Located just off a quiet piazza, away from the dingy streets of Naples, vegetarian restaurant Un Sorriso Integrale is like a little slice of heaven. And after eating pizza, pasta and bread for days on end, a menu filled with tofu dish after tofu dish was a sight for sore eyes!
We had a little trouble finding the right place at first, as the restaurant is not on the main plaza along the strip of eateries but instead, tucked away in a courtyard just behind them. After a few arguments with Google Maps, we found a sign pointing towards a little entranceway surrounded by greenery and knew we’d come to the right place!
The interior is minimalistic and relaxed with tiled floors and wooden tables and chairs – it feels more like a large café than a restaurant but we were not looking for high-end luxury so this suited us fine!
We were seated straight away and assigned a friendly, English-speaking waiter. He was more than happy to help us out with questions about the menu and advise on how many dishes we should order between us.
The Mediterranean-inspired, macrobiotic dishes are modestly priced and served in small portions so you can mix-and-match several different side dishes from the menu to build up your meal. The menu was largely vegan and there wasn’t a pasta dish in sight!
My friend went for the fried tofu with tomato sauce and I chose the grilled tofu with salad. For our sides, my friend got the risotto balls, I chose white wine courgette, and we both ordered the spicy pumpkin. I’m so glad we both got the pumpkin instead of sharing, as I could have eaten it all night! It was so good!
Our mains were very simple but when mixed with the vegetables, they were enough to satisfy both our taste buds and our tummies!
The meals came so quickly that I’m not sure that they were made-to-order. However, everything tasted fresh and delicious, so it really wasn’t an issue.
Despite being slightly hidden away, the restaurant just got busier and busier as we ate. It’s clearly a favourite with the locals as well as tourists on the hunt for veggie-friendly food. Though the atmosphere became very lively, my friend and I were tucked away in a corner table and I didn’t feel like it ever got too loud or intrusive.
Though I won’t be rushing back to Naples any time soon, if I do ever find myself in the coastal Neapolitan city again, I will certainly be making a beeline for the vegetarian gem, Un Sorriso Integrale.
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Address: Vico S. Pietro a Maiella, 6 80138 Naples, Italy
We found the restaurant with the help of the ever-useful Happy Cow website.
For more places to eat in Italy, see my Carb-Filled Vegetarian Food Adventure in Italy.
Haha, thanks! Mum liked one of my posts a little while ago… not sure how but you must be able to!
[…] Naples – The one good thing about Naples was this amazing vegetarian restaurant we found, Un Sorriso Integrale. We both had tofu as our main (mine grilled, Matt’s fried with a tomato sauce), then risotto […]