Cielo Restaurant — Rooftop Dining Above the White City
Perched at the very top of the centro storico inside the Relais La Sommità hotel, Cielo has held a Michelin star and offers one of the most dramatically situated dining rooms in southern Italy — an open terrace where the plates are as beautiful as the panorama below them.
The Food: Modern Puglia on a Plate
Chef Antonella Ricci's cooking is rooted in Puglian ingredients but composed with a light, contemporary hand. Expect dishes built around local burrata, Adriatic crudo, wild Murgia chicory and the region's extraordinary olive oils — ingredients that taste like the landscape you can see from your table.
The tasting menu changes seasonally and typically runs six to eight courses. A standout recurring dish is the orecchiette with cime di rapa (turnip tops) reimagined with smoked ricotta and toasted breadcrumbs — humble peasant food elevated without losing its soul.
The Setting and Wine List
The terrace is carved into the top of the hill with views south over the olive plain and east toward the sea. At night, the white buildings of the old town glow below you and the silence is broken only by cicadas and distant church bells — genuinely one of Italy's great dining atmospheres.
The wine list leans heavily into Puglia's resurgent wine scene: Primitivo di Manduria, Negroamaro from Salento and the underrated Verdeca whites from the Valle d'Itria. The sommelier is knowledgeable and generous with pours during the tasting menu.
Booking and Alternatives Nearby
Reservations are essential in summer — book at least two weeks ahead via the hotel website or by phone. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays and during winter months; check current dates before travelling.
For a more casual but equally local meal, Osteria Piazzetta Cattedrale on the small square just below the cathedral serves excellent grilled bombette (stuffed pork rolls), fava bean purée with chicory and local wines without the tasting-menu commitment or price tag.
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