3 Best Restaurants in Bari, Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria

Grand stone rooms and a pretty terrazza sprouting olive trees make this a flexible and fab venue to breakfast, brunch, and lunch—and to socialize with evening drinks. As well as a constant stream of excellent coffee, they do a selection of pastries, great-value daily specials (pasta for just €6), and various snacks.

In the lively heart of the old town, opposite the castle, stands one of Bari's best seafood restaurants. The interior is rather sparse, with whitewashed walls and a vaulted ceiling, and the dining room can be crowded and noisy, but during the summer you can sit on the quieter outdoor veranda. Try the house specialty, crudo di mare (a platter of mixed local seafood), accompanied by a crisp salad and a carafe of uplifting Pugliese wine. Reservations are essential in July and August. Note that the restaurant also has six contemporary bed-and-breakfast rooms.

Don't be put off by its nondescript modernist street location, as Opera delivers a well-crafted menu of superb-value seafood dishes, from sushi-style antipasti to beautifully prepared fillets of sea bream. The always innovative food is served on arty tableware in the smart yet welcoming contemporary space or on the street-side terrace outside.