Where to eat the best babà in Naples

History of the babà

Few products represent the art of Neapolitan pastry art as well as the babà: fluffy, rum-soaked, mouth-watering, traditional, the Neapolitan dessert is one of the most popular throughout Italy. Its origins, however, have little to do with Campania: this is also validated by Flavia Amabile in her book 'Si nu' babbà', where she specifies that the product's long journey began in Luneville, Lorraine. The history of the babà therefore manages to link Naples, France and even Poland because it was the Polish king Stanislaus Leszczyński, in exile in the French region, who invented the recipe and decided to add rum syrup to kugelhopf, a typical dessert he considered as too dry. It was only in the Neapolitan city, however, that the babà took root. Here is where to find the best.

The best babà in Naples

Where to eat the best babà in Naples

Al Capriccio

Raffaele Capparelli, born in 1984, is an attentive professional and an artisan dedicated to the traditional art of Neapolitan pastry art. Cakes, mignons, fragrant breakfast pastries: nothing is missing on the counter, but the absolute star is the babà, also offered in a gelato version. The recipe is the family one, handed down from generation to generation: the soft, spongy pastry with a well-balanced soak is available in classic or extra large format, plain or with various toppings, such as whipped cream and strawberries, or chantilly cream. Don't miss the babana, a pastry chef's invention: a babà filled with delicious heavy cream.

Al Capriccio – via Carbonara, 39 – www.pasticceriacapriccio.com

Mignone

In their shop a stone's throw from the National Museum, Ugo and Raffaele welcome their many loyal customers every day with an endless supply of delicious things. Shop windows and counters are filled with all kinds of goodness, starting with tarts and cakes filled with fresh fruit. Not missing from the list is the babà, of excellent craftsmanship, well-soaked and tasty, here to be tried also in a maxi version and filled with custard, for an alternative and original birthday cake.

Mignone – p.zza Cavour, 145 – www.pasticceriamignone.it

Scaturchio

Founded by Giovanni Scaturchio more than a century ago - it was 1905 when the shop windows facing Piazza San Domenico Maggiore opened for the first time, revealing a riot of specialities of the Campania pastry art in the working class heart of Naples - the pastry shop that takes its name from its founder still thrives on the legendary charm of its history. And of the success of the Ministeriale, a dark chocolate disc filled with liqueur cream, the shop's flagship product. At Scaturchio's, however, you can also find excellent babà, including the Babà Vesuvio, created in 1994 on the occasion of the G7 in Naples by Mario Scaturchio to symbolically represent the city's welcome.

Scaturchio – p.zza San Domenico Maggiore, 19 - scaturchio.it/

Vincenzo Bellavia

Almost a century of history and never a moment of decline: the shop now boasts a small empire made up of the cornerstones of Neapolitan and Sicilian tradition. The babà is the classic recipe, simple and genuine, juicy and fluffy, but for those with a sweet tooth there is also a version filled with whipped cream. There are also gluten-free desserts, to please just about everyone.

Vincenzo Bellavia – p.zza Muzji Francesco, 27/28 - pasticceriabellavia.it/it/

Di Costanzo

There's an air of France and modernity in this small pastry shop in the city centre with its spacious workshops, housed in the old stables of a 19th century building. The products, however, remain those of tradition, made with top quality ingredients, starting with the fluffy babàs, mignon or maxi versions.

Di Costanzo – p.zza Cavour, 133 – www.dicostanzopasticceria.it

Poppella

The place continues to reap success among Neapolitans and tourists with its famous fiocco di neve, a brioche filled with sheep's milk ricotta cream, but Poppella is much more than that. In addition to the invention of recent history, the shop offers a variety of Neapolitan specialities, from sfogliatella to babà, soaked just right and available in several variations (try the one with strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate). Another location in Via S. Brigida.

Poppella – via Arena della Sanità, 29 – www.pasticceriapoppella.com

Attanasio

The sign reads "Antico forno delle sfogliatelle calde" (Ancient bakery of hot sfogliatelle) and indeed Attanasio is for many the reference point for one of the city's iconic pastries, in both the frilly and shortcrust versions. Especially for tourists arriving by train, who choose the place in Vico Ferrovia, a short walk from the central station as their first gastronomic stop of the day. Yet the offer at Attanasio boasts many other delicacies, babà first of all: with their burnished colour and juicy appearance, the spongy sweets with their soft, elastic dough will win over even the most demanding palates.

Attanasio – Vico Ferrovia 1/2/3/4 - sfogliatelleattanasio.it/home.html

by Michela Becchi