I’ve been lucky enough to explore most of Italy over the years but Puglia, right down in the heel of Italy, had evaded me. That changed in May this year, when, thanks to a friend’s wedding, we had the perfect excuse to visit and turn the weekend into a holiday. With a week to explore and a car rental sorted, I appointed myself chief navigator* and we made our way from Brindisi to Ostuni to Monopoli by way of Polignano a Mare. Puglia is olive grove country – the region is Italy’s largest producer of olive oil – and the scenery makes for beautiful road trips. Olive oil is the base for many of the regional dishes and it will come as little surprise that everything we ate was outstanding, made with super-fresh ingredients for some delicious meals.

*read, passenger princess holding up Google maps

Some of my favourites:

Borgo Antico Bistrot, Ostuni – go early to beat the queues for aperitivo and enjoy an incredible Puglian sharing platter with a tipple of your choice.

Bianc’ Ostuni – a lively lunch spot with an excellent range of pinse (pizzas) and pucce (sandwiches), not to mention very good value Aperol Spritz.

Ristorante Porto Rosso, Monopoli – perched right on the beach at Porto Bianco and walking distance from the centro storico, this is the perfect lunch spot when you need a break from sunbathing. Try the puccia with polpo (octopus) – a staple in the Puglian diet.

The King Street Food, Monopoli – stop at the nearby harbour for a photo opp before trying a panzerotto from The King, a smaller and hand-held twist on a calzone.

Ristorante Almarea, Monopoli – on Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi (a great spot for a drink, meal or ice cream and an excellent people watching location), head to this Osteria for a fantastic range of seafood dishes.

CarloQuinto, Monopoli – go for the setting, stay for the food and if it’s on the menu, order the monkfish.

Il Capriccio gelateria, Monopoli – proper Italian gelato at an absolute steal of a price, you can never go wrong with ciccolato e nocciola (chocolate and hazelnut).

As you can tell we had an amazing time in Puglia, but if you have any more recommendations please do share them with us on our socials. @jellybeanagency

Clare Fellowes-Freeman
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