Cibus — Restaurant in Ceglie Messapica

Where to begin on the horrible Cibus experience. This place had come highly recommended by a “reputable” source who runs food tours. Our experience was nothing short of horrible. While the servers were polite and the venue was beautiful on the outside, we were quickly ushered into an empty room and placed into a corner despite having asked 1 week ahead of time for a seat in the garden. Fine, we thought no worries, they must be really busy and booked in the outside garden being August, we are easy guests we don’t make a fuss over the small things, the room will fill up with the same atmosphere as the outside we thought - it did not, we were alone in the room stuck in a corner feeling really awkward. Next we ordered our food and wine, several polite servers greeted us but we were not sure what was going on and why so many people kept coming, then they came to take our temperature after we’d already been seated for 10mins, a good thing because of covid but do it at the door not once we are sitting inside? We ordered starters- the antipasti which we though was for sharing; we were asked if we wanted it for 2 people- cost ended up being double for this dish we thought was a shared thing so 24 euros is seemed A LOT to pay for some average vegetable sides. Next we ordered our wine and mains, we were cut off before we could even ask for the cheese selection (thankfully as we wouldn’t have wanted it) my husband is a wine selector so we chose the one wine on the list we knew would be ok. Then the waiter presented the wine and told us it was a sweet wine and we shouldn’t have it, we knew it wasn’t a sweet wine but said, ok we can have something else of your recommend out of curiosity to see what he would bring, he bought us a wine that basically tasted like the cheapest supermarket wine we used to drinks as teenagers looking for a buzz in a park. Horrible, but we laughed it off sort of feeling dismayed by this time. Next came the final blow- the mains- a “Ragu” with ”pangrattato” it tasted like vomit with pre-grated parmesan cheese from a packet from the supermarket. We like strong flavours, actually one of the reasons we are in Italy but this was beyond acceptable, I felt like I had vomited in my mouth. My husband ordered the “wood grilled meats” which should have been labelled as “microwaved and rubbery meats” as that would been a better depiction, oh and a reheated microwave potato. We are both avid cooks, we own a farm and make our own wine, we love produce and Italy, we love Puglian cuisine, down home cooking and traditional recipes. This was NONE of those things. We are not posting this to create hate but we had so looked forward to trying this place after all the kind things we had seen and heard on social media. This was honestly the worst most offensive to Italians meal we’ve ever had. I can only say avoid unless they choose to pick up their game, respect the local products and produce and change almost everything they are doing on their menu. A real slap in the face to Puglia and it’s...

This place seems to be regularly booked out - we managed to get a table for dinner to see what the fuss was all about. It’s clear from our experience (and that of other reviewers here) that there are some things this restaurant does excellently and other things that it fails miserably at. Firstly, we appreciated the good service. The amuse-bouche they gave us was a beautifully thick raw gazpacho, delicious. Then we shared the vegetarian antipasto platter (it’s enough for two), which was also wonderful. We also had an excellent bottle of red wine (susumaniello variety).

From there on it went rapidly downhill. For mains my partner ordered the mixed grilled meat - turns out it was 4 tough chunks of over cooked meat with one sad potato that was under seasoned and not even roasted. The waiter told us that “rare” or “medium rare” is not a thing in Puglia except for steak, so there was no other way to have it. My ragù pasta dish was bland with hardly a trace of meat, slathered with breadcrumbs that were so fine that they didn’t give a crunch but rather turned the whole thing into a gloopy, floury mess. We got a side green salad which was so salty that we couldn’t eat it.

We ordered a cheese platter because we were so hungry, having not been able to eat much of our mains. The waiter did try to make up for the terrible food by giving us a little extra slice of cheese plus some biscuits and herbal liqueur that had been made on-site. For the prices we paid, we won’t be coming back here again but credit to the waiter for his efforts in trying to compensate for his employer’s...

I recently had dinner at Cibus and the occasion was a birthday. I’ve already been to Cibus before and I loved it! We had dinner outside the last time so I had a great memory.

While there were some enjoyable aspects, there were also a few disappointments. The restaurant offers a charming outdoor setting that’s perfect for a summer evening—the ambiance outside is cozy and inviting, making it an ideal spot for a relaxed meal. However, the inside was quite a different experience. It was uncomfortably hot, and the lack of air conditioning made it difficult to fully enjoy the meal. In the middle of summer, this was a significant downside for me.

The meal started off on a positive note with a good starter that was flavorful, fresh and nicely served. Unfortunately, the main courses didn’t live up to expectations. The lamb meat was very dry, and it was a bit burned outside, a bit disappointing as I was hoping for something more tender and succulent. The pasta with ricotta was served a bit cold, and the ricotta had an overwhelming smell and taste that was too strong for my liking, making it a bit hard to enjoy. On the bright side the wine we chose complemented the meal nicely.

Overall, the food itself was underwhelming, and the lack of air conditioning inside made for an uncomfortable dining experience. I would recommend sitting outside if you decide to visit, but I hope they address some of...