Cocinas — Restaurant in Bari

We went there because we read the reviews, but our experience was still very different. We ordered pasta carbonara, which was the most delicious dish, but nothing special. I must say that the staff was very kind and when we asked them to change the type of pasta in the carbonara for the child, they suggested a type of pasta that was best for the child, while keeping the carbonara tasty. And the change was fine. However, the other dishes did not impress us. The grilled octopus was extremely tough, very hard to chew and was like eating rubber, with no taste of octopus at all. While the fried cuttlefish were ok, they had a lot of oil. The chips we got surprised us, we did not expect that type of potato chips under name frites, but they were delicious. The white wine by the glass they have was unfortunately very bad, as if the bottle had been open for a long time and sour, we would not say that this is a characteristic of the wine because we later drank the same wine elsewhere and it was much better. In the end, we were left disappointed, because when we arrived, the waiter only gave us the menu they had. And during our stay there, when the locals came, he also offered them dishes that were obviously part of the daily offer or something like that, because they were not on the menu. Which was not fair to us, because they seemed much fresher and tastier when they arrived to the guests from...

I’m writing this review as I sit here in the restaurant, savouring this glorious, decadent tiramisu. Why the haste, you ask? Simply, because I am impatient, nay, desperate, to share with you, dear reader, as swiftly as possible, my faithful and adoring endorsement of this gem in Palese.

Among the many restaurants in Italy and beyond that have contributed to my near-addiction to coffee-and-liqueur-soaked-sponge, this one is among the best. Truly.

The pasta I ordered (spaghetti & tomato) was also fantastic. A simple dish, but very well-prepared. The flavours are hearty, and the spaghetti cooked to perfection. The way the sauce clings delicately to each spaghetto is like something from a heavenly dream. Indeed, the lack of flicking preserved my otherwise precariously white linen shirt.

The pasta was reasonably priced, even more-so considering the generous portion size. The service is friendly and authentic.

If you’re still reading this, firstly: bless you; secondly: don’t read any more reviews and don’t look up any more places. This is the winner in Palese. Go here, and go here again.

And for god’s sake, order...

This small unpretentious café in Bari Palese first caught our attention, because it was open in the early evening, when many restaurants are still closed. We stopped for a delicious deep glass of red before our booked supper at another place. But the service was so extraordinarily friendly, we decided to return a day later for our last dinner in Bari. And it was a good decision! Fantastic Pasta Assassina (a Bari speciality), tasty vegetarian burger, and gorgeous tender juicy entrecote. Excellent local red wine and, to top it all, a host who gives you the feeling he loves having you there, who takes his time to find out what you desire and then recommends accordingly. What a shame we can't make this our local and come here every week. Do go! It's...