Where to eat in Bari, Italy
Once regarded as a place too dangerous to visit and with an old town whose maze of streets and alleyways were rife with theft, the last 20 years have seen an incredible transformation for this bustling metropolis.
The historic quarter and port have been cleaned up and restored brilliantly and businesses, restaurants, bars, and guesthouses have moved in. Empty streets are now filled with tourists and locals alike enjoying the elegant architecture and medieval core. There’s a vibrant food scene and some of the best nightlife in Southern Italy.
Most restaurant guides for Puglia focus on major tourist destinations in the Valle d’Itria, Lecce and Salento, and a few coastal resort towns. Almost all of them overlook Bari. They don’t know what they’re missing!
Many of Puglia’s hottest chefs and most innovative restaurants are here. You’ll find everything from Michelin-level dining to creative street food masters. If seafood is your thing, you won’t find fresher fish anywhere else! Food is serious business here and Bari’s almost half million residents have high standards, good taste, and don’t tolerate nonsense.
If you’re the type of traveler who likes local joints and wants to avoid tourist traps, Bari is a food town for you!
More Puglia travel info
Table of contents
10 Great Bari Restaurants
Al Pescatore
N'dèrr'a la lanze
Ristorante Corteinfiore
La tana del polpo
Mastro Ciccio
Le Sgagliozze di Donna Carmela
Panificio Fiore
Le Gourmet Caseificio Del Centro
Le 2 Aquile
Antichi Sapori
Foods to Try in Bari
Introduction to Puglia Cuisine
Meal Times in Puglia
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10 of Bari’s Best Restaurants
Rather than just put together a list of Bari’s best restaurants (an impossible task!), I’ve selected 10 of my favorite local joints. The list is a mix of street food, casual local favorites, and seafood specialty spots.
No matter what your budget or your vibe, you're sure to find something that you’ll love. Some are elegant while some are rough around the edges. The service also won’t always be a highlight, but that’s just not how Bari does it!
What you can be assured of, though, is some of the freshest seafood in Italy, expertly prepared. And at prices that’ll leave you smiling. A couple of the spots are in neighboring Trani and Canosa, and not actually in Bari, but they’re both just a short trip and well worth the effort!
*For more information on Bari and some of its beautiful surrounding towns, check out my guide to 22 fantastic Puglia towns and my in-depth Puglia travel guide.
1. Al Pescatore
This Bari mainstay for fresh fish and seafood has been around for over 50 years. Located in the historic quarter just around the corner from both the Swabian castle and the Basilica di San Sabino, it makes for a great pit stop while out exploring.
As soon as you walk in the door you’ll see beautiful fresh whole fish, scampi, oysters, prawns, squid, lobster, sea urchin, and octopus all displayed on ice. You can either pick exactly what you want and ask them to prepare it for you or order off the menu.
Our recommendation is to stick to the basics; grilled fish, calamari, spaghetti con vongole (spaghetti with clams), the grilled octopus, etc.
Don’t complicate things with sauces or lots of sides. Keep it simple and appreciate the exquisite freshness!
Service and decor here are old fashioned, though by no means are they unpleasant. Just don’t go expecting lots of smiles and pleasantries. Remember that you’re here for the food! Prices are neither cheap nor overly expensive.
Find it on Google Maps here.
2. N'dèrr'a la lanze
This is hands down the place to go for all different types of crudo (raw shellfish most typically, but not only shellfish). It is a functioning marketplace right on the waterfront where you’ll be served your meal, caught just hours before, directly by the fishermen who caught it.
Think raw mussels, tuna, and sea urchin with just a dash of lemon - sushi Pugliese!
Plan to go for a very early lunch as by early afternoon some vendors will have already started to leave. Those feeling adventurous should plan on having a seafood breakfast here!
Find it on Google Maps here.
3. Ristorante Corteinfiore
Actually located about 35 minutes north of Bari in the lovely seaside town of Trani. Trani is known for having the best seafood restaurants in the area and Corteinfiore is one of the best in town.
The atmosphere is refined and elegant, and the menu offers many regional staples as well as innovative creations. Settle in for a long lunch, select a wine (or two) from the excellent list, and prepare for one of your finest meals in Puglia.
*For more info on exploring the town of Trani, check out its entry in my 22 fantastic Puglia towns guide.
The town of Trani is also a perfect day trip from Bari. For a city of its size, about 60,000 people, it has an exceedingly cosmopolitan air and is a great place to wander for a few hours and people watch.
Its Norman Cathedral dates from the 1100’s and is a wonderfully preserved example of Romanesque architecture. Views from the bell tower are lovely and worth the climb.
Just a few minutes further away, you can also visit the lovely towns of Bitonto and Giovinazzo, both of which are practically unknown to foreign tourists.
Find it on Google Maps here.
4. La Tana del Polpo
When you want fabulous seafood, cooked or raw, and are feeling a casual night out with the locals, think La Tana del Polpo. This is authentic and simple, done right, with undeniably fresh ingredients.
The seafood pasta dishes are excellent, the frittura di mare (fried seafood platter) is sublime, and the crudi are always top notch. We recommend just about everything on the menu, but have a special place in our hearts for the panino con il polpo (octopus sandwich).
Good service and terrific value combined with top-notch ingredients prepared in a pleasant, unstuffy environment make this one of our perennial favorites.
Find it on Google Maps here.
5. Mastro Ciccio
Just down the block from La Tana del Polpo, Mastro Ciccio also serves a fabulous octopus panino, though much less simple than that of his neighbor! You’ll also find loads of other wildly inventive and creative dishes too (think a burger of fish, mussels, and potatoes!).
The service is warm and friendly and the prices are super reasonable.
The restaurant had a bit of a viral moment recently and it’s fairly trendy, so you may encounter a bit of a line. The star of the show is the fried burrata cheese and octopus sandwiche with pesto and fresh mozzarella, but there’s something here for everyone.
The restaurant’s owner has pretty prolific Instagram output (and lots of very funny videos), so if you want to see what there is to eat, check him out: https://www.instagram.com/mastrociccio_mordilapuglia/
Find it on Google Maps here.
6. Le Sgagliozze di Donna Carmela
Donna Carmela has been frying up sgaliozze for years. But what are sgagliozze you wonder? They’re little fritters of polenta (corn flour bread) deep fried, salted, and served in a cone of rustic paper.
You’ll know whenever you are near sgaliozze because when the old ladies of Bari decide it is time to fry, the smell will simply capture you!
Together with Sgagliozze, all over Puglia they also fry pizza dough in little balls which, in Bari, are called Popizze. In the rest of Puglia this dish is called Pettole or Pittule.
If you arrive having worked up an appetite from sightseeing and are worried that just polenta won’t satisfy you, fret not! Aside from her famous sgagliozze, Donna Carmela also cooks some wonderful local recipes like orecchiette pasta with broccoli rabe and braciole (flank steak rolled up and cooked in tomato sauce, white wine, and garlic). You won’t go hungry!
Bear in mind, this is street food dining and very casual, so probably not the spot for a date or romantic meal.
Find it on Google Maps here.
7. Panificio Fiore
A jump back into the past, this is a historical bakery located at the back of the church of San Nicholas in the old quarter. They basically make focaccia all day! And with that in mind, it should come as no surprise that we’re sending you here for foccacia! To be precise, foccacia barese, which means Bari-style foccacia.
Focaccia is different from pizza and other breads because it isn’t cooked directly in the oven. Rather, it’s baked inside of a pan. There is also a lot of olive oil and sometimes even a bit of potato put into the dough.
The most typical focaccia barese is, of course, found in Bari. Here it is made with cherry tomatoes and olives on top.
If you have time to waste while in Bari or need an excuse to take a break, just pick two passerby and ask them their favorite place for foccacia barese. They are sure to disagree and sure to argue about why!
Find it on Google Maps here.
8. Le Gourmet Caseificio Del Centro
This one is truly a hidden gem and you may just think you’ve wound up in heaven! A caseificio is a place that makes cheese, and that’s exactly what we’re after. Caciocavallo, burrata, ricotta, delicate mozzarella, wonderful capocollo, salame, and prosciutto… Need I say more?
Located just a few blocks from the Teatro Petruzzelli, this is the perfect place to go in the morning and pick up a picnic lunch for a day of exploring. You can either have them make you some sandwiches or buy all the ingredients to sample and make your own.
Find it on Google Maps here.
9. Le 2 Aquile
A simple little bistro-style restaurant just half a block off the lungomare (the seaside promenade) and a block from the Teatro Petruzzelli. The outdoor seating is great for people watching on busy days.
The owners are a lovely couple one of whom is from Bari while the other is from Albania. The food is both traditional and typical and makes a great spot for friends, family, or couples.
Nothing here is ever frozen, so don’t be surprised if various items from the menu are not available on any given day. At least you know that you’re getting premium, fresh ingredients.
Find it on Google Maps here.
10. Antichi Sapori
We really shouldn’t include this restaurant on our list because it is located 1 hour away in the small town of Canosa. But it’s simply so good that we couldn’t resist!
It is a pure farm to table restaurant and many of the vegetables on your plate are gown in their garden just next door (which you can visit!). You have many options, but their prix fixe tasting menu is always a good choice. The lamb stuffed with lampascioni is also a favorite. The menu consists of all typical, local recipes, but with excellent touches.
Bari is heavy on the seafood, so aside from having wonderful food, the plethora of vegetable and meat options may be a very welcome sight after a few days of fish and molluscs. It does get busy, so it’s best to reserve well in advance.
Find it on Google Maps here.
Foods to try in Bari
Crudo
Raw fish, and shellfish in particular, are a specialty in Puglia. Uncommon in the rest of Italy, crudo/crudi (which means raw) are sometimes playfully called sushi Pugliese – Apulian sushi.
Foccaccia Barese
Bari style focaccia. The best in Puglia! Beautiful, ripe cherry tomatoes are placed on top and baked to perfection - adding some sweetness and acidity.
Cacciocavallo and burrata
Two Pugliese cheeses which are regional delicacies. The burrata here is so prized that there are restaurants in northern Italy and elsewhere in Europe that fly in local producers’ cheese multiple times a week. Cacciocavallo resembles provolone and can be made from either sheep or cow milk.
Ricci
Sea urchin like the cold, so the winter is really prime season for them. However, you can also find sea urchin on menus throughout early spring and the fall. From April to July, harvesting is forbidden. If you see urchin on the menu during this period, that means it’s imported. And probably not fresh.
Polpo
Served raw, grilled, and baked, octopus in Puglia takes on brave new dimensions! A close cousin to the octopus, moscardini are basically little tiny octopus that are often found in frittura di mare (fried seafood mixes - often consisting of shrimp, calamari, and moscardini).
Riso, patate, e cozze
One of Bari’s most typical dishes. It means rice, potatoes, and mussels. It’s fairly self-explanatory, so we won’t go into detail!
Orecchiette
A type of circular pasta whose name translates as “little ears” because of its shape. Made with just 3 ingredients: semolina flour, water, and salt, orecchiette are most traditionally served with cime di rapa (a type of broccoli rabe) or fava bean or chickpea puree.
If you want to see how orecchiette are made, head over to Via Arco Basso in front of the Castle in the historic quarter and watch all the nonne (grandmothers) at work right out on the street.
Sgagliozze
Deep fried polenta (cornmeal) fritters.
Popizze
Little balls of heaven - AKA fried pizza dough! They are sometimes called pettule too. Pugliese people eat them as appetizers and snacks.
An introduction to Pugliese food
Puglia’s cuisine is defined by seasonal vegetables, durum wheat pasta, ample seafood, and fresh cheeses.
Vegetables
In Italy relatively little produce is imported, so different seasons will have different fruits and vegetables. Also, cuisine is hyperlocal here, meaning that you’ll find many dishes that are specific only to Puglia or even to only certain small areas within Puglia!
In the summer, you can expect to see eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes constantly on the menu. You might even get a little sick of seeing eggplant everywhere! In fall, the star of the show will be things like cardoncelli mushrooms and squash.
The winter brings cabbage, kale, and other hearty greens while things like broccoli rabe, chicory, fava/broad beans, and artichokes are early spring ingredients. You’ll also see menus abound with zucchini flower, asparagus, and peas.
Vegetables are typically served sott’olio (under olive oil) or lightly grilled.
You’ll find lots of:
Zucchini
Melanzane - eggplants
Cicoria - chicory
Ceci - chick peas
Fave - fava/broad beans
Cime di rape - broccolini/broccoli rabe
Carcciofi - artichokes
Pepperoni - bell peppers
Finocchio - fennel
Asparagi - asparagus
Cavolfiore - cauliflower
Cavolo - cabbage
Pomodori - tomatoes
Fish
Like most places, fish is usually served grilled, baked, or pan seared. Restaurants catering to tourists will typically filet the fish before serving, but many local places will serve it whole. If you’re not sure how to eat fish served whole, it’s probably a good idea to watch a youtube video or two!
A very common garnish to filets of fish in Puglia are caperi - capers. Other than that, you’re unlikely to find much seasoning beyond a little bit of lemon and garlic.
A few fish commonly found on menus are:
Orata - sea bream
Spigola - sea bass
Sgombro - mackerel
Pesce spada - sword fish
Tonno - tuna
Sardine - sardines
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Seafood
Puglia, unlike most of Italy, has a long tradition of raw seafood as well. You’ll find gambero rosso crudo, scampi crudi, cozze crude, calamari crudi, tonno curdo sott’olio (raw tuna with a drizzle of olive oil), and polpo crudo. Raw seafood is typically served with very little added to it.
Mussels might just get a dash of lemon, while scampi and shrimp will be eaten with no garnish. Sea urchins are scooped direct from the shell with fresh bread and squid might get a little pomegranate on the side for aesthetics.
The thinking is, if the ingredients are quality and fresh, why dilute their flavor?!
Seafood common to the region are:
Seppie - cuttlefish/squid
Calamari - squid
Ricci - sea urchin
Cozze - mussels
Gamberi - shrimp
Scampi - prawns
Polpo - octopus
Cheese
The two most well-known cheeses of Puglia are burrata and cacciocavallo. Burrata is made by taking a mix of cheese cream and semi-cured strands of stracciatella (mozzarella filaments) and enveloping them in a delicate casing of mozarella which is then tied. It must be served fresh. Cacciocavallo is a short-aged cheese that is cured for a few months.
Meat
For meat lovers, you won’t see much steak on menus, but you will find pork (maiale) and lamb (agnello) as well as beef and chicken most of the time. One less common meat that you may be surprised to read on your menu, particularly when in Salento, is cavallo - horse.
While you may have mixed feelings on this, it’s perfectly common in Puglia and also other Italian regions like Sardinia. For those interested, pezzetti di cavallo (pieces of horse) is a common dish of stewed horse meat served in a mildly spicy tomato sauce. It’s quite good.
You will of course also find all sorts of salumi (cured meats/cold cuts), the most prized of which is capocollo di Martina Franca. Capocollo is cured pork that is marinated in red wine and then smoked. The town of Martina Franca produces the finest.
Meal times in Puglia
Days in Puglia start early and with a simple breakfast. Lunch is probably later in the day than you’re used to and dinners are often very light. Puglia now receives a good deal of visitors and tourists, so you can find many restaurants that are more flexible with meal times and offer substantial dinner menus all throughout the week.
Breakfast
Breakfast usually includes a coffee - an espresso or cappuccino - and a pastry (typically a croissant).
Lunch
Lunchtime starts quite late, especially by American standards, beginning around 1:30 or 2:00 pm. It is a big moment and the day’s main meal. Sunday lunches are a special treat and can last hours.
Dinner
Dinner begins after 7:30 pm and is often quite light, though this has changed gradually and towns and restaurants accustomed to receiving foreign tourists will have fuller menus. On weekends, most restaurants won’t start receiving guests until 8:00 pm or later. Many will not even open before 7:30.
Pizza
Most visitors to Puglia plan on having a pizza at least once during their stay. So, bear in mind that pizzerie (pizza restaurants) don’t open at lunch and other good restaurants won’t serve it at lunch time either. A good way to tell if a restaurant is catering to tourists (and might be a tourist trap) is if they have pizza on the menu at lunch. You can risk it and give it a try, but we wouldn’t!
Aperitivo
Aperitivo is a ritual all over Italy and here in Puglia is no exception! Aperitivo is served in bars (typically nicer ones with nice location) and consists of a drink that you pay for which then comes with a series of snacks.
Depending on the bar, the snacks may be borderline enough for a meal or might be just olives, local taralli crackers, or potato chips and peanuts.
On Sunday aperitivo hour might start as early as 10 am (a pre-lunch drink), but usually it begins anytime between 4:00 and 7:00 pm.
Wine
For any wine afficionados, if you’re wondering when is an appropriate time of day for your first glass of vino, this is really just a matter of personal taste! 11:00 am is a pretty safe bet! Beer and hard alcohol typically not until lunch time.
Snacking
For a light meal or a snack throughout the day, have a look at a bar, pasticceria (pastry shop), or panificio (bakery). Remember that a bar in Italy is a cross between a café and an American style bar.
You can order alcohol, but this is also where you go for your breakfast and morning coffee. They often serve little snacks and will sometimes have sandwiches and salads.
Siesta
Siesta is a tradition that is still observed in Bari and Puglia. This is the midday rest more commonly associated with Spain. Be aware that the period between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm is a quiet time and practically all shops and business will close down.
Workers will head to lunch or head home to eat and have a rest before returning to their places of business around 5:00 pm. You should plan on doing similarly as there will be no one around during this period and not a whole lot to do!
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