Libreria Berisio (evening bar)

Libreria Berisio is a bookshop on Via Port'Alba 28/29 in the Centro Storico of Naples that turns into a cocktail bar in the evening, in Italy's Campania region. Via Port'Alba is an arcaded street leading from Piazza Dante toward Piazza Bellini, known for its old bookshops, and the bar uses outdoor tables along the street as well as the shelves inside. The crowd is a mix of students, writers, local professionals and visitors, mostly aged twenty to fifty. The atmosphere is calm and cultured compared with the noisier bars of the old town, and conversation is the main activity. Dress is casual, with no strict code. Music is kept at background level so that the books and the street remain the focus. The drinks programme is built around cocktails, with spritz, classic Italian serves, wine and beer also available. Cocktails are reported at about €8–€12 (~$9.20–$13.80), making the bar good value for the old town. No cover charge is reported. Opening hours are reported as Tuesday to Sunday from 6PM to 2AM, with the bar closed on Monday, and the website libreriaberisio.com can be used to confirm the current schedule. Friday and Saturday evenings are the busiest, when the street tables fill and the surrounding Port'Alba lane is crowded with people moving between Piazza Dante and Piazza Bellini. Midweek evenings are easier for finding a table and are better for quiet reading or conversation. Reservations are not normally reported, though a message ahead helps for a group. The bar sits next to historic pizzerias and within a short walk of Via dei Tribunali, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale and the Greek walls on Piazza Bellini, so it combines easily with an old-town evening of dinner and drinks.