Fiocco di neve
Covers pizzerias, restaurants, bars, Neapolitan dishes, experiences and events, with menu and ticket prices checked on the date shown.
UpdatedThis page carries dated prices or seasonal dates checked on the date above, and that window has now passed. Re-check the sources at the foot of the page before you book anything.
The fiocco di neve, "snowflake", is a small, soft brioche filled with a cold, sweet cream and buried under icing sugar. Poppella's own history says Ciro, the third generation of the family bakery in the Rione Sanità, created it in 2015, looking for a pastry that was good, simple and cheap. The filling is a white cream of sheep's-milk ricotta and fresh milk. It now comes in three flavors: classic, pistachio and chocolate.
It is cheap. Gambero Rosso reported a price of €1.50 in May 2024. Poppella does not publish a price list, and we could not confirm the 2026 price, so check the board by the till. The original is sold only at Poppella's three shops; the bakery says hundreds of bars and restaurants in Campania buy its pastries to resell.
At a glance
- What it is
- A small, soft brioche filled with a white cream of sheep's ricotta and fresh milk, covered in icing sugar.
- Who
- Created in 2015 by Ciro, third generation of the Poppella bakery family in the Rione Sanità.
- Flavors
- Classic, pistachio and chocolate.
- Price
- €1.50 in May 2024 (Gambero Rosso). Poppella publishes no price list and we could not confirm the 2026 price.
- The three shops
- Via Arena alla Sanità 28/29 (daily 6 a.m. to midnight); Via Santa Brigida 69/70 (8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., closed Monday); Piazza Cavour 76 (6 a.m. to 9 p.m., closed Monday).
In this guide
The three Poppella shops
| Shop | Hours (Poppella's site) | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Via Arena alla Sanità 28/29, Rione Sanità | Daily, 6 a.m. to midnight | The original; a walk through the Sanità |
| Via Santa Brigida 69/70, near Galleria Umberto | 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., closed Monday | Between the Teatro di San Carlo and Via Toledo |
| Piazza Cavour 76 | 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., closed Monday | On the way to the MANN or the Sanità |
The Santa Brigida shop opened in 2016, the year after the fiocco. Poppella says these are its only branded shops, so a bar elsewhere selling "fiocchi di neve" may be reselling Poppella's or selling its own version.
From bread to cream buns
Poppella started as a bread bakery in the Sanità in 1920, founded by Raffaele Scognamillo and Giuseppina Evangelista; the name joins their nicknames, Papele and Puppnella. In 1960 their son added taralli 'nzogna e pepe; the grandson, Ciro, took over in 2005 and turned it into a pastry shop. The fiocco made the name famous far beyond the neighborhood.
How to eat it
- Cold and soon. The cream is served chilled; a fiocco carried around in the sun turns soft.
- Over the paper. The icing sugar goes everywhere.
- Classic first. The plain cream is the point; pistachio and chocolate are variations.
- With a walk. The Sanità shop sits on our Rione Sanità walk, between the Catacombs of San Gennaro and Piazza Cavour.
Is there a queue?
Poppella does not publish waiting times and we have no reliable figure, so we will not invent one. The main shop opens from 6 a.m. to midnight, which spreads the crowd; early morning and late evening are the obvious times to try. If the Sanità shop is busy, the Piazza Cavour branch is downhill at the edge of the neighborhood. Our Rione Sanità page covers what else to see nearby.
Tickets and tours you can book
Booking through these links supports this site at no cost to you. Prices move by date, so we do not print them here; the official prices we checked are in the page above.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a fiocco di neve?
Gambero Rosso reported €1.50 in May 2024. Poppella publishes no price list and we could not confirm the 2026 price.
What is inside a fiocco di neve?
A cream of sheep's-milk ricotta and fresh milk, according to Poppella, inside a soft brioche covered in icing sugar.
Where is Poppella?
The original is at Via Arena alla Sanità 28/29 in the Rione Sanità, open daily 6 a.m. to midnight. There are branches at Via Santa Brigida 69/70 and Piazza Cavour 76, both closed on Mondays.
When was the fiocco di neve invented?
In 2015, at Poppella, by Ciro, the third generation of the family.
Can I buy it elsewhere?
Poppella says its three shops are the only ones under its name, but hundreds of bars and restaurants in Campania resell its pastries. Imitations also exist.
Further reading
Official sources
- Pasticceria Poppella - Punti vendita (official) – Three shops with addresses and hours; only branded shops; hundreds of resellers; checked September 30, 2026 (browser)
- Pasticceria Poppella - Storia (official) – Founded as a bakery by Raffaele Scognamillo and Giuseppina Evangelista; taralli from 1960; Ciro from 2005; Santa Brigida shop 2016; fiocco di neve created 2015; sheep's ricotta and milk cream; classic, pistachio, chocolate
- Pasticceria Poppella - home (official) – Founded 1920 from the names Papele and Puppnella
- Gambero Rosso - the fiocco di neve (May 29, 2024) – €1.50 per fiocco di neve at Poppella in 2024 (dated)
