There are many food specialties to try out in Puglia , so I’ve made you a list of the most famous and tasty ones !
And if you are coming to this beautiful region of southern Italy, you cannot miss the many local markets and family-run trattorias that showcase the best of Puglian cuisine.
Whether it’s their famous orecchiette, Spaghetti all’Assassina, or the irresistible creamy burrata, I’ll list here what specialties you can find and where to try them.
There are many food specialties to try out in Puglia, so I’ve made you a list of the most famous and tasty ones!
First of, when you land in Bari, head to Arco Basso to observe the nonnas (Italian grandmothers) making fresh orecchiette pasta by hand. You can even buy a bag of these ear-shaped pasta for your first dinner in Italy ! Otherwise you will get to try them in any restaurant, it is an unmissable in Puglia !
A staple in Puglia is the Orecchiette alle cime di rapa. Those pasta are served with turnip greens, garlic, anchovies, and chili (as seen on picture 3 below, with a creamy burrata !).
Another pasta specialty in Bari is the Spaghetti all’Assassina. The pasta is pan-fried directly in tomato sauce, resulting in a slightly burnt, caramelized crust that’s super flavorful and honestly, truly bold and unique.
There are many other pasta dish worth a try while you are in Puglia :
- Ciceri e tria : Pasta with chickpea, and some of the pasta are fried for a crispy contrast.
- Cavatelli con peperoni cruschi : Pasta with peperone crusco, a dried and crunchy pepper known for its sweet flavour and intense colour (see red pasta dish on the first picture below).
- Paccheri : Very large tube pasta. You can find them with pistachio cream, stracciatella, and guanciale as you can see on the second picture below, or with a caciocavallo cheese cream, pistachios and peperoni cruschi on picture one.
Other specialties include :
- Friselle : Twice-baked bread rings, often soaked in water and topped with tomatoes, olive oil, and oregano. You can see them in the third picture above, with a delicious and fresh water-based kind of soup with onions, cucumbers, and zucchini.
- Burrata di Andria : Creamy cheese from Andria, with a mozzarella shell and a rich, buttery interior (on picture 3).
- Focaccia Barese : Thick and fluffy focaccia topped with cherry tomatoes, olives, and oregano, perfect for a savoury snack !
- Panzerotti : Fried turnover filled with mozzarella and tomato, kind of like mini calzone (and just as tasty !).
- Bombette pugliesi : Small grilled meat rolls stuffed with cheese and herbs.
- Polpo alla pignata : Octopus stewed with tomato, herbs, and wine.
- Tiella Barese : An oven-cooked casserole of rice, potatoes, and mussels.
Puglia isn’t as known for pizza like Naples, but it does have its own style. Pizzas here have a thicker, rustic crust and are often topped with burrata, cime di rapa, or spicy salumi. Check out the last section of this article for my address on the best pizzas ever.
First thing first, we have to mention the incredible gelato you can find anywhere, there’s no other place than Italy for the best ice cream !
Other sweet specialties include :
- Pasticciotto leccese : A shortcrust pastry filled with warm vanilla custard, a staple in Lecce.
- Cartellate : Deep-fried dough spirals soaked in vincotto (cooked wine must).
- Sporcamuss : Small puff pastries filled with pastry cream.
- Mandorle atterrate : Almonds coated in caramelized sugar or chocolate.
- Tette delle monache (Nun’s breasts) : Light sponge cake filled with a rich and airy chantilly cream.
- Torrone di mandorle : Almond nougat.
Prices in Puglia’s restaurants are overall very affordable, for example on average, we spent around 10-15€ per person on a plate of past or a pizza. Gelato or any kind of dessert are somewhat between 3-6€.
I will list here some good restaurants we tried during our stay and that I would recommend :
- In Bari : Al Sorso Preferito – A really nice restaurant in the center of Bari, perfect to try the Spaghetti all’Assassina. Still in Bari, head to Antica gelateria Gentile for the best ice cream !
- In Putignano : Premiata Pizzeria – The ABSOLUTE BEST pizzas we ever got to try in our life ! You can choose among a BOOK of pizzas, there are even 13 types of dough !
- In Monopoli : Salumeria Gustavo – Delicious panino and focaccia, perfect for a picnic on a nearby beach or cove !
- In Ostuni : Trattoria Sapere e Sapori – A very nice restaurant in Ostuni, with a delicious Acqua Sala Ostunese, a flavourful cold water-based soup and the traditional Orecchiette with Cime di Rape.
- In Lecce : Tranquillo – The perfect place for a delicious lunch near the anfiteatro. If you need a suggestion, go for the Moderna pasta with pistacchio, you won’t regret it !
- In Matera : Trattoria del Caveoso – The best restaurant to try pasta with peperone crusco.
That’s it for my recommendations on the food specialties to try out in Puglia. We had a wonderful time trying all the best food specialties in there, and I’m sure you will too !
If you plan on visiting Puglia any time soon, check out my article about the ultimate one week itinerary in Puglia.
If you need a custom itinerary, you can fill this form and I’ll make your own personalised itinerary.
