of Vomero that has preserved its original lava stone paving. From breakfast to after-dinner, the street comes alive with an unmistakably feminine atmosphere.

Angela Gargiulo. To start, a baked pasta dish from Buatta. Photo by Gabriella Imparato.

Angela’s Urban Living Room

The protagonist of this urban living room is Angela Gargiulo, a talented Neapolitan entrepreneur who, step by step, has transformed the entire street into an open-air food and wine space, with an all-female management style.
"About ten years ago, I was a ceramicist. But in Naples, it doesn’t pay, so I turned my passion for cooking into a career. I started preparing the same dishes for my customers that I cooked at home for my family."

Angelina Caffè

Pastries and baked goods: welcome to Angelina Caffè

It all starts in the morning at Angelina Caffè, located at No. 7b. Between pastries, biscuits, and tarts, it feels like stepping into your grandmother’s house. Behind the small open counter of this romantic tea room, there’s always something baking in the oven or rising on the countertop. Here, every hand involved belongs to a woman—some dedicated to cakes and creams, others preparing lunch boxes for a quick work break or an evening aperitif.
"We also make sugar-free or gluten-free desserts," Angela explains. But this small patisserie is only one of her most recent projects.

Genovese Sauce, Salt Cod, and Crocchè at Buatta

On the other side of the elegant Art Nouveau buildings that line the street, at No. 14, you’ll find Buatta, subtitled “Trattoria di Conversazione” (Conversation Trattoria).
"I called it that because I wanted the main dish in my restaurant to be conversation; you should never lack that at the table."
Indeed, this small, slightly retro space with its graceful yet simple decor, lined with wine bottles on the walls, invites chatter as you share a plate of ziti with Genovese sauce or fried salt cod (though the other traditional fried dishes, meatballs, anchovies, and house desserts are just as good).

A homemade Neapolitan Cuisine

"Buatta was born on 12.12.12. Fourteen years have already passed," Angela smiles as she recounts how, from the start, one of her main goals was to avoid semi-finished products and low-quality ingredients. "Here, I cook only with fresh ingredients, and I know the suppliers who bring them to my restaurant every morning."
Angela is always in the kitchen, and between pots and pans, her team is entirely female, just like the dining room staff, led by the skilled Neapolitan sommelier Gabriella Imparato.

Champagneria Popolare in the heart of Vomero

Whenever possible, Angela’s daughters also lend a hand, but every evening, Mariagiulia Paesano, one of the three sisters, is there to lead the way at the Champagneria Popolare, located just across from Buatta at No. 7. The sign is almost unnoticeable, and you’ll need to watch your step as you enter this delightful champagne bar, with its soft lighting and a shelf full of respectable labels.
"I studied something completely different," says Mariagiulia, who holds a diploma from the Academy of Fine Arts. "But in 2021, my mum and I decided to embark on this new venture." Initially, they opened at No. 2/a. "We only had nine stools and a very quick service. Then we moved to the current location," an informal space with small tables, where you’ll often find Mariagiulia behind the counter serving guests.

Labels and bubbles without ideology

The selection is not dictated by fleeting trends dividing Naples between “natural” and “conventional” wine enthusiasts. Here, there’s a bit of everything, balanced beautifully. What’s missing is the ubiquitous chalkboard listing wines by the glass. Instead, Sandra Restrepo, an expert sommelier, handles the choices with grace and competence. Her approach is free of any pretentiousness, reminding patrons that wineries are not temples but convivial spaces.

Popular Prices and Dishes from Buatta

The atmosphere is calm and relaxed, thanks in part to the affordable and well-thought-out prices, which encourage guests to order another glass ("That’s what ‘popular’ means here," explains Sandra). Guests can also order directly from Buatta’s menu, with dishes brought straight to the tables at the Champagneria.
"We’ve created a small selection from Buatta’s menu, but we always try to accommodate guests if they request something outside of it," says Mariagiulia.

After-dinner at Cordiale: drinks, beers, and no/low-alcohol options

The all-female parade continues after dinner with a “male quota.” At No. 2°, Cordiale is led by Massimiliano Cantano, Mariagiulia’s partner. It’s a cocktail bar, a beer hall, and a wine bar all in one.
"The term cordiale was used in the early 1900s to describe any tonic or stimulating preparation, whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic. After the war, cordiale was used to invite friends and lovers to drink together, which today translates into what we know as an aperitif. The idea is to bring people together over different drinks, fostering camaraderie."
This ethos is explained on the last page of the menu. Here, too, the synergy with Buatta is evident, with dishes like salt cod crocchè or lemon meatballs, all prepared by the tireless women in the kitchen.

These are women who have beautified a street and breathed new life into a piece of Neapolitan cuisine. They’ve followed their passions and dreams, unafraid to expand their entrepreneurial horizons. Women who know the meaning of hard work yet allow themselves a touch of lipstick on their radiant smiles each time they prepare a dish or serve a glass of wine.

Buatta - Via Filippo Cifariello 14, 80129 Napoli - Tel. 349 605 9176