La Locanda Porta Picc — Restaurant in Polignano a Mare

One of the worst experiences I’ve ever had in a restaurant! The waiter was extremely rude! The restaurant was half empty and we waited for 30 minutes to order because their policy is to present you the fish of the day before you order. The only reason we stayed is because we waited for too long and my kid was starving. Anyway, after the waiter presented the fish of the day, although we said we wanted to order something else, he rolled his eyes and took our order. We were four people and ordered only two portions of food, we came for the kid, we weren’t hungry. Anyway, after he heard that we ordered only two portions he asked who isn’t going to eat and after we indicated the two persons who weren’t going to eat (although both portions were ordered for my kid, so he could choose what he liked), he took all the plates and cutlery from the respective persons’ faces, leaving only one glass in front of them! If you don’t order, you don’t get to taste the food from others, that’s the policy. We ordered some seafood pasta which was salted as a salt mine and couldn’t be consumed and a fish stuffed with zucchini and other things which was ok. They also charged my 5 year old child for coperta, which never happened to me in all the other places I’ve been with my kid over the years in Italy. The service is one of the lowest I have personally experienced in my life. They act like robbers and treat you like they do you a favor for serving you and not viceversa. I’d rather eat from a supermarket than from this awful place. Horror.

Edited after owner’s response: owner’s reply is self-explanatory, demonstrating their rudeness...

We came to La Locanda on the recommendation of our apartment host but found the experience, other than the €€€ pricetag, to be quite unexceptional when measured against the high standard of seafood available to us in Australia & dishes we could easily prepare ourselves. The first problem was they couldn’t find the booking, although it was clearly listed on the booking sheet (I pointed to it myself). After that mistake was sorted a table was hastily cleared & we ordered the supposed seafood ‘degustation’ menu. However instead of being composed of multiple ‘small tastes’ (as a true degustation menu should be), it turned out be an unremarkable 4 course set menu with binary choices for each course that both diners in a group of 2 had to agree upon. Then when we ordered a Pinot Grigio from the Wine List provided we were told that wine ‘wouldn’t arrive for another 4 days’ & so had to order something else. Granted there seemed to be an endless queue of punters requesting tables being turned away from the front desk. However as a restaurant in a tourist haunt, based on our experience we were left wondering just how many of these clamouring potential customers had actually eaten here & how many were being referred by their accommodation? Certainly we would not recommend La Locanda based on our experience unless you are running short on options & you find yourself collapsed & famished outside their door. Even then you will likely be advised to return 2...

We arrived in Polignano a Mare for just one night, and naturally, we wanted to enjoy some good food, wine, and the overall vibe of the place. As Australian tourists, the big question was—where’s actually good to eat?

After scrolling through Reddit posts, reviews, and travel blogs, we found a mix of great recommendations, expensive spots, and hidden gems. It almost turned into a little mission—find somewhere that had both good food and a lively atmosphere.

La Locanda Porta Picc stood out during our search, so we decided to check it out for ourselves. Reviews can only say so much—everyone has different tastes—so we went in with an open mind.

The experience was genuinely great. The staff were friendly, helpful, and clear when explaining the menu, which made everything super easy. You could tell they really cared about making sure we had a good time.

The fish was well-prepared, the wine hit the spot, and the overall vibe of the restaurant was relaxed but still lively—perfect for a fun night out without feeling too formal or too touristy.

Honestly, stuck on a choice?

Go to this...