Grotta Palazzese

Only ate at restaurant. Don't know where the one star reviews are coming from. my wife and I went to restaurant with my grandmother, aunt, and mother. The trip was planned around eating here. We were not disappointed at all. Everything was great; the food, atmosphere, view, and staff. Cannot express in words how amazing the experience was. Life changing. Recommend anyone traveling to the area eat here. You get what you pay for, Do not listen to the poor reviews.

WOW!!! We did not stay at the hotel but we booked a reservation far in advance. We had low hopes for the actual food as there are mixed reviews online but let me tell you, it was an exquisite experience. The view, the food, the saxophone player… it was amazing. The food was delicious, the menu is a bit confusing but the server took great time to explain it to us. We tried the beef and seafood tasting menus. Best scallops I’ve ever had. This restaurant was better than some Michelin star restaurants I have previously been to.

Our very personal opinion is that restaurant is a one heck of an experience! I been wanting to come eat in here and surprised my wife which she was amazed just like me; not only the views but the attention and the food! We were greatly happy that we had this experience and to US it was worth it. Very romantic with amazing views of the water coast.

The natural ambiance of having dinner inside a cave is truly special - but unfortunately the magic stops there. We spent two weeks in Italy and this was by far our worst dining experience of the entire trip. We made this reservation in July for the final night of our vacation and to celebrate our recent engagement. We understood the price and are more than willing to pay top dollar for good food and unique experiences but this was such a let down. The service was horrible. Everything from start to finish felt rushed and impersonal. We asked our waiter for a few recommendations or to give us a little run down of the menu options to which he replied, “just choose one.” We quickly selected the fish and meat options from the pre fixe menu while he stood there waiting and we never saw him again for the entirety of the meal. The food was awful. This was by far the most uninspired, flavorless food we had during our entire stay in ITALY! Everything tasted pre-batched in mass quantities and assembly line plated. The egg soup was disgusting, the scallops were cold and the fish dish was so utterly disappointing that even though it was outlandishly overpriced for what we received, I couldn’t even finish the meal. The staff was only attentive to empty plates so that they could remove them and bring the next dish to get people out of there. Luckily my partner and I have a great time together wherever we are so we made the evening special for ourselves being in such a beautiful location, but this is nothing short of a tourist trap. Anyone can walk down to the restaurant and take a few pictures but for the price of $500/couple, I would suggest spending your money ANYWHERE else. We had multiple Michelin dinners while in Italy with some of the best food I’ve ever had for under 200€. Don’t waste your time or money here when there are so many better options.

We didn’t stay at the hotel. We only came for the restaurant. This dining experience was truly unique. The venue, views, service, and food were all exceptional. If you find yourself in the Italian east coast, slightly south of Bari, don't miss out on this restaurant built into the sea wall of a Cave with sea water running into it and underneath your seating. Simply spectacular!

I was able to eat at Grotta Palazzese while we were staying in Polignano a Mare and it was easily one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had! My SO and I had a great table and amazing food, the service was wonderful and the atmosphere/live saxophone was great. It is expensive but for the experience I believe it’s worth it!

My experience was contrary to most of the negative comments given about the restaurant’s food and service, the entire crew of the restaurant (including the saxophonist) had been really great. I requested for a song to be played (I wasn’t sure if they would do) but the saxophonist did what he could), wine suggested was on point (suggestions of Massimo); the food was mouth melting, especially the fish dish 🤤 and the extra attention and service given to me is really appreciated. And the view is incredible and I had an amazing time. Thank you.

We came to Grotta Palazzese only to experience the restaurant, we did not stay there as we were driving through Puglia, therefore, this review is ONLY related to their restaurant. As a whole, the experience was 5 stars, primarily for the view and ambiance (assuming you get seated on the periphery). The views and experience was a 7, but the food was a 3. The service was attentive and quite nice and the plates were beautiful, but the pasta was overcooked and flavors were mediocre. But you don’t come here for the food, you come here for a glorious experience in total, and that was had by all. I highly recommend this once, but likely will not return.