Our favourite places to eat

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Beautifully cooked traditional Puglian food. The chef's special chicken is amazing as is the spaghetti with truffle.

https://trattoriailcortiletto.it/en/

Our 'usual place' which is what the translation is! Good all round and great wood fired pizzas.

https://www.ostunialsolitoposto.it

Take away or eat in (pretty basic), this restaurant which is part of the slow food movement serves super thin crispy pizza plus amazing anti pasti in a wooden box and pillow soft little dough bites Try not to eat them all and save room for the pizza!

Super fresh fish near the sea, there is a beach club but we generally just go to the restaurant for lunch

https://www.lidoboscoverde.it

A hotel/Masseria with a lovely restaurant on the terrace overlooking the pool. Set menu of 6 courses, all home cooked by the Nonna, all delicious.

https://www.masseriasalinola.it/en/home/

Feast on traditional dishes  under the fairy lights strung across the courtyard of this beautiful Masseria. Set menu, dinner at 8pm, book well in advance.

https://www.masseriailfrantoio.it/en/cuisine/

Simple fish restaurant, on the harbour with several others right next door if you can't get into this one!

https://www.laterrazzaristorante.it

Both serve excellent regional dishes, Tempo Perso is a little more upmarket and very atmospheric as built inside a cave. 

Sister restaurant to Lido bosco verde, excellent food served in a super pretty terraced garden.

https://www.enotecailcucco.it

There are so many amazing restaurants in Puglia,  way too many to mention but  here are some other suggestions..

La Grotta Palazzo. You might have seen the photos - the restaurant built into the cliffs at Poligano a Mare, for a very special occasion, it's very expensive!  We can't vouch for it as haven't been but the setting is hard to beat  https://www.grottapalazzese.it/en/home/

Monopoli has some great restaurants tucked along the alleyways, wander and take your chance,  it will be good, they all are!

If you are looking for a meat fest head for Cisternino which is choc full of excellent Macellerias - rustic restaurants with butcher counters where you choose your meat and they grill to order.  Cisternino also has a brilliant pizzeria called Dopio Zero.

A romantic candle lit dinner right next to the sea? La Pescheria is for you https://www.peschierahotel.com/en/

There are several Michelin starred restaurants within 40 mins drive;

Gia Sotto Larco in Carovigno, 10 mins away  http://www.giasottolarco.it 

Cielo in Ostuni 15 mins away https://www.lasommita.it/en/cielo-restaurant

Due Camini at the Borgo Egnazia (favorite haunt of the Beckhams!) https://ristoranteduecamini.it 40 mins away

Much further afield but if you want to explore further south into the heel, head to Tricase (Helen Mirren owns a bar there called Farmacia Balboa) and then onto the coast to Tricase Porto to an absolutely fabulous seafood restaurant Taverna Del Porto https://www.tavernadelporto.com go back through Tricase on your way home and stop for gelato at Gelataria G & Co.