Edward Hendriks
in the middle of the Spanish Neighborhoods (Spanish Quarter) is one of the most famous trattorias in Naples, if not in all of Italy. And that's not because of the quality of the food (which is certainly not bad) and certainly not because of the excellent service. No, on the contrary, precisely for the lack of it… Meet Nennella, Napoli in great shape!
And let Nennella (from the Italian fairy tale Ninnillo and Nennella, a kind of Hansel and Gretel) have just made it his trademark. Completely according to old Neapolitan folklore. Experience food à la Napolitana. We had to see that with a group of people from 'the class'. Luca (Neapolitan and hostel owner) was also our guide.
It starts at the door. You give your name and the number of people and if you are lucky the waiter on duty yells – boot camp style – a little later that you can enter.
Then you walk into a typical Neapolitan restaurant, with two bare rooms, tables, chairs and a shabby tablecloth. That's it. decoration? That comes enough from the behavior of the rude waiters. Bottles of wine and water are thrown on the table with the necessary force. You only drink from plastic cups.
Then Luca is suddenly screwed up. The waiter grabs him hard in the crotch. Excuse me? Yes, at Nennella you never know what to expect. One of the Americans from our midst, Shawn, had been there before with Luca and people from the hostel and had picked a safe place in the corner. However, he laughed a little too hard…
While we were having the appetizer of pasta, the boss came in. For a moment it seemed like a normal scene. Nothing wrong. Friendly nod. 'Buonasera, buonasera. come va?' With a quick reflex, the boss ducked into the corner and it was Shawn's turn. Wine and plates of food flew over the table. And Shawn was nauseous for the rest of the evening… The guests present were of course devastated and that's exactly what Nennella is about. People come here to eat from far and wide.
I secondi piatti. The main courses are brought to the table. The contours (side dishes) too. Carrots, mushrooms, potatoes, spinach. Tattooed waiters yell at us and at the other guests. Loud singing. The restaurant is packed. Everyone wants to see those rough bolsters up close.
The dessert consists of fruits. There are two options: either you take it out of the toilet bowl yourself or you get an orange to your head. So keep an eye out! Then the music suddenly turns on. A table is thrown to the side. And then several ladies in our party have to dance with the waiter…
It's a wrap. For four courses we pay 10 euros per person (nice and easy calculation) and we are loudly pushed out the door. There are now dozens of guests on the sidewalk who also want to enter. Such a restaurant is probably only possible in Naples. Because where else are you happy when your balls have survived the night?
Should you ever be in Napoli and you've got the balls, then definitely pay a visit to Nennella. An unforgettable experience.
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