Since 1914, Ettore has occupied the same stretch of Via Santa Lucia where Neapolitan fishermen once hauled their catch directly to the kitchen door. The waterfront has changed — the fishermen are gone, the grand hotels of the lungomare now dominate the skyline — but Ettore remains stubbornly, beautifully unchanged. The fried anchovies arrive golden and shatteringly crisp, piled on a plate with nothing but a wedge of lemon. The scialatielli allo scoglio — thick, hand-cut pasta ribbons tangled with mussels, clams, and prawns in a tomato broth that tastes of the sea floor — is the dish that regulars order before they sit down. The room is plain, the service is brisk in the Neapolitan fashion, and the prices remain calibrated to a neighbourhood rather than a tourist economy.
Location
Santa Lucia, Napoli
Insider Intel
Scialatielli allo scoglio — the hand-cut pasta with mixed seafood is the essential order. Alici fritte (fried anchovies) as a starter, impossibly crisp. Polpo alla luciana (octopus in tomato sauce) for the slow-cooked tradition. Insalata di mare if you want the cold seafood salad done the Santa Lucia way.
Lunch for the waterfront light and the brisk daytime service. Walk-in only — arrive by 12:30 to avoid waiting. The Santa Lucia neighbourhood is pleasant for a post-meal passeggiata along the lungomare.
Via Santa Lucia 56, Santa Lucia waterfront. Bus 140 or 152 along the lungomare, or a fifteen-minute walk from Toledo metro. Walk-in only. Cash preferred. Pastas EUR 8-12, fish secondi EUR 10-15. The institution has been here for over a century — the simplicity of the cooking is not a limitation but a longstanding conviction.