For more information and to book please visit www.mrandmrssmith.com or let us arrange your whole trip, by calling +44 (0)20 8987 4312 or from the USA dial 1 866 610 3867.
As at all good Italian get-togethers, food takes centre stage: fresh fish, melons, figs, olive oils and wines. Puglia produces almost all of the country’s – in fact Europe’s – pasta. Yet although the region may appear Italian down to its boots, the heel of Italy has a very cosmopolitan past; the Greeks, Spanish and Normans all paid visits, leaving a quirky mishmash of architectural heirlooms, from Baroque churches and Romanesque cathedrals to whitewashed villages and the traditional conical dwellings called trulli.
Puglia produces 70 per cent of Italy’s olive oil. There are many different varieties, each with its own unique flavour. The olive press of Il Frantolio di D’Amico Pietro near Cisternino offers tours and tastings – great for wine buffs looking for a new challenge.
Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and romantic boutique hotels in Puglia
The rooms in this historic fortified farmhouse in Puglia are exquisitely furnished with linen bedding, silky sofas, large baroque mirrors and antique furniture. Masseria Torre Coccaro is a child-friendly hotel so makes for great family getaways as well as romantic breaks.
La Sommità has cool, clean design lines but its massive walls and ramparts give this converted 16th-century palace a palpable sense of history.
A cluster of whitewashed farm buildings surrounded by ancient olive groves,
Surrounded by a grove of ancient olive trees, the 16th-century Masseria Torre Maizza – sister hotel of nearby Smith favourite Masseria Torre Coccaro – has been brought bang up to date with a cool, contemporary décor.
Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.
If you're after traditional Pugliese fare, this is the place to come. One part of the restaurant is set inside a cave, the other is adorned with farm tools – bizarre but charming.
Via Tanzarella Vitale Francesco, Ostuni
The romantic 'Tavern of Jealousy’ does some unusual and tasty dishes, such as barley with bitter herbs and nettles and black pasta whose symbolic ingredients allegedly bring prosperity and wealth.
Via Gaetano Tanzarella Vitale
Diners at the La Peschiera hotel restaurant enjoy fresh seafood while enjoying the views and gentle breeze of the Adriatic. The wine list features a selection of fine regional and national wines.
Contrada Losciale 63, Monopoli
Bari’s most stylish citizens can be found at this cool bar lounging on scatter cushions or enjoying Martinis on the terrace.
Piazza Mercantile n. 70, Bari
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