We are in Bari for a couple of weeks soaking in the culture of Italy, and this restaurant is closest to our flat, literally ten steps from our entry door. For that reason we want to love the place, but it just left us wanting a little bit more from the food to get that all important fourth star
Sadly, the food, not the service, let the place down. The service was good, our server attentive and helpful, but food flaws overshadowed our server's best efforts. She also had to direct her two charges which appeared to weigh upon her due to their perceived inexperience.
After ordering we were brought a little Amuse Bouche with fried polenta, bruschetta and a cheese bread which was quite good. Next came a serving of Cacio e Pepe which we split, like we so often do. The lovely K, loved it, I not so much initially, due to the strong taste of the cheese. The more I ate of it however, the more it grew on me. It was a little under for our bite, but that is a quibble at best.
Where the meal let down for the both of us was the chicken portion of the meal, we expected more, and when it arrived it was a bit of a letdown visually. Once tasted, and more importantly texturally and execution-wise the dish disappointed. There were two tendons evident in the chicken, and worse ones of the pieces I got had a significant piece of bone still in the tender. The chicken was over cooked, lacked flavour, and the arugula, or rocket as it's referred to, had a texture that felt like it had been to the gym.
It could have been, and should have been better. There are so many choices in such a small area that you. You need to stand out to be successful in the area, especially during the off season if there is such a thing here in Bari. read more