Domenico Candela's cuisine blends symbolism and customs from around the world, expanding the local repertoire like an atlas. This year, the “Viaggio goloso” menu focuses on bitter and spicy flavors: from cuttlefish stuffed with its own liver to Lepre à la Royale in dark attire, the new tasting menu at George Restaurant.
Naples has a dual identity, a bit like the “head and tail” of the Siren Partenope who consecrated its myth: on the one hand, a crowd always ready to warm up the welcome a few degrees, on the other, a people with the ability to display their jewels in the sunlight. This is confirmed by the oldest hotel in the city center, whose late 19th-century walls have seen the birth (and growth) of one of Italy's most modern haute cuisine restaurants: George by Domenico Candela, the first establishment to earn two Michelin stars in the capital of Campania.
A goal achieved through constant juggling between intuition and ingenuity, given the steady stream of globetrotters from all corners of the globe. Don't expect, however, a simple parade of southern recipes in fine dining sauce: at the Grand Hotel Parker's, the chef has managed to convert pizza Margherita into an XS-sized appetizer, to “dress up” Lepre à la Royale with a total dark stole of squid ink, and to transform Limonata a cosce aperte into a dessert, avoiding the risk of getting dirty with granita among the kiosks of the crowded alleys. Thus, there is no trace of predictable passages in the tasting that welcomes 2026: the sting of bitterness and sharp aesthetics go back in time, like a cultural accelerator for those who eat in the company of the eight bronze Muses overlooking Vesuvius just outside the room.
The Grand Hotel Parker's, from breakfast to suites
Without forgetting dinner at the George Restaurant—which we have already given you a little taste of, and to which we will return in a minute—the experience of staying here is actually a little trip back in time to the comforts of the Neapolitan Belle Époque. Here, however, the splendor of the old noble palaces gives way to contemporary works—suffice it to mention the pop art exhibition curated by Mario Mazzoleni in 2022 and the space reserved for the artist Antonio Nocera, who repaints the common idea of Pulcinella in the corner adjacent to the breakfast room.
For its part, breakfast breaks down the barriers of the intercontinental buffet, lining up buffalo mozzarella, different varieties of fresh tomatoes, and hot mini pizzas on a stand sent directly to the tables: there is no shortage of sfogliatella, but the temptation to fall back on savory foods peeks out from the moment you wake up. A few steps to aid digestion and the bust of the English biologist Sir George Parker reminds us that history is a living subject, despite the natural process of updating luxury: it was he, in fact, who bought the former Tramontano Beau Rivage building and refurbished it in 1870, anticipating the demanding tourist flow of the following century. What is certain is that today he would appreciate the suite of the same name (Parker's Vista mare, ed.), where a collection of his favorite books is kept and where even Oscar Wilde and Virginia Woolf once lazed about. We are talking about 140 square meters on two floors with a sauna, Turkish bath, and private Jacuzzi, as well as the possibility of sipping cocktails in the living area with a library facing the bay.
The “minibar”—or rather, “maxibar”!—will leave a lasting impression, with its trunk-like design, midnight blue tones, and gold decorations. Once opened, it reveals not only the typical liquid booty (from champagne to exclusive Arabica coffee blends), but also an authentic entertainment kit equipped with rummy, sun hats, and maps to navigate the maze of narrow streets that lie off the beaten tourist track.
George Restaurant: the evolution of Domenico Candela's two-star menu
Authentic rituals translated into dining gestures, sake poured as a surprise after a bell-shaped bubble, ceramics modeled after the marine mosaics of the House of the Faun in Pompeii: Domenico Candela's table combines symbolism and customs from around the world, expanding the local repertoire like an atlas. So this year, the “Viaggio goloso” menu opens a parenthesis on bitter and spicy flavors, a parenthesis that often brings together echoes of Vesuvius and flashes of the East in the same dish. There is the use of Japanese charcoal (binchotan, ed.); there is the “core sampling” of the product, even when it comes to extracting a boldly pungent chlorophyll from arugula; finally, there is the search for aroma as a precursor to flavor.
Speaking of scent, the journey begins with a fragrant mini-signature dish: Pizzetta Margherita, steamed and served in a copper stufarola, a vintage container that still survives today, fueling a form of silent craftsmanship. The visual “short circuit” is provided by a charcoal meatball, which rides the wave of Asian street food to meet a delicious Luciana-style octopus filling halfway. If you have already eagerly devoured a few pages of history in the suite, the tartelletta alla parmigiana is proudly displayed on the front page of Il Mattino on May 10, 1987, making Napoli's sporting triumph a victory to be savored in the long term. The final technical touch is hidden behind the oliva di rinforzo: a small ball without a pit, composed of the basic elements of the “Made in Sud” Christmas salad, where the sweet and sour notes of the papaccelle peppers rinse the palate at the end of the meal.
The dishes
Those who enjoy unconventional pairings will be interested in the Sake Akashi-Tai Honjozo, recommended by the excellent sommelier Enrico Moschella, together with the Carpaccio of celeriac cooked in Falerno del Massico Bianco di Villa Matilde (the estate's flagship wine, ed.). The geometry of the shaped vegetables is reminiscent of Japanese origami, complemented by a mille-feuille with Caiazzane black olive tapenade, caper leaves, and rue. However, to eliminate any possibility of waste, the chef also makes an extract of fermented celeriac. And the sake? “It echoes the slight acetic note of the caper leaf,” explains Moschella. The lively herbaceousness you don't expect at the beginning of the tasting.
Now imagine a path that starts at the water's edge and gradually winds its way into the Mediterranean scrub. This is the natural projection of the Cuttlefish cooked with ultrasound, scored and briefly seared over high heat. “Inside, it is stuffed with its own liver and ink,” reveals the chef. The bitter kick is accompanied by the chlorophyll of rocket, recreating a sort of vertical green. The eucalyptus potato cream, on the other hand, is soft and balsamic, ready to soften the sharp impact of the mollusk.
Carbohydrates mark their territory with a single incisive first course: Candela stuffed with wild boar Genovese, in which game replaces beef and the chlorophyll of bay leaves shifts the focus back to Mediterranean aromas. To give the pasta a mirror-like shine, a black onion glaze that brings out the umami of the cheese—so much so that the chef creates a double embroidery: that of grated Pecorino and 48-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano. Neoclassicism at the tip of your fork.
A similar snapshot is offered by the Lepre à Royale, wrapped in a tight-fitting squid ink dress: in addition to the “change of clothes,” the essence of the Gulf's seabed emerges, as if to tame the bloodthirsty force of the hare with a sudden savoriness. The plot thickens with eel liver; if the “French-style” Royale calls for the canonical goose foie gras, Candela rehabilitates the “fifth quarter” of the nearby freshwater, symbol of the markets of Naples where eel reigns supreme.
Remember the Limonata a cosce aperte? Here it transforms into a small work of precision: starting with lemonade granita and sparkling lemon mousse to create an almost ethereal “eat and drink” experience, accompanied by a Brioschi meringue that livens up the bite.
The main dessert catches the eye: a cooked Aglianico must, crispy gentian, tobacco ganache, French chantilly cream, and hazelnut biscuit. In the mouth, it's a dance between peat and vanilla, while the eye is drawn to a stencil that absorbs the colors of autumn foliage. But there is no trace of nostalgia in the spoon; only the taste of a city that is still hungry for something new.
Contact
C.so Vittorio Emanuele, 135, 80121 Naples NA
Telephone: 081 761 2474
