How to Get to Polignano
If you’re already in Italy there is a train station that stops in Polignano that you can get to from pretty much anywhere. Just check out ticket prices on Omio.com.
Driving into Polignano is very easy and there is surprisingly a decent amount of parking.
Finally, if you are flying in, the two closest airports are Brindisi and Bari. Both of these have pretty cheap flights from most European hubs.
Where to Stay
The best places to stay in Polignano are in the many AirBnb’s in the old city center. There’s one larger hotel a couple of minutes drive outside the town, the Cala Ponte Hotel. They have a nice pool and pretty decent and large rooms. The price is good and there is free parking. On the downside, the bar and restaurant at the hotel are a bit underwhelming and the staff isn’t the most attentive. There’s not many amenities outside of the pool and the parking lot. It’s a reasonable enough place to stay though if you prefer that over the AirBnb’s.
Where to Eat
Don’t eat at Grotta Palazzese. If you’ve spent any time on instagram you’ve undoubtedly seen photos of this stunning venue. And, the venue is every bit as stunning as the photos suggest. This is hands down the coolest place you could ever have a meal or a reception for a wedding or really any event whatsoever. It was the preferred venue for Italian royalty for centuries and for good reason. It truly is one of the most beautiful restaurants on earth.
That being said, it’s kind of confusing why such a place in such an astounding setting, with such a high price point (dinners are about 245EUR per person with another 135EUR for the wine pairing), doesn’t have a single Michelin Star. Once you eat there though you realize quickly what the issue is. The service is atrocious. The wines are cheap crap you could get for 3EUR a bottle. The olive oil is rancid. Literally. RANCID. The bread was stale. The seafood tasted old and fishy. The pasta was basically store bought, dried pasta. The decisions made by the chef are embarrassing. The crudo was covered in honey to disguise the poor quality of the fish. The wine pairings are nonsensical like pairing a cheap sparkling white wine with a red meat. It’s passably edible I guess, but it would barely be an acceptable meal in town for 15EUR a plate compared to the amazing homemade foods you can find in even fancy restaurants at that price point. At 245EUR per person, the quality of food is simply embarrassing. It’s clear that the owners are engaged in a transparent cash grab, knowing that enough instagrammers will show up and pay for their outrageously overpriced food. People appear to be catching on though. When we went, it was literally empty. From 8:30pm until 10:30pm on a Friday night, we were the only people there. Honestly, if you want the picture, just walk up and ask to be seated, take your photos and then tell them you changed your mind and leave.
The best meal we had in Polignano was at Antiche Mura. The venue is really cool, surprisingly so as it looks so small from the front and then opens up into a really gorgeous vaulted ceiling dining room once inside. The service was great, the food was phenomenal and the prices were incredibly reasonable for the level of food that you receive.
Fabulous meal from beginning to end, fantastic homemade pasta and a great wine selection at incredibly reasonable prices.
Inventive, yet home cooked dishes, great desserts and cocktails, in a rustic-chic venue within a cave-like arched stone room.
Best view after Grotta Palazzese in Polignano.
Nice, reasonably priced pizza place in the central square.
Really good, thin-crust pizzas with a nice, albeit kinda weird staff that seem like they can’t decide if they really want to serve you food or not. We kind of got the impression that they want to cater mostly to locals and not tourists, but the pizza was amazing either way.
Things to Do in Polignano
Take a Boat Tour
The beauty of Polignano can only half be appreciated from the land. One of the best ways to experience this gorgeous coast is by taking a boat tour. Check out this tour company that offers boat tours for every type of traveler.
Check Out Some Hidden Viewpoints
There is a spectacular vantage point that can be accessed from the old town called Balconata Sul Mare. You can find the precise location HERE.
There is another excellent vista named Pietra Piatta. There is a small staircase, known as ‘Scalinata Volare’ (as an aside, the Song ‘Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu’ also known as ‘Volare’ was written by Domenico Modungo who was born in Polignano, you can even find a huge statue dedicated to him right in front of this staircase). You can find the viewpoint HERE.
Go Kayaking or Stand-Up Paddle Boarding
Please Enjoy These Other Photos From Our Trip to Polignano
