Is Dining at Grotta Palazzese Cave Restaurant Italy Worth It?
If you have ever been on Pinterest, Grotta Palazzese cave restaurant Italy is a restaurant you have likely seen! This beautiful restaurant in a cave in Italy is famous not just in Italy, but worldwide. In fact, it is often referred to as the most romantic restaurant in the world.
Grotta Palazzese is located in a cave set on a cliff in Puglia, Italy’s Polignano A Mare, in Hotel Grotta Palazzese. It overlooks the Adriatic Sea and is said to be one of the best Italian restaurants in Italy. So is the famous Italy restaurant in a cave worth it or is it a tourist trap? Let’s break it down!
Dining at the Cave Restaurant Italy, Ristorante Hotel Grotta Palazzese:
above photos via Grotta Palazzese
About Grotta Palazzese
Grotta Palazzese restaurant is widely regarded as a bucket list dining experience. It is a jaw dropping-ly beautiful Italian restaurant in a cave. Yes, an actual cave - it is a natural cave that has been (luckily for us) transformed into a fine dining restaurant for us to enjoy. The cave itself (pre-restaurant) has been used for parties and banquets since the 1700s, believe it or not!
The cuisine of Grotta Palazzese is Italian, largely focused on foods belonging to the Apulian (Puglia, the region it is located in) culinary tradition.
Location of Ristorante Grotta Palazzese
Ristorante Grotta Palazzese cave restaurant in Italy is located in the heart of Polignano a Mare, right on the water. To get to Polignano a Mare you will want to fly into Bari and drive in.
There is also a train station in Polignano that you can arrive at. If you do arrive by train, you can easily get to Grotta Palazzese by foot. The walk takes around eight minutes.
This famous Italian restaurant in a cave can be found at the address of Via Narciso, 59, Polignano a Mare, Italy.
If you plan to visit Puglia for more than just the Grotta Palazzese restaurant in a cave in Italy (you should), I would suggest making Polignano a Mare your Puglia home base. There are many beautiful and inexpensive options or you can - as of recently - stay at Hotel Grotta Palazzese itself!
Don't miss my Puglia Road Trip: The Perfect Itinerary post if you are interested in seeing more of Puglia.
Opening Hours of the Restaurant Italy Cave
The Italian cave restaurant is open daily for both lunch and dinner. Lunch is available from 12:30 to 2pm and dinner from 6 to 10:30pm.
It is, as they call it, the Summer Cave, meaning it is only open during the summer.
Reservations at Grotta Palazzese Cave Restaurant
You will definitely want to make reservations, especially if you are visiting during peak season. During July when we went there were just two seatings per night - one at 7:30 and one at 10:30.
As of right now (2022), the time limit on dinner is two hours so you will choose which two hour slot you’d like to join. The options are from 6 to 8pm, from 7 to 9pm, from 8:30 to 10:30pm, from 9:30 to 11:30pm, or from 10:30 to 00:30am.
When we went we dined at 7:30 which was the perfect timing in my opinion. I would try to get your reservation as close to that as possible. This way you will arrive while it is still light out and you can catch the sunset (depending on time of year, this will vary).
You must make a reservation in advance. You can do so on their site here.
Do note that you cannot choose a table in advance, they are assigned on arrival. Guests of their hotel, Hotel Grotta Palazzese, are the only people guaranteed a table along the railing overlooking the sea. Perhaps a good reason to stay at their hotel, depending on how serious you are about your table arrangement!
When we arrived around 7 for our 7:30 reservation there were already dozens of people in line before us. But don’t stress too much! Every seat in the house is amazing (honestly).
DRESS CODE
The Grotta Palazzese ristorante is one of the most romantic Italian restaurants and also one of the most famous Italian restaurants so dress accordingly! When I visited everyone was dressed up, although not strictly required. Shorts and sandals are prohibited for men, though.
Grotta Palazzese Menu and Pricing
You might expect the food to be sub-par given at the cave restaurant Italy that they could probably get visitors non-stop even if it was. But, to our surprise and delight, it was actually extremely delicious! They offer both a la carte options as well as two tasting menu options. We splurged a bit and got the 6 course “Instinct" full menu for 140 euro. It included:
Croquettes of tuna tartare, apple vinegar powder, pistachio, stracciatella cheese and “Frisella” crumble
Crunchy squid, beet cream, black inck “grissino” and mint oil
Risotto ‘Vialone Nano’, saffron, dill pesto and sea bream
Calamarata Pasta in original “Amatriciana” sauce with fresh monkfish, crispy bacon and Pecorino cheese
Seabass, yellow pepper emulsion infused with pinewood essence and crystallized red cabbage
Ricotta and pistachio cereal crumble and licorice sauce
Sound good? It was to die for.
Starters range from 40-45 euro, rice and pasta also from 40-45, and main course from 42-60. Do note that the site says you must either order one of the tasting menus or three courses from the a la carte menu. It’s certainly not a cheap meal, but it is worth it for both the food and for the experience!
You can find the full menu on their site here.
Update 2022: It looks like, according to their site, that the menu situation has changed a bit. Understandably so since I first went way back in 2017!
The menu is now a la carte only. View it here.
For one, two or three dishes, the price is €195 per person. For four dishes it is €235 per person.
So, is dining at Grotta Palazzese cave restaurant Italy worth it or is it a tourist trap?
It has been a few years since I have dined at the restaurant in a cave in Italy, but based on when I went I would say it is 100% worth it. It is a bit on the pricier side but it was the most beautiful dinner I have ever had, the food was delicious, and it is a once in a lifetime type of experience.
If you missed my Instagram story this day, check it out below to see videos from the restaurant!
Are you backpacking while in Italy? Check out this Backpacking Italy Travel Guide!
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