Da Vittorino by Vecchi Marinai — Restaurant in Polignano a Mare

Very quaint location, tucked away from the town, access is via a narrow walkway way and mostly frequented by non tourists. We were surrounded by Italian speaking customers and even the staff had only one gentleman who spoke English. Almost felt like we had stumbled upon a local secret, though it is easily found on Google search. Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed everything about this experience. The quality of the food- ingredients and preparation was outstanding. Everything tasted fresh and flavors popped with each bite. We ordered the antipasto assortment, €32 for 2 persons, 6 different seafoods. Carpaccios of Tuna, salmon and Spada (swordfish), shrimp, fried Bacala (cod) and fried crusted tuna nuggets. Generous portions, individually plated, loved it! We then had 2 different pastas, one prepared with a swordfish sauce, and another was scampi with a red sauce. They plated it by splitting it into two, so each of us tasted both. We both preferred the swordfish sauce pasta, the scampi sauce was tasty too but that pasta was much heavier. Next was the roasted octopus - also a well made dish. Unfortunately by this time we were already pretty satiated and couldn’t do justice to this dish. We ended with a shared dessert of chocolate gelato that had a Centre of rum(?) sauce - unique and delicious. All in all an amazing experience. And yes, the view was pretty nice too. But go for the food, the view is a bonus. Nice wine list too. All reasonably priced. We had a very nice Tormaresca Pietrabianca Chardonnay. Service which started off a bit cold, quickly warmed up and we were practically family by the end of the evening. Delightful and down to earth folks, seemed to be family run. Loved it!! Paid €130 total which I felt was...

Very quaint location, tucked away from the town, access is via a narrow walkway way and mostly frequented by non tourists. We were surrounded by Italian speaking customers and even the staff had only one gentleman who spoke English. Almost felt like we had stumbled upon a local secret, though it is easily found on Google search. Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed everything about this experience. The quality of the food- ingredients and preparation was outstanding. Everything tasted fresh and flavors popped with each bite. We ordered the antipasto assortment, €32 for 2 persons, 6 different seafoods. Carpaccios of Tuna, salmon and Spada (swordfish), shrimp, fried Bacala (cod) and fried crusted tuna nuggets. Generous portions, individually plated, loved it! We then had 2 different pastas, one prepared with a swordfish sauce, and another was scampi with a red sauce. They plated it by splitting it into two, so each of us tasted both. We both preferred the swordfish sauce pasta, the scampi sauce was tasty too but that pasta was much heavier. Next was the roasted octopus - also a well made dish. Service which started off a bit cold, quickly warmed up and we were practically family by the end of the evening. Delightful and down to earth folks, seemed to be family run. Loved it!! Paid €130 total which I felt was...

We had the most unforgettable experience at this restaurant. From the moment we arrived, the staff went above and beyond to make us feel special — incredibly helpful, genuinely warm, and so attentive. They even opened the restaurant an hour early to give us some private time, which meant the world to us.

The setting was absolutely breathtaking, with stunning views that made the whole moment feel magical. The atmosphere was peaceful, elegant, and beautifully intimate — it really couldn't have been more perfect.

Although we didn’t eat, the food looked incredible and was presented with such care. The wine we had was excellent, and just added to the whole experience. We left feeling so grateful and full of joy.

Thank you so much to the team — you created a memory we’ll cherish forever. We’re so appreciative, and we hope many others get to enjoy the same exceptional service and atmosphere...