When travelling to Puglia, it’s easy to see why this region hosts some of the most quaint towns in Italy. But the main star is the food! What Puglia cooks best though, because of its location to the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, is the freshest seafood possible. Sea urchins, octopuses and many types of fish are just some of the region’s greatest choices. It’s also the origin of the magical cheese that is burrata. Here is our list of some of the most fascinating places to eat in Puglia.
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Gourmet Villa
Of course first when you get to Puglia you need somewhere to call home while you eat your way around the region. But not just anywhere to drop your bags, no. Puglia is a beautiful experience and staying here should be too. That’s why there are holiday villas in Puglia. Imagine your own private luxury villa to sleep off the food-coma. With beautiful furnishings, a decadent pool retreat all to yourself, and views that rival the local commercial hotels. Make sure this isn’t something you miss when visiting.
1. Due Camini
Due Camini is the enchanting restaurant of the fabulous hotel Borgo Egnazia. Renovated in 2018, the menu features a playful twist to the standard Italian classics. Every meal ends at the chef’s table. Desserts are created in front of you with spectacular Mediterranean ingredients and skill. The Bar del Portico features cocktails like nowhere else. With an in-house mixologist that is well travelled and skilled to fit the high standards.
2. Angelo Sabatelli
Angelo Sabatelli Restaurant in Putignano is a dream experience in dining. The restaurant is encapsulated in the historical palazzo Romanazzi, a fascinating stately residence with many stories to tell. Its decadent menu is labelled “Verde ma non troppo”, meaning green but not too much. Chard millefeuille, cream of potatoes and farinella top the menu. No meal is complete without dessert, hazelnut Paris-Brest and chocolate sorbet.
3. Al Fornello da Ricci
Chef Antonella Ricci has converted a cute country home into a top class restaurant. Relax on the veranda in the summer and dine like the Italians among the greenery. In the winter, have a seat around a large cosy fireplace. Al Fornello da Ricci offers some of the best food around. Choose from filled zucchini flowers, hand-made troccoli with wild asparagus, pancetta and toasted breadcrumbs, or tagliolini with raw vegetables.
4. Bros’
The idyllic location in Lecce isn’t why foodies come to this one. This one Michelin Star restaurant pursues a more experimental cuisine. International meets Mediterranean with dishes like calamari washed with Racale, caper paste and vinegar then garnished with caper leaves. This is arguably most inventive and avant-garde eatery of the Apulian food scene.
5. Già sotto l’Arco
Come to Carovigno for a fantastic dinner. A couple signature dishes you can’t visit without trying are the decadent tuna tartare marinated in tequila, smoked salt and blackcurrants, and the fresh red mullet with pistachios on a silky bed of asparagus. If you must have something other than the local fish then there is the veal braised in Aleatico wine, anise, creamed potatoes, mushrooms and carrots. Even if you come here after dinner somewhere else, then the excellently curated wine cellar has over five hundred sophisticated wines to choose from.