One legend states that Naples’ coffee culture arose thanks to Maria Carolina of Hapsburg, daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria and wife of King Ferdinand IV. The queen arrived in Naples in the 17th century, when Vienna's refined coffee houses were already institutions in and of themselves. It's no surprise that similar establishments began to appear in Naples, the capital of the Bourbon Kingdom. 

Among the city's most old-school historic cafés, Gran Caffè Gambrinus is the only survivor, sitting at the corner of Piazza Trieste e Trento and Piazza del Plebiscito. As for the other establishments that left an indelible mark on the city's café culture, only a vague memory remains.