Agriturismo Masseria Curatori — Local services in Monopoli

We booked to stay here on the basis of the rave comments in the book "Salute: Food, Wine and Travel in Southern Italy" by well-know Australian restaurateurs, Gail and Kevin Donovan. I usually triple-check reviews on accommodation, but this time I could find nothing about Masseria Curatori, other than several pages in this book, in which the authors wrote of it in glowing terms; and it is also listed as a Karen Brown item. Having stayed in 2010 in another place the Donovans recommended (but having found it ourselves before I read the book) I was lulled into false confidence and we booked. We are experienced independent travelers, and were not looking for five star accommodation, but an interesting travel and accommodation experience. When we finally found the place, (very hard to find, even with the GPS), there was no welcome, and only by showing the emails between us was it grudgingly acknowledged we had a reservation. The room we were given was in the main house, and only access was by an external door – so there was no sense at all that we were staying in someone’s home. The room was grim: it was gloomy; the fridge not turned on, and had just one straight-backed chair. It smelt musty and was cold. The bathroom was extremely basic. The evening meal was served in a barren room (again only accessed from an outside door) and it too was basic. It was a far cry from the beautiful meals served to the Donovans. The atmosphere was dreary as was the meal. There was no ambiance and there was no warmth at all from our hosts. The thought of breakfast the next morning was too awful – we left early, leaving 120 Euros – the charge for dinner, bed and breakfast. An...

We had the opportunity to take a cooking class at this wonderful location in August 2018 and it was an absolute highlight of our trip to Italy! We could not have asked for a better day. The class was informal but comprehensive, as we were welcomed into the kitchen of the incredible family chef, a woman who clearly makes food with expertise, experience and love. We learned all about the various ingredients used, the best way to prepare them, and how to make a huge variety of menu items. We had some dietary restrictions and Fabrizio was wonderfully accommodating about these, ensuring the meal we prepared was perfect for our needs. We had the chance to explore the beautiful grounds, including animals and gorgeous olive and fruit trees and learned about the history of the location. We completed cooking the dinner, with lots of wine to help us along the way, and got to enjoy an absolutely delicious feast - orecchiette with perfect tomato sauce, amazing panzerotto, unique and exceptional fried zucchini with mint and garlic, a delicious beef and tomato dish, bread with fantastic local olive oil, vegetable dishes, an array of fruit and capped off with a glass of limoncello. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone wanting to learn about traditional Pugliese cuisine in a warm and welcoming family...

I was quite surprised to see other low rated reviews. Because our family had an amazing experience at Agriturismo Curatori. Just a note that we only had lunch, did not stay. As everyone knows every city and every region in Italy has their unique culinary experiences. My husband was born in Bari, Italy and this was our very first time to travel to the city from Canada with all his siblings and their spouses, total of eleven of us together. One of their uncles who lives in this area chose this place and invited us to meet for our very special lunch. Every dish we had....we were in awe... they were not like a five star restaurant presentation, but they were very traditional local cuisine that all of us appreciated deeply. I loved the room, too. it was small, but quaint. After lunch we walked outside of the restaurant and took so many pictures. It was rural and peaceful. Warning: Pace yourself! I don't know how my husband's uncle ordered our meal, but it was a full meal deal; from various appetizer, veggies, cheese, (we were already full at this point), then pasta, meat, fruit and dessert. If I describe the meal we have with a few words..... FRESH, SIMPLE, TRADITIONAL, and one of the best meal we...