Sfogliatella
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The sfogliatella is Naples' breakfast pastry. The riccia is a cone of dozens of paper-thin layers of dough that shatter when you bite; the frolla is the same filling in a soft, smooth shortcrust shell. Inside both: semolina cooked in milk, ricotta, sugar and candied peel.
It is cheap. SfogliateLab, opposite the central station on Piazza Garibaldi and on Piazza Dante, lists a classic riccia and a classic frolla at €2.00 each and flavored versions (pistachio, chocolate, lemon) at €2.50, on its shop pages checked September 30, 2026. Expect to pay more sitting down in a café, and more again in the Galleria or on Piazza del Plebiscito.
At a glance
- Two kinds
- Riccia: a cone of paper-thin, crackling pastry layers. Frolla: a smooth, soft shortcrust shell. Same filling.
- Filling
- Semolina cooked in milk, ricotta, sugar and candied citrus peel, scented with cinnamon or vanilla.
- Price in 2026
- €2 for a classic riccia or frolla at SfogliateLab (Piazza Garibaldi and Piazza Dante); €2.50 for flavored ones.
- When
- Morning, with a coffee. They are baked in batches and are best warm.
- Relative
- The Santa Rosa: a riccia topped with custard and sour cherries, the older convent version.
In this guide
Riccia or frolla?
- Riccia is the one in the photographs. The layers are rolled with lard, stretched, sliced and shaped into a cone, so it crackles and sheds flakes on your shirt. Best warm, when the pastry is crisp.
- Frolla is softer and neater, a shortcrust dome. It keeps better, so it is the one to take away.
Most counters sell both at the same price. If they have come out of the oven recently, the riccia will still be warm to the touch. Ask "calda?" (warm?).
Where to buy one
- SfogliateLab, Piazza Garibaldi 82 and Piazza Dante 80: €2 classic, €2.50 flavored. The shop also invented the Sfogliacampanella in 2015, a sfogliatella crossed with a babà (€2.50).
- Scaturchio, Piazza San Domenico Maggiore 19: on Spaccanapoli, known more for babà and the Ministeriale.
- Attanasio, Vico Ferrovia 1, by the station: its sign reads "sfogliatelle calde". Dissapore's 2019 review found it opening at 6:30 a.m. and closed Mondays, with sfogliatelle at €1.30 then. We could not load its site to check 2026 hours or prices.
- Pintauro, Via Toledo 275: the name linked to bringing the pastry from the coast to the city in the 1800s.
Gambero Rosso's 2024 list of the best sfogliatelle in the city names 13 shops, including Carraturo (Via Casanova 97), Mignone and Di Costanzo on Piazza Cavour, and Scaturchio.
From a convent to Via Toledo
The story told in Naples, repeated by Gambero Rosso, is that a nun at the convent of Santa Rosa on the Amalfi Coast created the first version in the 1600s from leftover semolina: the Santa Rosa, still sold today with a swirl of custard and a sour cherry on top. In the 1800s Pasquale Pintauro is said to have adapted it for his shop in the city, without the cream. Gambero Rosso itself notes the documentation is thin, so treat the dates as tradition, not fact.
How to eat it
- Standing at the bar, with an espresso: see our coffee page.
- Over a napkin. The riccia sheds.
- Within the hour. A riccia bought in the morning is chewy by evening.
- If you are on a street food walk, it is a stop on most tours (see our food tour page).
Tickets and tours you can book
Naples: Street Food Walking Tour with Local Guide
Cannot cater for vegan, dairy-free or gluten-free diets; vegetarian only if you say so in advance. Tips not included.
Rating as shown on GetYourGuide
Not Just Another Naples Street Food Tour with Tastings
Up to 12; needs 2 bookings. Not for severe food allergies. Children under 4 go free but get no food.
Rating as shown on Viator
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 sfogliatella in Naples?
About €2 at the counter. SfogliateLab lists a classic riccia or frolla at €2.00 and flavored ones at €2.50 (checked September 30, 2026). Table service costs more.
What is the difference between riccia and frolla?
Riccia is made of many thin, crisp layers shaped into a cone; frolla is a smooth shortcrust shell. The filling of semolina, ricotta and candied peel is the same.
Where can I get a warm sfogliatella?
Shops that bake through the morning: Attanasio by the station advertises sfogliatelle calde, and SfogliateLab on Piazza Garibaldi bakes on site. Go early.
What is a Santa Rosa?
A sfogliatella riccia topped with custard cream and sour cherries, the convent version the pastry is said to descend from.
Does a sfogliatella contain lard?
Traditionally the riccia pastry is worked with lard. Ask at the counter if you need to avoid it.
Further reading
Official sources
- SfogliateLab - online shop (official) – Sfogliatella riccia classica €2.00, frolla classica €2.00, flavored €2.50, Sfogliacampanella €2.50 (created 2015); Piazza Garibaldi 82 and Piazza Dante 80; checked September 30, 2026
- Gambero Rosso - the best sfogliatelle in Naples (September 19, 2024) – 13 shops with addresses; Santa Rosa convent origin in the 1600s; Pasquale Pintauro in the 1800s; thin documentation
- Dissapore - Sfogliatelle calde Attanasio review (2019) – Vico Ferrovia 1-4; 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.; closed Monday; riccia and frolla €1.30 in 2019 (dated)
- Antica Pasticceria Carraturo - shop (official) – Sfogliatelle boxes from €12, shipped; Via Casanova 97
