Gran Caffe Gambrinus, Naples
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Once a historic bar gets taken over for commerce, that's usually the end of it. But the Gran Caffe Gambrinus, the pride of Naples watering-holes, has miraculously survived all the odds. Like so many British bars and pizzerias, it's been reconverted from a great bank to the famous hive of congeniality it once was.
Perhaps it was the ghost of Gambrinus itself that Oscar Wilde saw while drinking here towards the end of the 19th century. Gambrinus had already been going for 30 years then, enjoying an enviable position on the edge of Naples's most stunning sight, the huge Piazza del Plebiscito.
Named for the mythical Flemish king traditionally credited with the invention of beer, Gran Caffe Gambrinus was started by the Peroni family. It was endowed with all the luxe fixturing we have come to expect of grand Italian cafes, in the spirit of Florian in Venice. It's worth perching inside for your first Campari to enjoy the gold and mirrors, even though the temptation is to sit outside on the terrace and people-watch; you'll also be able to see the little fried snacks that may come with your drinks.
In the spirit of rebellious Wilde, left-wing intellectuals gathered here during the rise of fascism, causing Mussolini to close the cafe down in the hope of suppressing dissent. Gambrinus had a new incarnation as a bank, and it is lucky for visitors to Naples that what was such a pivotal attraction of the city was able to reopen as a bar 30-odd years later.
Now the Sergio family have made the most of the premises, creating a cafe-theatre in what was the back room of the bank for cabaret and musical performances. Another room in the cafe proper is often used for meetings, while the local crowd fills the main bar and that great terrace.
If hunger beckons, the family own the Rosati pizzeria next door, but you might well want to return to Gran Caffe Gambrinus for an amaro - the locally-produced nightcap Neapolitans love.
Contact tel: +39 081 41 75 82
Useful links
Bay of Excellence.org
Gran Caffe Gambrinus, Naples
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