I picked this restaurant because some local people highly recommended trying a traditional Bari specialty - Spaghetti all'Assassina. I did some Google research, and this place was one of the most popular spots in Bari for this dish.
I came here for lunch, and the place was busy; luckily, I got a table right away. The restaurant's design is very simple but pretty, and the entire place seemed very clean. My waiter was very fast - he brought the menu right away after I got seated and was ready to take my order immediately. I checked the menu very quickly just out of curiosity - it has a very good selection of Italian dishes. Another plus is that the menu is available in both Italian and English.
As planned, I ordered Spaghetti all'Assassina and a cup of black tea (I wanted Earl Grey, but they only had a basic black tea). First, my waiter brought a small plate of chips as a starter, and my tea came in a very small cup (like a kid's size) right after. Honestly, the tea was not good - it tasted like a very cheap brand; the restaurant definitely needs to improve its tea selection. My Spaghetti all'Assassina arrived within the next 10 minutes. The portion was big, and the dish looked very cool - visually, I was already impressed. As for the taste - I loved it! It was definitely worth trying this dish at least once. The texture is very interesting and mixed - some spaghetti is soft, while some parts are dry and crispy. I could clearly taste rich tomato flavor, along with some smoky and slightly spicy notes. The portion was so big that I had a hard time finishing it, even though I came very hungry. One helpful tip from my experience - this dish does not go well with hot tea, so don't repeat my mistake. If I could change my drink, I would choose refreshing mineral water, ideally with lemon - I believe it would pair much better with this pasta.
Price-wise, everything on the menu seemed reasonable. I paid €13 for Spaghetti all'Assassina, €3 for tea (it would feel right if the cup were bigger), and an additional €3 for coperto (cover charge for table setup and the chips they brought me at first), so my total bill was €19. The restaurant accepts all major credit cards and Apple Pay.
In conclusion, if you are looking to eat Spaghetti all'Assassina or try it for the first time, this restaurant is definitely the right place for it. Also, other dishes I saw on nearby tables looked very good, so this place is worth visiting at least once. read more