Number 38 - Dine in a cave restaurant

This one has been on my bucket list for some time. I visited Puglia in Italy last week and my trip wouldn’t have been complete without a visit to the restaurant in the cave Grotta Palazzese in Polignano a Mare.

It is an exclusive and atmospheric place, used for parties and banquets since 1700, as shown in the watercolor of 1783 by Jean Louis Desprez

I was lucky that it was only day 2 of the opening season for the restaurant which meant that I was able to truly enjoy the full experience without too many tourists. 

I arrived for the latest sitting for lunch as I wanted to be able to enjoy the views out to the Adriatic Sea at daytime, and was seated on a table inside the cave.

I enjoyed chef Felice Sgaras 4 course ‘Dream’ tasting menu to the soundtrack of the crashing waves of the Adriatic Sea. 

The food was good, the service was great and the setting...simply breathtaking. I don’t really know what else to say as I feel my words simply cannot do it justice. It was simply unique and a once in a lifetime experience, simply a dream.

It is such a romantic spot, perfect for couples, however as I sat there alone I felt incredibly lucky to have been able to sit in silence and truly embrace the entire experience, to take it all in and who better than to share that experience with than the most important person in my life...’me’.