The ultimate guide to Bari & surroundings

Fortunately, Bari is not a big city!The “must see sights” can be visited in a day. I would recommend spendingsome time out of Bari and therefore I have included suggestions for day-trips in the region.

Practical info

Transfer & transport: Bari airport is well connected to the city centre. The bestconnections are:

a)Train from the airport to the central railway station (Bari Centrale): 18min journey, ticket costs € 5. You can purchase the ticket at the station at the airport.

b)BusTempesta to Bari Centrale: 30minutes max, € 4. You can buy tickets on board. The bus departs from the arrival area. Please check for the sign TEMPESTA and don’t take the regular public transport bus, because the journey lasts 65minutes!

c)Taxi:€25 to €30 for a journey to the city centre

If your accommodation is in the city centre, I would suggest you to walk from the railway station. Unfortunately, you can’t rely very much on public transportation in Bari. The rule of thumb is “check what google maps says”.

There is a lot of traffic in the city centre and parking is complicated, thus avoid using a car. Try to walk as much as you can.

Opening Hours for Shops & Restaurants:Shops open from 9:00-20:00/20:30. Most shops are closed for lunch break between 13:00-16:30, therefore don’t be surprised to see empty streets in the city centre in the afternoon.

Restaurants also work on shift; the lunch shift is from 12:00-14:30 and the evening shift starts at 20:00. The only places open continuously are cafes (BAR in Italian), they also serve food so no worries you won’t starve.

It is common to pay cash unless you go to a restaurant. Please forget to pay a coffee or a small amount by card...

What to do and where to go

I have attached three maps to simplify your journey!

Bari – General: the red circle is the part of city centre that you have to visit, in my modest opinion! The blue circle is the old town (a.k.a. Barivecchia) and the green line is the nicest part of the seafront (lungomare).

1)Lungomare - Seafront walk

You can walk from the old town until the urban beach (Pane & Pomodoro). The seafront is nice because of themix of liberty and fascist architecture (part of it was built during Mussolini’s time). There are a few stunning buildings on the seafront including Bari’s largest art gallery (Pinacoteca). Once you get to the urban beach just go back because you’re officially entering in Suburbia…..not the nicest area.…GO BACK where you came from!

2)City Centre – Shopping, wining & dining

The recommended area is small and focussed on the most important streets. But it is up to you! You can of course extend your walk if you want to see everything. I have highlighted the main streets and indicated precisely where you should walk (the actual streets are longer than the highlighted parts).

Yellow marker: Via Sparano, the most famous street of Bari. It’s been a pedestrian street since I was born! You can find all the main national and international stores (Prada, Gucci, Disney, Zara etc). Good for shopping and for a nice walk as it connects the railway station to the old town. However I have highlighted the best bits. Avoid the block near the railway station and the one that crosses the garden. It’s not the nicest part!

Green marker: Via Argiro. Recently became a pedestrian street. There are some nice stores and a lot of nice cafes with terraces to sit and enjoy a coffee or a drink. When you sit on the terrace please keep an eye on your purses and belongings! Thanks to the hypocrisy of the current administration we have quite a lot of pick-pockets.

Red marker: Corso Vittorio Emanuele. The border line between the city centre and the old town. You can find nice bars, restaurants and also Bari’s city hall.

Blue marker: Corso Cavour. It used to be famous for all the stores but today due to the crisis it is less fancy. The street is nice, larger than the others. You can spot TeatroPetruzelli (largest theatre) and CaffeSaicaf, one of the most famous cafés in Bari.

3)The Old Town –Historical highlights

Old Town: Barivecchia in Italian, is very pretty, yet it was“cleaned up” only 18 year ago and it is still facing a process of gentrification…long story short there are still a lot of trashy people! The area within the green circle is the safest. It’s quite touristic, thus you will find signs in English. The main sites are already highlighted by google maps. Go to Martinuccifor an ice-cream and you will thank me for the recommendation. Same story for Panificio Fiore! Go there and get some Focaccia (fried pizza bread).

The area in the blue circle has a few historical sites, however you can easily get lost because all the streets are small and confusing. Just go there during the day.

The area in the red circle is border line…you can still go there, but just be careful. In that area there are the cathedral and the Norman Castle. Unfortunately in that area it’s next to the port wherea lot of dodgy business is going on.

Where to eat

In Bari and overall in the region you can eat really well without spending a fortune!

As stated above, restaurants work on shifts. Pricing in general is not high. Especially when you visit cafes, you will be pleased to pay €1 or less for a cup of coffee (espresso). Before you order something, make sure the waiter/waitress understands what you want. I have seen people ordering “a coffee” and getting a tiny espresso or better ordering “an Americano” and getting “un Americano” the stronger version of Negroni.

Some help to order coffee:

  • If you want an espresso. . . ask for un caffè! This is the “default” coffee in Italy
  • If you want an Americano . . . ask for caffè Americano
  • If you want a latte. . . ask for alatte macchiato. If you just saylatte, you’ll just get a glass of milk.
  • If you want a cappuccino. . . easy! Just ask for cappuccino. But be aware that it is only for breakfast, if you order cappuccino after noon, you’ll get a funny look. The same goes for lattes.

Recommended restaurants:

1) Giampa':it's good and it has a bit of everything on the menu! From pizza to fish & meat.

2) La Battigia:go there for fish & sea food! Really good

3) Posh-Fish-Restaurant: no website surprisingly! Good for a quick & tasty lunch! They serve sushi and sea food.

4) In Vino Veritas: again no website, but it's a good place in a nice location! They serve local food.

5) Bari-Napoli:not an average pizzeria! The concept is simple: they serve pizza in 2 styles: Bari (thin) and Napoli (thicker). Most important they are a spaghetti house, it means they serve several types of spaghettis with different sauces. I always order one pizza and one bowl of spaghetti and share it with Dominique.

6) Pizzeria al Buco: one of the best pizzeriasin Bari!Only open for dinner.

7) Pizzeria Botta:only open for dinner. Ask for Nico! He is the owner. A former body builder and a super nice guy. You could either dine-in or order a take-away. I recommend the pizza and starters, but most importantly, the "PIADINA" it's delicious! It's a folded pizza with parma ham and stracciatella cheese + rocket and tomatoes. Please tell Nico you're my friend! He will definitely treat you very well and guide you through the menu!

8) Mattarello: ask for Alessandro (the owner). Tell him you’re my friend! He will guide you through the menu and treat you like the shah of Persia. The place is specialised in panzerotti. You can try several types of panzerotti either savoury or sweet.

The 8 places above are suitable for a sit-down lunch-dinner, I have listed below two recommendations for a quick bite (quick...not small!). They don't have websites!

1) El Focacciaro: you must go there! It's just a bakery, but you've to try theirfocaccia and their pan brioche! It's really amazing.

2) Panificio Magda:like El Focacciaro, it's a bakery and focaccia is delicious! It's also worth trying one of their panzerotti or arancini.

Fine dining:

If you are into fine dining and you want to try an unforgettable experience then you should consider AntichiSapori. It’s located in a remote location, Montegrosso. It’s really in the middle of nowhere and you will drive for almost one hour. You should go there if you are really into fine dining and if you are willing to spend €60 per person. Tour operators offer day trip to AntichiSapori. Make sure to reserve a table in advance.

Day trips

You can explore the province by making day trips. You may consider the following two scenarios:

a)Day tripsouth of Bari

A day trip to southern Bari should include a few hours at the beach. You will find the best sandy beaches of the province! My favourite beaches are Capitoloand Torre Canne.

Plan a beach itinerary including breaks for ice-cream, lunch and aperitivo. Starting in geographical order:

Polignano

It is the village where Domenico Modugno was born. You might think “who the heck is Domenico Modugno???”. He is the artist who sangthis song.

Polignano is very pretty, you should visit it during the day and spend time in the old town, where you can visit terraces with beautiful views! Just follow the signs for tourists and you will know where to go! In case you park far away, look on google maps for “IL SUPER MAGO DEL GELO”, it’s a café. In front of this café there’s an access to the old town! You will see it easily because it looks like the entrance of an old castle.

You should definitely try an ice cream in Polignano! And maybe also grab some lunch!

Lunch: you must go toPescaria. They serve gourmet sandwich with fish. I am talking about top notch “panini” filled with premium fish. Not an average sandwich! There's always a queue to get food....but it's worth the wait.

Ice cream:Polignano offers you two amazing options for ice-cream:

a) Il Super Mago del Gelo:it's an old fashion cafe where they serve amazing homemade ice cream. It's also nice to try GRANITA (our version of Slush, which is a bit denser).

You can either try a fruity granita (lemon, melon etc) or a coffee granita with whipped cream (Granita di caffe' con panna).

b) Bar Turismo: Via Pompeo Sarnelli, 7. Bar Turismo looks awful inside! It's a super old-fashioned cafe run by an old gentleman. You may think I sent you there to prank you....However, they serve only 4 types of ice cream, the classic options, but it tastes really INCREDIBLE!!! You MUST try a cone or a cup with 1 or 2 types together with their COFFEE WHIPPED CREAM (Panna al caffe', in Italian). I would not be surprised if you order a second ice-cream straight after.

Savelletri

This place is great if you want to have a rustic lunch by the sea. Savelletri is famous purely because of the sea urchins (Ricci di mare in Italian). There are several small restaurants by the sea that serve sea urchins with bread or spaghetti with sea urchin. You must try spaghetti al riccio di mare…sublime.

Ostuni

Also known as the white city, it could be a great end for your day trip before coming back to Bari.

Ostuni is called the white city, because it's a small village on top of a hill and all the houses are white. It’s pretty and you can visit it to see the sunset.

In Ostuni, I recommendRiccardo Caffefor a drink or aperitivo.

b)Day trip north of Bari

This day trip focuses on several historical sites including beautiful architecture, churches and Castel del Monte. You can still have a few hours at the beach, however the landscape is completely different. Pebbles replace white sand, but it’s still an enjoyable experience.

Giovinazzo

Lovely small town! You have to visit the old town and its port. It’s a beautiful walk and you will be impressed by the cathedral. You can click here to get some inspiration about what to do and where to go. Before you leave get a drink at Katiuscia, a great bar at the seafront.

Bisceglie

This place is ideal for a beach pit-stop.I spent a great day atLido Salsello. It’s very organised and you can also have lunch there if you’re lazy to drive to Giovinazzo or Trani. In Bisceglieyou will also find my favourite bar of the entire region, Toma la Luna cafe. I am not sure if it will be open at the end of May, because it opens only during the summer season. If it’s open you must go and enjoy an aperitivo with a mojito or a spritz.

Trani

Trani is mesmerizing! Its port and the old town are very elegant and pretty. You can click here to get inspired. Trani is also famous for its boutiques and for the fine dining. There are several high end restaurants. They are all above average in terms of quality and price. See below a selection for you:

  • Quintessenza
  • Le Lampare al Fortino: two friends got married here. It is fascinating!
  • Corteinfiore: your AmeX might bleed for a couple of days…but it’s worth it!
  • Frangipane

After dinner get a drink facing the port! Gentlemen, you will feel half Hemingway and half Flavio Briatore.

Andria

Located inland, Andria has a beautiful old town and it is close to Castel del Monte. Palazzo Ducale, Andria Cathedral and Saint Francesco church offer an impressive architecture. Santa Maria deimiracoli and its crypt is also worth a visit. You should definitely visit Castel del Monte, it is protected as a world heritage site by UNESCO. At the end of your tour you can enjoy an aperitivo, at Montegusto, country house located near the castle. Andria offers also fine dining experience with a reasonable budget. EvoRistobistrot is the best restaurant, in my opinion. Ask about Corrado, one of the owners, he is the brother of a good friend. Tell him you’re coming to the wedding and he will offer you a unique experience.

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