When coming to Puglia in the eastern part of Italy many think of fancy restaurants and a Rome like setting. Not really the case here. Puglia has a much more hometown feel. Small narrow whitewashed streets and rustic laid back restaurants are the norm here. Now that being said don’t expect to stay in a spare bedroom above a bar owned by the local police chief, mayor and butcher. Puglia has many, many great villas that will make your holiday with the family a dream come true. When you stay in one of the private Puglia villas you will discover what Italian luxury really is. Bedrooms that are decorated in a modern and elegant style with beautiful views of the sea, a gourmet kitchen for you or your private chef to feed the whole team, movie rooms, saunas, outdoor dining areas with a fantastic bbq, and the best part is your very own pool. No need to share with any other guests. After a long day exploring it’s good to come back to a clean private residence and unwind together.
Al Fornello-da Ricci
Still family owned and operated, this family friendly relaxed restaurant is everything you would expect from a Michelin star awarded culinary experience. A rustic yet quality menu will be sure to delight everyone, even the little ones. The best part has to the the amazingly friendly service from anyone of the family members who own, operate and live for this restaurant. The food isn’t half bad either, freshly baked durum wheat bread, fried pumpkin flower stuffed with ricotta, beetroot soup, delicate asparagus flans, zucchini croquettes and much more. They also have a wonderful wine list and pairing suggestions.
Umami
This one is a bit of a hidden gem out of the way of the main hustle of the town. An all exclusive restaurant that feels like it is just for you. Make sure to make a reservation though. The chef really focuses on exploration and experimentation in the menu creation. There is a lot to work with and the menu changes daily due to what’s growing in the on-site veggie garden. You can’t get any more fresh than picked in the garden, washed and plated. Some notable dishes to try are the gnocchi stuffed with burrata cheese, pesto and smoked sausage. This will be a great opportunity for the kids to try something new.
Angelo Sabatelli
This restaurant, named after its creator, is headed by chef Angelo Sabatelli. His drive is to bring together high profile tastes of surf and turf while using the things we can experience, like taste, shape, colour, and texture. A traditional take on Italian cooking with an inspiration of modern creativity. Interesting inventions like the amberjack fish served with a soft cream of smoked potatoes or the capers and crispy amaranth Benedetto Cavalieri spaghetti drizzled with garlic oil. In all choices you can’t go wrong.
Bacco
The refined Bacco in Barletta is one of the best restaurants in Puglia. The chef Francesco Ricatti ensures that with each dish his passion and attention to detail shines through. Local flavours and freshly grown ingredients really send the whole experience over the edge. One of the things that make a restaurant incredible, even more than the food is the quality of service and here there is no mistaking that quality. It has a bit more of an upscale atmosphere as some of the others on this list, however the kids will be welcomed with open plates nonetheless.
Cielo
A fantastic restaurant with polished dishes from past and present that have a futurist forward air to them. At a young age chef had a vision of a restaurant such as this and his dream has become a very successful reality with exquisite food for all pallets and people.
