Trattoria La Locanda dei Mercanti — Restaurant in Monopoli

Stopped by on a Tuesday afternoon for lunch based on highly rated reviews. Had to wait about 30 minutes before being seated at this popular relatively small restaurant.

Overall, service was very good (as long as you have an Italian speaker in your group), but prices are too high because food varied between excellent and disappointing. Service varied between rude at the start when only our party's English and French speakers were seated to excellent when our Italian speaker arrived.

Insalata caprese was very good and fresh.

Gigliata mista was disappointing because the grilled tuna was dry, tasteless and overcooked. The grilled octopus was tasty but also overcooked and rubbery. The grilled prawns were also overcooked and dry.

The hot and spicy shrimp dish was tasty but quite difficult to remove the shells.

The cozze gratinate (grilled mussels) were served hot and were very good and tasty.

Frittura mista was excellent served hot and was quite tasty.

The Agnolotti ravioli with shrimp topped with crispy fried arugula was served hot with a tasty sauce and was excellent.

The highlight of our lunch was the complimentary dessert dropped off at our table at the end, which was a very light, flaky and delicious pastry with a very tasty filling. Wow, was that a...

We ate twice at this very pleasant restaurant. Although it is on one of the main streets of the Cento Storico, it benefits from a more private seating area outside as opposed to other places further along where the passerbys brush past your table. As others have noted, the complimentary fried bread with marinara is a delightful way to start the meal. We started with mussels gratinate. Plump and sweet with a cheesy crust that inspired us to keep scraping the bowl even after it was empty. We followed with Spaghetti alle vongole for my husband, and agnolotti in pink cream sauce with tender shrimp for me--a delicate yet indulgent dish that I would certainly order again. The house white was very good. It was a treat to receive the complimentary dessert pastries. They were hot and fresh. I couldn't resist in spite if a burnt tongue and a coating of powdered sugar on my face--well worth it! The staff was friendly and efficient. We enjoyed our lunch so much, we returned for dinner during our stay and relished an equally...

We luckily stumbled on this little gem for lunch today in Monopoli. It was 12:30 pm, on a Saturday and we were the first patrons. Within minutes it filled to capacity and we soon found out why. The service and food are what we call in Texas "down home eating". We were treated to some kind of lovely fried dough balls with spicy tomato dipping sauce, a basket of taralli and bread, and roasted crunchy broad beans while we were awaiting our lunch order. For lunch we shared the Orichietti alla crudaiola and the grilled mixed seafood. Everything was simply and deliciously prepared, and perfectly cooked. We were so full after lunch that we did not order dessert, but with our coffee we were each given a large cream-filled puff pastry pillow that melted in the mouth. The value for our lunch was outstanding. Our meal, including a large bottle of sparkling water and two large beers and all of the above cost only €33 (roughly $37)!! We would return here in a heartbeat. I would include...