This lovely restaurant set near the grounds of Castel Del Monte is truly a must visit.
Upon arrival, the restaurant was already busy with large Italian families sitting and chatting. The ambience was family friendly; which was perfect for our family of 5.
We sat and waited for the menu. Francesco approached us and asked us "what would you like!" We replied we would like to see the menu. (Now there is a story behind this which I will tell you so please bear with me on this!) so Francesco went and grabbed us the menu - which was all in Italian anyway which we did not understand!
We sat there using google to translate the menu.
After some time, Francesco returned and asked us what would we like. We still had not fully deciphered the menu! So he explained what was on the menu and some foods which he recommended.
We went along with the foods he recommended which were local specialities along with pizzas and beef for our order.
What first arrived was focaccia, this was our first time having focaccia in Puglia, I can only describe as divine. I am a bread lover anyway, so this was right up my street. It was light and fluffy in the inside, yet crispy in the outside, seasoned well with little bits of sweet tomatoes in between bites.
Next along came roasted courgettes covered in crispy cheese, tomato and basil which was delightful! We also had slices of roasted aubergine drizzled in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. My children who dislike aubergines tried and enjoyed it which is always a bonus.
The pizzas which arrived were one of the best we have had in Puglia, the dough was fluffy and there was ample mozzarella cheese and topping.
Finally, the beef arrived and it was the highlight of the evening. Cooked to perfection. Slices of tender, juicy and succulent beef, covered with slices of cheese and simply seasoned with salt and olive oil was superb.
After the meal, we ordered ice cream desserts. I asked for cheesecake but sadly they were sold out.
After paying the bill, Francesco asked us whether we would like to see the wood fire oven. We replied yes. He walked us over to meet Giuseppe who was the head chef.
Giuseppe explained to us that all his foods are prepared in the wood fire oven! That explained why the focaccia, courgettes, pizzas and beef tasted so delicious! The wood he uses in his fire oven are wood from the olive trees!! What a bonus! Giuseppe explained that the restaurant does not have a set menu. The menu is by word of mouth from the waiting staff. Only the freshest ingredients are sourced and bought locally and made into dishes of the day to be served to his customers. And whatever is not on the menu can be requested and prepared providing the ingredients are there.
(That explained why Francesco asked us "what would we like" without handing us the menu!) when we first arrived at the restaurant!
Giuseppe then explained to us that his restaurant also has a grape vine! It was planted and arranged beautifully around the restaurant which we had not even noticed! It was in season, organically grown with no pesticides. He very kindly cut us a few bunches to try and take home to eat!
They were the best grapes I have ever tasted. Big sweet, juicy, crispy grapes with a crunch.
We were so impressed with the food and service that we returned the following day for lunch and had ear shaped pasta (which is a favourite in Puglia) with local sausages cooked in a 5 hour brewed beef stock. It was rich in beef flavour and every last morsel was eaten from our plates. Perfect bowl of pasta.
We returned for another dinner and lunch sessions during our stay in Puglia! We were served horse meat which is a local delight, cooked beautifully in the wood fire oven, a must try if you are adventurous in the meat department.
La Locanda dei duchi is a beautiful restaurant in a homely setting which overlooks the Castle Del Monte, serving anti pasta, pasta, pizzas, meat, starters, and fluffy focaccias, what is there not to love!!
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