Love Puglia | Ostuni Guide and Insider Tips

The Puglia Guys Ostuni guide. Made in Puglia.

Sophisticated and stylish, poetic and timeless. Ostuni rises up from the rolling olive groves that surround it, a gleaming white oasis, framed by Puglia’s endless blue sky. With a vibrant bar and restaurant scene Ostuni is one of the most popular stops for visitors to our region. Loose yourself in its nooks and crannies as you explore the tangle of narrow streets and stairways of the centro storico. Its central location makes Ostuni the perfect home base for venturing into the Valle d’Itria and beyond.

Ostuni is 40 km (about 25 miles, less than a 30 minute drive) north of Brindisi’s Salento airport and around 100 km (62 miles, a little over an hour’s drive) from Bari airport. Puglia’s Adriatic coast is 8 km away. The white walls and buildings of the old town gleam in the distance and can be seen as you drive along the main coastal highway.

Insider Tip | The best views driving into Ostuni are from the E55 (SS379) Adriatic coastal highway along the SP19 (take the exit at Pilone coming down from the north/Bari) or from the SP21 (take the Torre Pozzella exit coming up from the south – Lecce/Brindisi) turning off at the Contrada Rosaria fork as you climb to approach Ostuni. The latter route will also take you to the municipal pay and display car park we often use (see Parking).

On top of that, Ostuni is where we are based and meet up as a team over the summer months. We know it well!

In our Ostuni Guide:

1. Where to eat | Ostuni guide recommended bars and restaurants

The choice of dining experiences in Ostuni during the summer season seems endless. Excellent restaurants and chic bars are tucked away in the maze of medieval alleys, arches and stairwells of the old town that shoot out from via Cattedrale and wind around the duomo and the old town walls.

While bad food is hard to find some restaurants offer better value than others. Many restaurants regularly recommended on travel forums are recommended by tourists and visited by more tourists, even though locals would not eat there. The food and dining experience may be good, but if it is comparatively overpriced without any added value, we haven’t included it.

We eat where locals eat and we pay for all our meals and review anonymously.

Ostuni Bistrot | restaurant

Family run restaurant serving traditional local dishes, offering good food and great value. Osteria Ostuni Bistrot is our favourite Ostuni lunch spot. We are regular visitors and always take visiting friends.

The restaurant is located adjacent to the main piazza (📍Piazza della Libertà, 5) with a larger seating area on the main piazza. There is also a comfortable, air-conditioned inside seating area. We usually walk-in, without booking. But in summer, we will ask them to hold a table for us when we are passing by.

The seating area on the piazza is next to the seating area of another restaurant called ‘Petit Bistrot’ (Codice a Barre). Do not confuse one with the other. Ostuni Bistrot is where we want to eat. We do not eat at Petit Bistrot.

Pinsa | Unlike traditional pizza, which can be heavy and greasy, a pinsa is a lighter version perfect for lunch.

Taglieri | A charcuterie style sharing board. Generous and perfect as a shared appetiser for 3-4 people. If you want to change the balance of one of the boards for more vegetarian or meat choices, consider ordering one or the other with a side of polpette or bruschettoni.

Bruschettoni | Smaller than bruschette, a crisp and light starter.

Insalata | Polpo and patate (potato and octopus) salad.

Antipasti | To nibble on we sometimes order polpette (traditional deep-fried bread and veal meatballs, light and crispy). The parmigiana is also delicious. Fave e cicoria (a fava bean puree) is not always on the menu, due to its seasonality. But you could always ask, as it is a great vegetarian option.

Pasta | In summer we often have the orecchiette alla crudaiola, a lighter pasta dish with fresh tomato and topped with cacioricotta cheese. Eat it inside, or outside.

Orecchiette al pomodoro is served in a traditional tomato sauce. The orecchiette alle cime di rape is perhaps Puglia’s most traditional dish. Cime di rape (often translated as turnip tops, though in fact they more closely resemble tenderstem broccoli albeit bitter and with a softer texture) is a bitter green. The Ostuni Bistrot version is not as bitter as some we have tasted.

Spaghettoni and cozze (mussels) is another dish we visit often. Don’t ask for Parmesan with it – you will be politely told that the cheese overpowers the delicate seafood! Riso, patate e cozze is a traditional Bari dish with a comforting double carb hit of layered potato and rice, with mussels.

The lasagne is firm. ‘Maritato piatto unico’ is orecchiette pasta with polpette (meatballs) and braciole (thin slices of beef stuffed with prosciutto, pecorino, garlic, and herbs) slow cooked in a tomato sauce. It always blows us away.

Paccheri al tonno rosso is a lighter pasta dish especially good in the summer.

Secondi | The cotoletta al patate beats any cotoletta we have had in Milan. Fritto dell’Adriatico has prawn and calamari from the Adriatic, fried light and crisp.

The grilled octopus is equally delicious. We usually finish our meal with the panna cotta – al caramello is our favourite topping.

Al Solito Posto – Ristorante Pizzeria

Ostuni’s best pizza. Highly rated by locals, many of whom will tell you that it’s not only the best pizze but also the best desserts. Andre thought the pizza base was the best he had ever had (anywhere). We also shared some great starters.

The pasta dishes are equally impressive. And the desserts are just as special. Al Solito Posto offers fantastic food at great value, and should definitely be on your #EatOstuni list.

Via Cesare Braico, 37 | Al Solito Posto website

Casa San Giacomo | restaurant

Located in the heart of the centro storico, just off the main road to the duomo, about half-way up. Traditional home cooking in a typical Ostuni cellar setting with vaulted ceilings.

Our favourite spot for dinner, but be sure to book from June – September. Serving the recipes of Nonna Rosetta who used to cook in the kitchen with her sister. But sadly she passed a few years ago. The restaurant is now run by her grandson.

Dinner for three, including the coperto cover charge, three starters, mains and coffees, two bottles of water and two bottles of a moderately expensive wine cost us €153.

And yes, Madonna booked the whole restaurant to celebrate her 63rd birthday.
€€ – €€€

📍Via Nino Bixico, 4
+39 328 138 8457

Gabó | restaurant, lounge bar

Although it isn’t for locals (the price is relatively on the higher side, especially the coperto (cover) at 5€ per person and drinks – 5€ for 0.75l water, 7€ for 0.40cl beer, 5€ for Coke Zero, 9€ for a glass of wine), the food is excellent, the service friendly and the setting one of the nicest. Choose a seat in the cool, garden shade. On one of the panoramic terraces or inside.

Tastefully decorated and accented with Nicola Fasano ceramics from Grottaglie (the “Coffee & More” English language branding on plates seems at odds with the location, but this is the trading name of the restaurant and the plates were commissioned).

They have an excellent policy of not allowing smoking at the tables on the terrace outside, so your meal isn’t spoiled by smoke coming from a neighbouring table. There is a smoking area by the main entrance.

The food is a little more expensive that we usually pay, but the food is excellent and the portions are generous, so we consider Gabó good value when it comes to the food. The coperto is one of the most expensive in Ostuni at 5€ per person, but the olive bread we were served was freshly baked, warm and delicious. The service was unhurried and relaxed.

Booking for lunch, dinner or even cocktails recommended.
€€ – €€€€

📍Via Gaetano Tanzarella Vitale, 36
+39 328 271 1189

Osteria Monacelle | restaurant

Good local food in the heart of Ostuni’s old town.

Osteria Monacelle is one of our dependable dinner choices when we eat out in Ostuni. They serve typical regional dishes consistently well.

If fave with cicoria and octopus are on the menu the chances are that they will be appearing on our table.

Monacelle has three eating areas. The narrow alleyway outside the restaurant, the main dining space which is the second door up, at street level where the outside menu is located, and the upstairs area which the first door that you come to walking up the hill.

The main dining space is adjacent to the main kitchen, too hot in summer. The upstairs area is (slightly) cooler, with fewer tables. You won’t find yourself near the bathroom which sometimes happens with a table for two downstairs. We find the alleyway seating area too narrow for privacy, with many passers by on a summers evening.

From June – September booking is recommended to avoid a long wait, or being turned away.
€€ – €€€

📍Via P. Vincenti
+39 083 133 4212

La Pastasciutta | pasta restaurant

Honest, decent and inexpensive pasta. No frills dining, but it really hits the spot. Select from a variety of pasta types and sauces. Order and pay inside, the pasta will be cooked to order (as it should be) and brought to your table.

We love this concept (having eaten it in a variety of destinations). We waited for just over 25 minutes while 6 people ahead of us were served – the kitchen cooking area was limited to cooking 3 different pasta dishes at any one time. However it was well worth the wait! Absolutely delicious.

Portion sizes vary from approximately 80g – 130g of pasta. The bolognese with a more substantial sugò used approximately 80g while the orecchiette arrabbiata had more pasta. Our orecchiette was perfectly al dente to our taste.

There is a 2€ coperto (cover charge) per person.

Via Vito Tamborrino, 15 | €-€€

Caffè Fanelli Bistrot | bar

Coffee, lunch and aperitivi. The best value Aperol Spritz on Ostuni’s main piazza.

Our favourite spot for people watching, morning, anfternoon and evening. We go there for a coffee and pastry, or a later morning or afternoon/evening aperitivo. We love the crema al caffè on a summer morning.

We are big fans of their home made lasagne – a must if you like your lasagne on the wet side, with plenty of sauce.

Fanelli cook their lasagne like we do – with prosciutto layered between the sheets of pasta and ragù.

They also have a nice plate of orecchiette alla crudaiola. A lighter pasta dish with fresh tomato topped with grated cacioricotta cheese from Puglia, perfect in summer.

Fanelli is our preferred aperitivo spot. Their Aperol Spritz is served with a tris, a typical snack on the side. All for €5,90. The best value Aperol Spritz on Ostuni’s main piazza.

On the other side of the Sant’Oronzo column, only 10 metres away at Casbah expect to pay 15€ for the same. The only difference in price we can ascertain is for Casbah’s chic lounge bar surroundings.

📍Piazza della Libertà, (2 Corso Cavour) | €-€€

Borgo Antico Bistrot | bar

For aperitivo. Spectacular views over the olive groves to the Adriatic and a reasonably priced Aperol Spritz.

You might think given its prime location this would be an overpriced tourist trap, but fortunately not. A wonderful spot to pause after walking to the top of the old town, on the eastern side of Ostuni.

📍Via Fina, 8 | € – €€

Les cre’ fantastique | panzerotti eat in

Panzerotti are one of Puglia’s epic street foods. Like a calzone pizza, only better! Les cre’ fantastique are tasty, filling and very inexpensive (classic €2,50). Watch them being made and fried in front of your eyes. Our favourites include the piccante panzerotto (with spicy salami, plus mozzarella and tomato), and the super tasty panzerotto with polpette della nonna.

📍Corso Camillo Benso Cavour, 22 | eat in, take-away | €

Asso di Spade | panzerotti to go

Asso di Spade has some great daily panzerotti specials including nduja, gorgonzola and guanciale as well as classic tomato and mozzarella. Hits the spot!

📍Via Benedetto Cairoli, 1 | take away | €

Gelaterie | for gelato artigianale

Bar Biancofiore (📍Corso Giuseppe Mazzini, 79) is a local favourite, known for its gelato. Flavours are limited to between 10-16 but that’s hardly a compromise! On the few times we have passed by and popped in, we found the gelato not to be as smooth as we usually find. There were many ice crystals as if it had part defrosted and frozen again.

However, we were in no doubt about the excellent gelato at Ciccio in Piazza Ciccio Pastigel Ostuni (📍Via Armando Diaz, 66). It’s just a little out of the way for visitors focussed on the old town. But it is certainly worth a visit, not just for the great gelato, but also its pastries.

Just down the steps from Sant’Oronzo’s column (conveniently next door to the cheap and cheerful but highly recommended La Pastaciutta) is the wonderful Cremeria alla Scala. It’s convenient and the gelato was smooth and creamy the fragola, in our combo of strawberry and dark chocolate, very subtle (📍Via Vito Tamborrino, 17).

Caffè Garibaldi on the main piazza (📍Piazza della Libertà, 52/53) has one of our favourite flavour combinations. Fondente, a deep dark chocolate, and amarena is a particularly spectacular combination. Caffè Garibaldi is our spill over lunch spot if we can’t get a table at Ostuni Bistrot. They have good pizza and they do a version of spaghetti all’assassina, but it is a variation on the classic crunchy, burnt version. Using spaghetti that is already cooked, it is more like a spaghetti all’arrabbiata.

Alternatively head to the top of the centro storico. After the duomo and just beyond Arco Scoppa for the Gelateria Borgo Antico (📍Gelateria Borgo Antico).

Ostuni outskirts

Masseria Moroseta | fine dining

A modern take on traditional dishes in minimal surroundings. Expensive, but exceptional dining. A short drive from Ostuni en route to the main highway. Fixed menu, price on booking (booking essential, the restaurant fills up well in advance).
€€€€€

📍Contrada Lamacavallo snc, 72012 Ostuni
+39 338 18 99 199

Trattoria Il Cortiletto

Good food in modest unassuming surroundings. A short drive from Ostuni en route to the main highway.
€€

📍Via Lecce 91, 72015 Speziale
+39 080 481 0758

Carovigno | 8km from Ostuni

Nearby neighbour Carovigno punches well above its weight with fantastic bars, restaurants and a really intimate old town. From a family run trattoria to a Michelin starred restaurant on the main piazza, and from a sizzling hot Naples pizzeria to an amazing Braceria grill restaurant (a speciality of the region), it has a top choice of places to eat at.

Carovigno Travel Guide: Ostuni’s Neighbour Packs An Unexpected Punch

Where we avoid

We visit most places when writing and updating our Ostuni guide. If we don’t like it we usually don’t mention it. But if we have a negative experience, only then do we recommend not visiting.

RICCARDO caffè

You will find this on the far side of the old town, on Via Gaetano Tanzarella Vitale, 61 just along from Osteria Del Tempo Perso.

Offering aperitifs and cocktails in a cave setting with a trendy outside seating area marked by beanbags up and down the stone steps, beware of being overcharged and paying for unexpected extras. We pointed out that it was not permitted to charge more than the menu price, required to be displayed by Italian law. We were refunded but in what we considered a very aggressive, confrontational and threatening manner, we were ultimately asked to leave, and escorted off the premises.

Osteria Del Tempo Perso

When we visited we were disappointed with the quality of the food, which we found overpriced and very ordinary. This restaurant is often highly recommended by tourists for its traditional cuisine. The majority of its customers are tourists, who recommend it to other tourists. It would be unusual for locals to eat there.

Casbah Risto Café

Trendy bar just off the main Piazza adjacent to Sant’Oronzo’s column. A prime location but with matching premium pricing. At 15€ the most expensive Aperol Spritz on the piazza. Do not sit there without checking out the prices first! Just 10 metres away on the other side of the column, at Fanelli an Aperol Spritz served with snacks costs much less than half the Casbah price!

More | for reviews and thoughts on other Puglia restaurants, bars and eateries, check out our #EatPuglia Guide to Puglia’s best restaurants and places to eat.

Love Puglia | A Curated Guide To The Best Puglia Restaurants

2. Ostuni guide | our favourite nearby beaches

The stretch of the Adriatic coast from Bari south has more rocky coves than the endless strips of sandy beach you will find on the Ionian coast. Nevertheless there are some fine sections to enjoy, especially around Ostuni.

Savelletri

Long stretches of sandy beach. Many private lidos with loungers, umbrellas, bars and restaurants but fewer free public beaches.

📍Savelletri Beaches SP90, 72015 Fasano (BR).

Torre Canne

Long stretches of public, sandy beaches. Popular with families and sports enthusiasts, there is canoeing and kite surfing.

📍Spiaggia di Torre Canne, Via Eroi del Mare, 72016 Tore Canne, Fasano (BR) to Lido Morelli.

Pilone

Sandy beach, popular with residents of the camping and touristic villages nearby, who often arrange for residents’ beach club activities for kids, so it can get noisy!

📍Spiaggia di Pilone, Torre Pilone, Ostuni, Via mare Adriatico, 72017 Ostuni (BR).

Torre Pozzelle | Lamaforca

Small sandy beaches in rocky coves, surrounded by pine forest. Both are popular with the families who stay in the nearby camping touristic villages. 

📍Spiaggia di Torre Pozzelle | 📍Spiaggia di Lamaforca, Contrada Lamaforca, Ostuni.

Specchiolla

A selection of public beaches and private lidos. Approach from the south-eastern end from the highway Specchiolla exit. Usually we can find free parking along the way, but there are pay car parks by the lidos.

📍Specchiolla public beaches, Carovigno.

Punta Penna Grossa (Torre Guaceto)

The family friendly end of Torre Guaceto. Extremely popular, but you need to park in the not so nearby pay car park at the north entrance parking area for the Torre Guaceto nature reserve (by the Meditur Village) and take the shuttle trolly train (around 4 mins each way with waits up to 15 minutes).

Punta Penna Grossa, Torre Guaceto.

Public Parking

The municipality has set up free car parking spaces along the 17km stretch of coastline along Ostuni’s territory, to protect the amenity by discouraging off road parking elsewhere. Please use the car parking provided!

More beach | 50 of Puglia’s best beaches

Puglia has some of Italy’s finest coast. In 2023 it was awarded 22 bandiera blu awards for the water quality of its beaches, the most in Italy outside the Italian Riviera.

Check out our insider guide to 50 of the best beaches in Puglia.

50 of Puglia’s best beaches

3. Where to park | the Ostuni guide to parking

Like most Italian towns and cities, car parking in Ostuni can be a challenge. From mid-July to mid-September parking spaces are Ostuni’s most precious commodity! Either side of peak visiting we usually find a free parking space in the centre of Ostuni without a problem.

On-street parking is usually marked on the road surface. But not always. Parking is generally permitted unless no parking signs indicate that it is restricted.

Otherwise, free parking spaces are outlined in white. Watch for any adjacent signs indicating restrictions, such as maximum time limits. In these cases, display a parking disc on your dashboard indicating the arrival time. You can purchase these discs for a few euros at tobacconists or newspaper shops. Rental cars often come with them already attached to the windshield.

Blue lines indicate “pay and display” parking. Check accompanying signs for details. Payment can be made with coins, many machines accept cards, and some can be paid for using parking apps. 

Signs specify payment hours and rates. Keep an eye on the ticket expiration time as you are feeding in your coins or adjusting the + or – when paying by card. Machines take account for free parking times in the afternoon and at night.

Most of the time you will need to input your car’s registration (license plate) number before purchasing a ticket. Look for the instruction “Digitare la targa del proprio veicolo.” Keeping a photo of your car’s registration number on your smartphone saves time (some hire car keys will have the registration number already attached). If you’ve already queued at the meter, you won’t have to join the line again. 

Ensure your ticket is clearly displayed on the dashboard inside the car. The same rules apply to municipal car parks.

Yellow spaces are reserved for disabled badges, taxis, or official vehicles. You may encounter green zones with restricted parking during certain hours on working days for deliveries and similar activities.

Choosing a smaller rental car proves advantageous when it comes to parking.

Via Giosuè Pinto

Coming into Ostuni from the Brindisi side (especially from the SP21), try parking in the municipal pay and display car park opposite the Confraternita del Carmine church between Via Salvatore Tommasi and Via Giosuè Pinto.

Insider Tip |  You need to input your car registration number for your pay and display parking ticket, so if you don’t know it, have a photo of the licence plate on your phone so you don’t have to leave the queue/line to check it when it is your turn to pay.

Beware the gentleman in the high visibility waistcoat sometimes present and taking it upon himself to guide cars into spaces looking for payment. He is an opportunist and not an official. If in doubt ask the Golapa Tuk Tuk guides who line up adjacent to the car park.

A 2-minute walk, ending with the up the steps to Sant’Oronzo’s column will take you to the heart of Ostuni; the Piazza della Libertà and up to the duomo.

Ostuni parcheggio Tenente SPECCHIA

The car park at Via Antonio Specchia is useful if you are coming into Ostuni via the SS16 or SP20.

Villa Comunale | Parco Rimembranze

These car parks fill up pretty quickly in summer. Our fall back is parking around the Villa Comunale at Parco Rimembranze. On the right hand side, heading down towards piazza della Libertà, parking in the spaces delineated by white lines is free. You can also turn left into the Villa Comunale where there is a small free car park.

Along Corso A. Ayroldi and Via Martiri di Kindu it’s pay and display parking within the blue lines.

Insider Tip | the pay and display machines here require you to input your vehicle registration (license plate). If you have a hire car keep a photo of this to say you having to go back and re-join the line to pay for your ticket.

ZTL – Ostuni’s restricted traffic zone

Beware Ostuni’s ZTL, zones of restricted circulation, particularly the one which runs along Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, past the Sant’Ornzo column and along the Piazza della Libertà into Corso Giuseppe Mazzini. Only the local residents and registered vehicles are authorised to drive here. These zones are therefore prohibited to outside vehicles during certain hours. Stray into it and you will get a hefty fine – and the hire car company will pass it on. Just before Easter the municipality replaced the old cameras that didn’t work with fully functioning new ones!

Insider Tip (mid-July to mid-September) | On street parking is easier to find after 10am when after breakfast visitors head to the beach | between 10am and 11am the AirBnB exodus takes place, but the apartment cleaners quickly snap up the spaces | before lunch and la pausa is a good time (until 12.30pm) for street parking, after that spots are full until around 4pm | visitors returning from the beach and others coming for aperitivi and dinner start filling the car parks from 5pm | if it’s raining most people will stay in town instead of heading to the beach, and parking stays challenging all day long!

4. La città bianca, Puglia’s White City | what to see and do

Ostuni | Origins

Ostuni’s oldest inhabitant can be traced back to the Middle Palaeolithic some 25,000 years ago. The skeleton of “Delia” found in the cave of San Maria di Agnano indicates the presence of Neanderthal hunters who made homes in the nearby caves.

Later settled by the Messapi around 1000 BC, the city came under the dominion of Rome until the later stages of the fall of the Roman Empire. Invasion and conquest followed and over the next 1000+ years came the Ostrogoths, the Lombards, the Normans and the Aragonese.

During the 16th century the Aragonese widened the defensive wall around the city rebuilding the Villanova Tower and constructing the Pozzella and San Leonardo towers to protect against the Turks.

Tyranny reigned for almost 150 years under Duke Giovanni Zevallos, to whom Ostuni was sold in 1679, and his descendants. Calm was only restored under the Bourbons who rose to power after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo.

Following Italian unification under Garibaldi, Ostuni became part of Garibaldi’s Italian nation state.

A plague on all your houses

Lime washing the town’s houses – a practice believed to have originated as a defence against the plague in the 17th century – is still carried out annually, lightening up the centro storico’s maze of dark medieval streets and stairways.

Hints of the Middle Ages still lie around each corner of the old town’s cobble streets but what most visitors see today dates from between the 1400s and the 1700s and has survived three major earthquakes

Loose yourself in its nooks and crannies as you explore the tangle of narrow streets and stairways of the centro storico. Ostuni is an easy sightseeing visit as all the favourite sight seeing spots are within very close proximity. But the city is built on three hills, so you will be walking uphill and downhill most of the time.

Cross the Piazza della Libertà (main town square), with the baroque obelisk of Sant’ Oronzo (la colonna), the saviour of Ostuni; stop for a spritz at Caffè Fanelli on the smaller side of the piazza before taking the Via Cattedrale up into the old town to the duomo, Ostuni’s cathedral, that sits at the highest point looking down at the rest of us!

We wouldn’t stop to buy olive oil or wine on the Via Cattedrale – it’s overpriced of course.

After the duomo, pass under the Arco Scoppa, the ornate pedestrian bridge between the buildings, originally in wood.

Enjoy an ice-cream from the gelateria a little beyond the arch, before turning the corner to enjoy the panoramic view from the east, out to sea, taking in the acres and acres of silver green olive groves (try to blank out the ugly industrial buildings spoiling the view, beyond which is the train station).

Don’t forget to take a selfie at La Porta Blu. These days it seems to be a more popular selfie stop than the adjacent view of the olive groves.

Go down the steps, keeping right, and up some more, to find your way around the edge of the old town and back to the via Cattedrale. Alternatively keeping left will take you around the Aragonese wall.

Piazza della Libertà

The piazza is a large open space on which, in addition to the café bars and restaurants sits Palazzo San Francesco, an ancient Franciscan monastery, and now the Town Hall. Standing next to it is the Church of San Francesco d’Assisi.

Chiesa di San Francesco d’Assisi

Originally built in the 14th century built in the fourteenth century the church was restored after being severely damaged by the 1743 earthquake.

Sant’Oronzo’s Column

The column was built in 1743 and is a tribute to Sant’Oronzo the saviour and holy bishop of the city of Ostuni. It stands 19.5 meters high and marks the spot where the Valle d’Itria ends and Alto Salento begins, one half of the column sits on each side.

If in doubt, the column is the perfect meeting point if you are new to Ostuni. It’s an obvious landmark, central and perfect for orienting yourself.

Concattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta

Ostuni’s cathedral sits at the top of the highest of the three hills the city is built on. The present Romanesque church was built between 1228 – 1229. The 1456 earthquake damaged it and construction began again between 1469-1495 when it was rebuilt in Gothic style. The central rose window, said to be the second largest in Europe after Notre Dame de Paris, is divided into 24 rays, with 12 inner sections. The glass was destroyed.

The interior layout is a latin cross with three naves on columns, with a flat painted ceiling and Baroque chapels. Look out for the At the end of the left aisle there is a wooden altar from 1734 at the end of the left aisle with busts of Saints Oronzo, Biagio and Agostino.

Arco Scopa

Built to connect the bishop’s palace to the seminary, the original was made of wood. This was replaced by the stone bridge that now exists. Either because the wooden structure was unsound, or according to popular history, because of the wear and tear of overuse due to nighttime visits by the bishop to the seminary on the other side.

Heaven’s Door | La Porta Blu

No Ostuni guide would be complete without mentioning Puglia’s most famous door and certainly Ostuni’s most popular selfie stop. Some believe paradise lies behind the door, opening onto a vista of blue sky, green olive groves and the azure blue of the Adriatic beyond (giving it its other name – Heaven’s Door). It is in fact a B&B (we visited in September 2023).

Be sure to give it a “ Knock-knock-knockin’ on heaven’s door” for good luck on your visit.

Mura aragonesi

The defensive walls around Ostuni date back to the Middle Ages and have been modified and added to over time. Extending from Porta Nova to Palazzo Scalona, it was the city’s third defensive wall built, to defend the lands from various invasion attempts by the Agarenese, Saracens and pirates.

The towers and bulwarks were erected in 1480. In 1500 the structure was restored and strengthened to allowed the construction of dwellings above it.

5. Where to stay in Ostuni | the Ostuni guide to selected accommodation

Ostuni has accommodation to suit all budgets. The most popular accommodation is in and around the old town, but be aware that the old town itself is within a ZTL restricted traffic zone. All our choices are central, outside the restricted traffic zone and with public street parking available on a first come first serve basis.

Other considerations: your apartment should have some outside space, especially if you are visiting in summer. Terraces and panoramic views are a bonus!

Private rental apartment | Apartment Q40 Ostuni

One of Ostuni’s most popular and highly recommended apartments, located just behind Piazza della Libertà (Ostuni’s main piazza with bars and restaurants). Apartment Q40 has three terraces, including an upper terrace with a panoramic view over Ostuni’s old town, across the olive groves and out to the Adriatic Sea.

Book Apartment Q40 on Booking.com.

Bed and Breakfast accommodation | Welcome Ostuni B&B

Modern, minimalist and centrally located B&B with a range of amenities, including fresh cooked breakfast, kitchenette, a small but well-equipped gymnasium, and a terrace.

Apartment complex | The 5 Elemento Residence

Large sixteenth-century mansion is now a completely renovated building, capable of accommodating up to 49 guests in 15 apartments, with common access and reception areas.

Boutique hotel | Paragon700

Luxury boutique hotel in resorted palazzo, renovated in an eclectic style. Large garden with orangerie, bar and swimming pool.

6. Ostuni Guide | The best time to visit Ostuni

We joke that in Puglia we only have two seasons: summer, and not-summer! Fortunately the ‘summer’ season is a long one. It starts in spring for Easter, and lasts through until the end of October.

April is usually pleasant. We still have shorter days and so less sun, but when the sun shines it’s perfect to sit on the piazza to people watch. May and June are relatively quieter than the later summer months, a good time to visit. Ostuni is at its most vibrant over summer when visitors swell the city’s population from around 32,000 to 200,000 at peak. The busiest months are August and September. A parking space becomes Ostuni’s most precious commodity!

From the end of October until the start of Easter, many bars and restaurants in and around the old town stay closed. During this period options for eating out – especially during the daytime – will be very limited. Although February is carnevale time, many of the bars and restaurants that are for local residents take an annual holiday, sometimes up to two weeks. After Ash Wednesday February can be particularly fallow month.

We usually don’t recommend visiting from November – March. We have already mentioned that in and around the old town there are fewer restaurants and bars open. It becomes a less interesting place to be. But also the weather is typically cold and damp. Many visitors think that because we are in the south of Italy we enjoy a much more temperate winter. When the sun shines, it still feels glorious and we can sit outside. But we have shorter days and less sun. As soon as it disappears so does its warmth.

We have a humid winter. The humidity means that even at temperatures between 6° – 11° it can chill to the bone.

These are the rainiest months. Ostuni is best enjoyed outside, from the terraces and balconies of private rented apartments to the piazza and outside eating and drinking. When you can’t do this because of the rain or penetrating damp cold, visiting Ostuni is a less pleasurable experience.

7. Aperitivo time | the best value Aperol Spritz on Ostuni’s main piazza

Ranging from 5,50€ to 15€, be careful where you choose to sit for your Aperol Spritz on Ostuni’s main piazza! Around the square Italy’s favourite aperitivo is served with a small ‘tris’ – a selection of 3+ small bowls from the following: olives, crisps (US chips), taralli, savoury crackers and peanuts. 

Prices as at August 2024.

Best Aperol Spritz value on Ostuni’s Piazza della Libertà (and beyond)

8. Ostuni guide | Day trip planning and road trips from Ostuni

Ostini is perfectly positioned as a base to explore the Valle d’Itria and beyond. From Ostuni Cisternino, Locorotondo, Alberobello, Monopoli and Polignano a Mare are all within easy distance, as also Lecce and some of Salento’s best beaches.

Check out the Puglia Guys itinerary guide to plan your schedule from an Ostuni base.

Love Puglia | Puglia itinerary guide

9. Ostuni guide | Adding value to your Ostuni vacation

Experience a local pizzica night, in-villa home cooking, and ‘stray’ local to avoid overly touristy areas, for a slower pace of life that is typically Puglian.

Insider Puglia | Love Puglia’s Top 2024 Travel Trends Guide

10. Eating in | Ostuni guide to food and wine shopping

Delicatessen and supermarket

For small scale shopping, try the charming and friendly Chjanga de L’ora Bottega & Bistrot, run by Kattia. It is newly opened. They have a small selection of fresh fruit and veg, some wines and other essentials. They also have a small deli counter for cold cuts, cheese and bread. They also have hot and cold food to go. They can make a delicious panino, fresh to order (choose your meats, and filling). They also offer hot food, pasta to take away. In the morning they have a selection of breakfast pastries. 

Along Corso Giuseppe Mazzini you will find Terra Nostra Salumeria e asporto Ostuni in similar style.

A local Despar supermarket is located at Via Armando Diaz, 17. Usually open between 08.00 – 13.30 and 17.00 – 21.00 (Sunday 08.30 -14.00).

If you want to stock up on food we recommend supermercato Famila, Via Pietro de Laurentis (on the main Ostuni ringroad). This is Ostuni’s largest supermarket, and a favourite with locals and summer visitors. They have great fresh fruit and vegetable, bread, cheese, fish and meat counters, as well as regular supermarket goods. They stay open during the afternoon.

Forno 31 is a fantastic nearby baker, perfect (especially in the morning) for fresh baked bread, focaccia and other daily oven baked treats. Vicolo G. Ferrari, 6.

Wine

An exceptional range of Puglia wines at reasonable prices can be found at Enoteca Vini di Puglia wine store adjacent to the Famila supermarket. It’s where we shop for almost all our wines. They are closed during the afternoon pausa. Because they only stock wines from Puglia they don’t have Prosecco. Moinetto bio suits us well (around 9€). You will need to get this from Famila. 

However we recommend d’Arapri spumante from San Severo in Gargano (around 18€). On special occasions we but the Gran Cuvée (28€).

Other wines we regularly buy from there include:

The prices referenced are from Enoteca Vini di Puglia, as at March 2023. All of these wines are very good, and are the wines we have at home. We have never been disappointed.