Osteria Bell'Italia — Restaurant in Cisternino

We ate here in 2016 and were so blown away by the fresh simple flavors and friendly service that we returned the next day and ate all the same dishes. I don’t know if they’ve changed owners since then but we ate here again last week and were so disappointed that it fell so short of our expectations and memories. Firstly they seem to have renovated the restaurant - we were placed inside some kind of bistro/bar section that wasn’t there before, and was decorated rather tackily. Several years ago the interior was light and simply decorated but this was all black and red and gold and felt really out of date. We had the lamb cutlets, the tagliata di manzo, patatine, grilled vegetables and salad and everything was pretty average. Nothing was terrible (although the beef was quite tough) but absolutely nothing stood out and it seemed more like something you could get at a roadside restaurant next to a petrol station than at a nice place in Cisternino. The young waiter was friendly but the older head waiter was fairly abrupt and we didn’t want to stay for dessert. I wouldn’t recommend if you’re in Cisternino - the prices are high and the...

It looks very charming but my goodness the service was bad. They made a mistake with our order. After 1 hour they came with our main courses while we did not get our entrees yet. Then they told us we will get everything in one go, without asking if we were okay with that. We rejected that plan which made them annoyed and grumpy (while it was their mistake). They just threw the plates on the table without any eye contact or words. Afterwards, they came with the wrong entrees following by main courses that were clearly still the old plates. The fish was dry and overcooked. They did not apologise or offer compensation. We were there for 3 hours and could only eat 2 courses while we planned to eat 4 courses. Mistakes can happen, we understand that. What matters is how you deal with such a situation and they...

An authentic and unforgettable experience!

We visited Osteria Bell’Italia during our stay in Puglia, and it was without a doubt one of the best dinners of our trip. The restaurant is cozy, thoughtfully decorated, and has a warm, authentic atmosphere.

The service was attentive, kind, and always with a smile, even though the place was full. We really appreciated how helpful the staff was in recommending both the daily specials and the perfect wine pairing.

And the food? Simply delicious! The flavors were genuine, the ingredients incredibly fresh, and every dish was prepared with care and passion. The eggplant parmigiana and the bombette in particular were unforgettable.

A true osteria, where you can feel the tradition and love for the region in every detail. We’ll...