I used to think Tuscany had the best food in Italy — until I spent a week in Puglia.

Here, the air smells like olive oil and sea salt. Every meal is an experience, not a performance. The bread is baked by hand in 16th-century ovens, the burrata is made that morning, and the pasta… well, it crackles in the pan before you ever twirl your fork.

This is Italy stripped back to its roots — humble kitchens, family-run trattorias, and flavors that taste like they’ve been perfected over centuries. I came for the coastline, but I left obsessed with what was happening around the table.

Altamura’s “Bread & Stones” Experience

In Altamura, I joined Teresa and Graziella (and yes—they are famous on Tik Tok), two women in their eighties who’ve worked in the same bakery since childhood — since they were three years old, to be exact. They moved with an effortless rhythm, shaping dough in a 16th-century oven that’s still warm from generations of tradition.

No timers, no recipes — just intuition, laughter, and the smell of toasted grain filling the room. Watching them bake the region’s famous Altamura bread was like stepping into living history.

Long Lunches Under the Olive Trees

Puglia’s rhythm slows you down — and you’ll want to let it. I spent an afternoon at a countryside masseria, sipping Primitivo and Negroamaro wines under centuries-old olive trees. The burrata was so creamy it barely held its shape, and the olive oil tasted like sunshine bottled.

There’s something about the way meals unfold here: slow, generous, full of conversation. You don’t rush — you savor.

Dinner by the Adriatic

At La Peschiera, a Michelin-starred seaside restaurant perched on the Adriatic, dinner began with raw red prawns and ended with sea bass grilled over open flame. Between bites, the horizon turned pink and gold. The chef smiled and said, “We don’t have recipes. We have the sea.”

It was the kind of moment that captures everything I love about travel — simple, sensory, unforgettable.

A Dish Worth the Flight

If you visit Puglia, promise me you’ll try spaghetti all’assassina.

It’s spicy, crispy, and unapologetically bold — cooked directly in tomato sauce until it caramelizes. The texture is smoky, the edges perfectly charred. I ordered it three nights in a row and still think about it weekly.

Why Puglia Should Be on Your Plate

There’s a quiet confidence in this part of Italy — a refusal to rush, to overcomplicate, to lose the soul of a meal. Whether you’re cooking with locals or dining seaside with a glass of rosé, every bite tells the story of where it came from.

If you’ve ever dreamed of experiencing Italy through food, start here — in kitchens filled
with history, laughter, and olive oil.

Schedule your consultation call here if these destinations sound like the perfect addition to your future travel plans!

Liked this post? You’ll love these:

Why Puglia Should Be on Every Luxury Traveler’s Radar

What Exactly is a FAM Trip (and Why It Matters for Your Vacation)