The restaurant is beautiful and the pizzas were so good. There is a cover charge of 3.50 euro per…read moreperson which we did not know until we received the check. The pizzas were all fresh and hot. I had the Prosciutto and Funghi which was so delicious. My husband loved the Diavolo but he said it would be too spicy for me. My cousin enjoyed her Margherita pizza. Even the complementary bread sticks were memorable. I tried the Primitivo wine as our tour guide recommended it and it was a very nice wine. Sodas and water were just slightly cheaper so get the wine!!!! We are so glad our tour guide Vincenza recommended this.

Two of us stumbled into this restaurant on a day of sightseeing that was 91 degrees F outside. The…read moreplace was cool inside. I loved the ambiance of the stone. Felt like dining in an upscale cave! Service was abrupt but not bad. There was a long table of a tour group. Overall the place was about half full. We started with an amuses buche of little croquettes and two small pieces of focaccia. Yummy! Then we ordered the fava bean purée and a mixed salad. Fava beans came with a few slices of bread. It was a weird consistency but good. Salad had a mixture of items and was refreshing. We had to ask for oil and vinegar. I got the pasta with shrimp and lime and it was outstanding. You could tell the sauce was homemade and made from the stock of the shrimp shells. I kept eating it past fullness! My cousin got the orchette pasta with pomodoro and loved it. The waiter brought out a delicious piece of dark chocolate with a contraception to cut it. Yummy and cool presentation! We joked that the US would never put this on a table for liability reasons- it was a lawyers dream. We ordered the sporcamucco (sp?) dessert and it was amazing. We also got the tiramisu. Wine was reasonably priced (16 euro for Puglia white wine) and overall a good value. Bathroom clean.

Meet the meat…read more... Having had poor seafood the night before, we opted for meat: we found Barceria Dello Sport. This appeared to be a local handout, outside of the tourist areas of Polignano a Mare. Before seating, you go inside and pick from many meat options displayed inside. Salads and potatoes were available as sides. Our travel partners said the pork belly was the best they'd had; the potatoes were great. All the meat options were well prepared and delicious. We'd go again.

Absolutely loved this place!! In a sea of seafood and pizza and pasta options it was SO nice to…read morehave another option for food! We came with no reservation but before the late night dinner rush, so we didn't wait very long for a table. The service was incredible, fast and knowledgeable and spoke english for us (much appreciated as our Italian vocab was limited to 'Grazie') and they were so kind to our 1 year old as well! You go inside and order first and they grill it for you and you can choose your sides and drinks. What I really loved was that it must've been passed down and family run because when I asked the butcher who the framed photo on the counter was he proudly said "My grandmother" in a lovely italian accent. The food was delicious, fresh and light and healthy, with options like peppers and rice for side dishes with your kabobs. Patio seating only but is nice to be outside in the hustle and bustle of happy vacation go-ers, even in the heat of August. Will dine here again upon our return and recommend to everyone until then. Ciao and Grazie!!

Fine dining without small portions and pretentiousness…read more Amazing dish they called seafood and wheat. Local wines available. An appetizer of local salamis etc. had fresh mozzarella filled w fresh ricotta cheese.

What a beautiful town built on Truli houses in Alberobello! Such a dream to be able to see this…read morepart of Italy! L'aratro is tucked inside the streets, we decided on this restaurants as they are recognized by Michelin. We are glad to be trying this authentic local restaurant. Flavors that are so different from other parts of Italy! We tried the different anti pasta, which is served on multiple plates, small bite sized tasting. I can't tell you what each dish was, but can say they each had its own flavor. Several different cheeses, a bacon wrapped cheese, a polenta-like biscuit. For entrees, we tried a mixed grill meats (arrosto misto, with bombette - all local pork, seafood with wheat (grano con frutti di mare), and a cavetellucci. For dessert, also tried a very local dish with fried figs and a tart made of wine. The flavors are all so different. Certainly a must try if you get to come to Alberobello!

Beautiful restaurant with stone arches and ceilings…read more We did the tasting menu. Which was excellent. The tuna tartare was so fresh. The rice and mussels were tasty, however the mussels were tiny. We shared 3 pasta dishes, I really liked the pasta and prawns. We all had the fish special which is cooked with olive oil, zucchini and potatoes and olives. Yumm We were so full that we took dessert home. The service is very good. I highly recommend this restaurant.

We are staying at the Grotta Palazzese, which is the highest end hotel of the region with two…read morereputedly fabulous restaurants. However, other than our breakfasts at the hotel, which we paid to have included with our rooms, we are not likely having dinners here. While their menus will astound many, as well as the views of the caves, which is why many come to dine and visit, we have been seeking less extravagant dinners while here, given our suite is over $1,500 a night at the present Euro conversion. So we consulted YELP for the best rated restaurants in town and that led us here. It was all 4 and 5 ratings, save for a single rating of 1, which was based on a disgruntled patron who never even ate here. They just were declined at the door - due to no reservations, which are recommended - in a manner they deemed obnoxious. It's easy to see why so many though rated this a 5. However, we felt it fell just short in some respects that brought it down to a 4. That said, we are sure many will enjoy a 5 experience. We had a few glasses of local primovito by the glass, which like most places we've dined in Puglia was absurdly reasonable by our local NYC metro area standards. These were poured after complimentary glasses of Prosecco and a lovely small potato soup. We ordered the house special antipasto, which were 5 different small seafood dishes (baked scallops, fried cod, mussels with rice, potatoes, and tomatoes, octopus salad, and yellowfin tuna tartare). This is a must have introduction to any meal. My wife then had one of the catches of the day offerings and I the half lobster with tagliatelle. It's an all seafood restaurant, so if you are looking for something other than that, you'll need to look elsewhere. However, if seafood is your thing, of which there is quite a lot in this town, this restaurant deserves your patronage.

One of my favorite meals in Italy! Excellent service, delicious food (octopus appetizer, seafood…read morepasta, and tiramisu) finished with a selection of chocolates. Loved seeing the fresh fish options, and they have several olive oils to choose from to go with the amazing bread basket (they also sell the olive oils) . I felt so welcomed there, like they were really glad to have me as a patron that evening. I chatted with the manager and the server, and was delighted to be gifted bottle of oil at the end of the meal. Thank you for a wonderful evening!

What an absolute gem of a place! Phenomenal service, amazing food, fantastic wine! Truly, this…read moreplace is impeccable!

Very rude service!!! Waiters are disorganized, running around and scolding each other and the…read morepatrons. They tend to be nicer with the locals . We felt neglected and very much rushed . Food is ok. Octopus was tough. I make a better one at home . The view is great, but...just eat somewhere else and come walk around the beach. Not worth it, skip this one!!

Located right on the sea just a few miles from Polignano, Veranda Gisela is appropriately named…read more The restaurant is one big veranda looking out to the ocean. In water months I imagine the veranda is uncovered. The setting is stunning. I've dined here a couple of times. Our first experience was awesome- we loved pretty much everything we ate- frittura mista, baked mussels, spaghetti with clams, etc. on our most recent visit, we ordered pretty much the same items, but the quality just wasn't as good. Perhaps It was an off night. Overall, the menu is traditional Pugliese. The setting is beautiful and the service is friendly. This place a-ok in my book!

Lost in translation - good presentation, but…read more.. When seeking a seafood restaurant, we failed to realize a "raw" seafood restaurant was recommended: "the best Apulian dishes in a new, innovative version" - raw.... We walked just beyond the center of Polignano a Mare's main square to Jamanté, based on the enthusiastic recommendation of our host. It turns out the restaurant is a part of the same hotel group where we stayed. By the way the hotel was wonderful. Sitting on the outside patio during the sunset was nice. The cocktails were good. The complimentary appetizer was flavorful; the bread was great. We shared the Calamaro Scottato, but were disappointed in the next rounds. Not a fan of raw fish, I opted for the pasta ragu. My wife had pasta and shrimp. Others had the steamed lobster and eggplant parmigiana. While the presentations were nice, the food lacked flavor and tasted old. The pasta was served at room temperature. The eggplant was bland. We didn't look for another seafood restaurant; we opted for pizza and steaks for the remainder of the trip.

Upscale restaurant located outside the touristy center in Polignano a Mare. We parked at the beach…read morejust to the west (free and convenient) and had a peaceful walk over. The restaurant's decor outside and particularly inside is really beautiful and tasteful, like a high-class boutique hotel. The staff was friendly and attentive without being overly stuffy either -- our main attendant (who I liked a lot) almost had more of an academic vibe to him. We opted for the chef's tasting menu and everything was good, but the main standouts for me were the onion dish and the desserts. Creative and vibrant plating was absolutely top-notch, and the flavors were above average too. Only small complaint is that it took a while for some of the dishes to come out. The restaurant doesn't overcharge for drinks and water, so the total cost wasn't much more than the €85 / person sticker price on the tasting menu. A very nice night overall, we didn't have time but you could also walk along the water to the east to get to the bustling area around Via Roma if you wanted, about another 1km.

Beautiful restaurant and unique experience where you pick out your seafood first and then it is…read moreprepared as you wish. Wonderful experience and you will be delighted.

i had high hopes for the Swordfish this close to the sea. 2 nice small filets but not special…read more The lasagna special was better and the fresh fried potato slices were superior. The grilled vegetables were so thin as to lose track of the flavor. i might come back for a different seafood.