At the Via Toledo entrance to Galleria Umberto I, this tiny takeaway vendor is widely considered the queen of the sfogliatella. Usually still warm from…

Sua maestà la sfogliatella è protagonista indiscussa di questo localino incastonato nella splendida Galleria Umberto I, dove ogni giorno vengono sfornati dolci fumanti e prelibatezze da passeggio. Questa pasticceria in formato “mini” è composta solo da un bancone che si affaccia sulla Galleria, ma ciò non le ha impedito di diventare uno dei capisaldi del centro di Napoli in quanto a dolci. Le sfogliatelle – ricce o frolle – vengono servite con abbondante zucchero a velo ed invogliano ad essere addentate senza aspettare di trovare una panchina per sedersi, ammirando lo splendido stile Art Nouveau della location in cui ci si trova.

We’re now entering in the noble art of Neapolitan pastry, appreciated worldwide, beloved by all and impossible to imitate. Among the most famous desserts, we must mention the sfogliatelle: delicious cakes that boast a long history and an important tradition.This delicious cake has a triangular shape, looks like a shell, formed by a crispy pastry, covered with sweet icing sugar, and inside it has a soft and delicious filling of ricotta and candied fruit. Very often this stuffing can be replaced by jam or chocolate so that even children who like simpler tastes can eat it.

La sfogliatella is a pastry originated from Campania, Napoli’s region, which consists of many thin layers of crunchy pastry and a ricotta cream inside. There are two types of Sfogliatelle (the plural of Sfogliatella), frolla is my personal favorite; it’s baked in the oven and is as crunchy as if it were fried. Sfogliatella Mary is an institution in Napoli, many locals have recommended this place, as well as the Rhum Baba!

Mary’s Sfogliatella is perched inside a lively pocket of Galleria Umberto I in the Quartieri Spagnoli district. Don’t make the mistake I initially did by overlooking this modern but compact stall for its larger counterparts, as the babàs here are among the best in Naples. Like most places in this sophisticated shopping hub, Mary’s Sfogliatella is chic and polished, occupying a tiny nook under an old-school canopy.

Ideal for a gold standard version of Naples’s favourite sweet treat…. Neapolitans are just as crazy about their sweet stuff as they are seafood and pizza, and arguably the headlining sweet treat in the city (rum baba might have something to say about that) is the iconic pastry sfogliatelle, a a crispy, layered pastry filled with sweet ricotta cheese and candied citrus peel.

The sfogliatella was invented at the beginning of the 19 th century by a Neapolitan pastry chef. It consists in a small cone-shaped cake cut so as to look like a shell, stuffed with ricotta or pastry cream, usually vanilla-flavoured. We must not mistake it for the cannolo, a pastry that’s also stuffed with ricotta but is simply sweetened and shaped as a tube.

For those with a sweet tooth, Sfogliatella Mary is the place to be. Located in the bustling Galleria Umberto I, this spot offers a variety of traditional Neapolitan pastries, with the sfogliatella being the star of the show. This flaky, filled pastry is a must-try in Naples, offering a perfect balance of crispiness and sweetness.

Moving to the central Via Toledo, the renowned shopping and strolling street, there are two other cornerstones of street *sfogliatelle*. The first is Mary: a bar set in the corner of Galleria Umberto I, with a beautiful display of the city’s illustrious pastry tradition. They are constantly baking h...

The famous pastry shop, located at the entrance to the Galleria Umberto, looks like a small one bench with exposed window. A casket that contains "a treasure" of sfogliatelle. Ricci and frolle, the sweet delicacies, are known for their crunchy and light sheets with generous and well-balanced fillings.

This is a tiny bakery located at the western (via Toledo) entrance to Naples' oldest shopping mall, the Galleria Umberto, which sits opposite Teatro San Carlo. The queue outside this hole in the wall betrays the quality of the sfogliatelle. Their frolle are without a doubt the best in town.

Whatever your preference, sfogliatella remain one of the sweetest street foods in Campania. Filled with ricotta and enriched with semolina and candied fruit. The good news is sfogliatella can be eaten at any time: breakfast, coffee after lunch and for a snack.

Many pastry shops around Naples sell these yummy treats but you can also try them at many eateries around town including, Pasticceria Capparelli, Caffetteria Sfogliatelle e Babà and La Sfogliatella Mary. I had mine at Gambrinus.

This sfogilatella from La Sfogliatella Mary was the best we tasted among four other pastry shops. Sfogliatella are one of Naples’ traditional sweets. The pastry dates back to the late 1600s.

The shortcrust is made of shortcrust pastry and is biscuit-like, the curly is made of puff pastry and is crispy. They both have the same filling, namely a delicious ricotta cream.

Contender Number One in the Galleria Umberto battle: Mary’s sfogliatelle is phenomenal. The lemon baba is also a treat. Via Toledo, 66; Tel +39 08 1402 218.

Well, to be honest, two of my favorite sfogliatella shops ever, even if there are many more places where you can buy yummy treats along via Toledo!