Three new Italian restaurants expand Naples’ pasta scene

Naples’ Italian scene is pushing outward in three different directions at once, and each new room brings a different kind of pasta draw. Adoré Bar & Cucina, Casa Cotzelli East and Papa Joe’s Trattoria are all adding fresh energy to a market that a Naples dining roundup in early June said was still filling out heading into summer.

Adoré Bar & Cucina brings a polished East Naples reset

Adoré Bar & Cucina quietly opened on May 28, 2026, in the former Pelican Larry’s space on Davis Boulevard, just east of Santa Barbara Boulevard. That corner had been home to Pelican Larry’s Raw Bar and Grill for nearly 20 years, so Adoré’s arrival is more than a simple tenant swap. It gives East Naples a more formal Italian identity, one that local coverage has framed as a polished dining option rather than a casual redraw of the same old bar-and-grill formula.

The family story is part of the appeal here. Owner Albana Hoxha and the Albanian-American Hoxha family are also behind GG Brunch Haus, which gives Adoré a clear hospitality pedigree and a built-in neighborhood presence. For diners trying to sort where this fits, Adoré looks built for the meal that wants a little more finish, a little more room, and a sharper Italian dining room feel in East Naples.

Casa Cotzelli East extends a Florence-born concept to Tamiami Trail

Casa Cotzelli East gives Naples a second shot at a concept rooted in the partnership between Gabriele Cotza and Filippo Butelli. The restaurant sits at 12712 Tamiami Trail E, Naples, FL 34113, with official hours running Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and it lists a reservation phone number for diners planning ahead. Business coverage last December said the second Naples location was targeted for mid-January 2026, and the East Naples address now carries that expansion into a full sit-down format.

What gives Casa Cotzelli East a different pasta lane is the combination of house-made pasta and a family-history pitch that runs straight through Florence. The brand says it represents the fusion of the partners’ family histories, and both men were born and raised in Florence, which adds a distinctly regional Italian backbone to the concept. For readers choosing between Naples’ newest options, this is the one that feels most like a dinner reservation built around heritage, pasta craft and a longer stay at the table.

Papa Joe’s Trattoria leans into Brooklyn comfort on North Tamiami Trail

Papa Joe’s Trattoria, at 10823 Tamiami Trail North, brings a different Italian voice into North Naples. Its own identity leans hard into fresh-made pasta, homemade mozzarella, fresh baked breads and recipes passed down through generations, which places it squarely in the old-school Italian-American comfort lane. The official menu reinforces that handmade approach with details like stuffed artichokes using handmade breadcrumbs and baked clams built with handmade breadcrumbs and herb sauce.

That makes Papa Joe’s the most direct red-sauce counterpoint in this group. Where Adoré is polishing East Naples and Casa Cotzelli East is extending a Florence-linked family concept, Papa Joe’s is selling the familiarity of a Brooklyn-rooted kitchen translated to Southwest Florida. For diners who want pasta with a broader family-table feel, this is the stop that seems designed for hearty plates, bread on the table and the kind of menu that reads like a neighborhood regular’s order.

Naples is not just getting more Italian restaurants. It is getting three different answers to the same craving, and that is what makes the current expansion feel so active. One address is turning a long-running East Naples spot into a more polished dinner room, one is deepening a Florence-born family brand on Tamiami Trail East, and one is bringing North Naples a Brooklyn-style comfort stop built around fresh-made pasta and inherited recipes.