The most expensive meal ever

On our first day in Puglia, we didn't do too much.  We were still slowly getting over the travel and the events of the previous evening so we decided to take a more relaxed approach to the day.  We walked around the town, explored the small streets and the coastal walk.  We drank coffees, enjoyed a lovely lunch and just embraced the beauty of the region.  We had been excited by the brief exploration of the previous evening and our walk through the town only seemed to reinforce that Monopoli was a lovely place for us to be spending the next few days.

For the evening of the first "real" day we were in Puglia, I had arranged for a nice and fancy dinner for myself and Veronica.  The hotel had a babysitting service available so I decided this would be a good opportunity for just the two of us to spend some time together.  The hotel was family owned and operated, so all the care and service we received was similarly a family affair.  The babysitter they arranged for us was the girlfriend of the owner's son, and they ended up babysitting baby Pickle in the home of the hotel owner as well.  It gave Veronica and myself added comfort knowing that he would be well looked after whilst we had our dinner.  After some initial anger about us leaving, baby Pickle seemed to become happier with his situation, no doubt happy with the pretty Italian girl who was looking after him.

For Veronica and myself, we headed one town over to Polignano a Mare.  Within this part of Puglia, it is probably the most famous town.  The town itself doesn't seem that big, but its renowned for its small beach with the bridge behind it as a backdrop.    

It was a picturesque beach.  Made all the more beautiful by its narrowness and the surrounding cliffs and buildings.  The beach itself didn't look that great as we stood on the famous bridge behind as we took some photos.  We walked through the town.  It was a pretty town, but it was incredibly busy.  It didn't have the same charm that Monopoli had and instead it felt crowded with day trippers and the tourist shops you would expect at most mass tourism locations.

The main reason we were here was for dinner.  It wasn't just any dinner.  I had arranged for us to dine at the most famous restaurant in the entire region, Grotta Palazzese.  It may be one of the most famous restaurants in the world based on social media posts.  Set inside of a cave in the side of the cliffs that opened out towards the sea, it was certainly one of the visually impressive places I had ever visited, let alone eaten at.

Veronica had dressed for the location, and decided that a mermaid theme was the best option given the surroundings.  It was certainly the ideal attire for the location.  With the restaurant and the hotel built into the grotto and the cliff, you could feel the deep connection with the sea.  We had arrived early and so we were able to get one of the tables that were closer to the water.  For those who arrived later, they would need to sit far further inside the cave.  With the price of dinner, I would have been furious with myself if had we been stuck at a table deep inside the cave.  For me, the point of this restaurant was to experience that interconnection between the ocean and the cliffs.  That didn't seem possible deep inside the cave. 

The gathered crowd was an interesting assortment of groups.  There were the couples having their romantic dinners.  Families enjoying their time together.  The occasional groups of friends.  It was an odd gathering of different people and the entire atmosphere was strangely subdued.  Veronica and I were having a great time.  I had long given up trying to be more civil in this place, and Veronica and I decided to take as many photos as we possibly could.  Those around us didn't seem to share our excitement.  Maybe the cost of the dinner had shocked the excitement out of most of them?  Many of the couples seemed to follow the same pattern.  A starry eyed wife/girlfriend looking around in wonder, with a less than impressed husband/boyfriend looking on with less enthusiasm.

As the food began to arrive, it was our turn to be less than impressed.

The prices they were charging were incredible, shocking even.  They were clearly very aware of the appeal of the location and they were (rightfully) going to charge anyone and everyone for the pleasure of being in the restaurant.  Even entering, they were strict.  The door at the street had the staff diligently guarding and checking the reservations.  There would be no simple "pop ins" to have a quick look at the view.

Each course that came could be described with a single word "mediocre".  It wasn't bad, but it was very ordinary for the price.  Everything felt like it had come off of a factory production line.  Even the service was abrupt and cold.  Again, it wasn't "bad".  They were professional, they were prompt and they knew what they were doing.  But they certainly weren't interested in building any rapport or relationship with the guests.  They themselves would have known that this meal would likely be a one-off for almost all of the guests and maybe that impacted their behaviour as well.

  

As mediocre as the food was, there was plenty of it.  The restaurant seemed to have decided that if the food quality wasn't going to be amazing, they would at the very least ensure that no one was to leave hungry.  Every course came with bread and was generally very carb heavy.  It was a small decision for them, but I did appreciate that they seemed to still have some thought for the guest experience.

  

We had arrived at about 6pm.  Early enough that it was still light when we were seated.  I had wanted to experience this restaurant and see the views during both the day and night.  As the dinner progressed, the sun began to set and the entire feel and ambiance of the restaurant changed.  Everything became more intimate.  The lights inside the restaurant shone brighter and there was a lovely glow of the lights off of the cliffs.  From the inside looking out, the dark sky made the cave feel less exposed and more like we were inside a large room.

Standing up on the walkways to the side and looking back into the restaurant, the restaurant looked like a little diorama perched into the cliff.  Contrasted at all sides by the darkness, it shone out as though it had been crafted and placed into the rock. 

Our long dinner was at an end.  We were tired and wanted to go back to see baby Pickle, so we paid and slowly made our way up the stairs to leave.  The way up definitely felt much higher than the way down.  Before we left Poligano a Mare, we went back to the famous beach one last time to have a look.  The crowds were now gone.  The town was busy, but the bridge and the beach were now quiet.

It was a nice evening.  It was also the most expensive meal I had ever paid for on a per person basis.  It was an outrageously expensive cost to pay for what was very mediocre food and service.  I decided that I couldn't think like that though if I was to maintain any appreciation for what we had experienced.  I thought back to the words of wisdom from Rick Steves about such travel experiences.  I shouldn't think about the cost as being for the food.  Instead the cost was for the pleasure of spending a lovely evening in the beautiful location, the food was just an added bonus.