La Cecchina Bari Vecchia

I don’t usually choose to eat in touristy areas, but this place was recommended by a friend, so we gave it a go — and it was definitely worth it! The food was amazing, and we especially enjoyed the seafood appetisers. The staff were friendly, and the service was super fast.

Despite being in the touristy part of Bari it caught my interest and we were not disappointed! The restaurant is a great location, with infra-heated terrace and nice interior room. The staff was very nice and helpful. The wine list is excellent, the dishes are both traditional and innovative. All this at excellent value for money! We were very satisfied with our dinner!

Very nice restaurant, with an amazing staff, the service was excellent and the food delicious! We had an awesome time there, celebrating the anniversary of our daughte, they even made a special plate for her and sang Happy birthday! We highly recommend the place, when in Bari!!

This restaurant was recommended to me by my Airbnb host. It was a lovely spot for dinner in the centre of the old town. I didn't have a booking so was seated inside which was fine as the restaurant was quite spacious and beautiful. I had a starter and main and the stand out for me was the starter which was octopus with fava beans. The orriechette was also very tasty but preferred the ragu option that I had at another restaurant. I also had a local white wine which was really nice too! Overall a pleasant meal for a reasonable price.

La Cecchina offers good-quality local cuisine. The food is enjoyable, as is the charming atmosphere. The service is attentive, though occasionally a bit absent-minded still friendly overall. Booking is recommended, as local families often visit, and it tends to get full, especially on weekends. One point for improvement: the air conditioning doesn’t always work properly, which can make it harder to fully relax and enjoy the space, particularly on hot days. A very good choice if you’re looking for well-prepared local dishes in a warm and welcoming setting.

Against the backdrop of the tourist traps that are so easy to fall into in Bari Vecchia, La Cecchina doesn’t look bad at all. We went there twice, and the restaurant was full of local Italians, some of whom were clearly attending organized events, so I assume the place has a good reputation. The food is very good, and the service is decent, although it’s not a fireworks display of flavors like we experienced in other towns in Apulia. It’s a very solid, well-executed cuisine. We had orecchiette and paccheri with octopus the first time, and swordfish pasta and fritto misto the second. The food was good, but overall it wasn’t an outstanding food experience. I really appreciated the atmospheric and aesthetically pleasing interior of a traditional Italian trattoria. Prices are slightly higher than in the nearby spots, but the interior is much more pleasant—and there’s a beautiful view of Piazza Mercantile.

We had a wonderful evening and spent more than 3 hours at the outside area right by the little fountain. Highly recommend are the Orecchiette ragu, Sea Bream and the mixed fried fish platter which all tasted amazingand priced very reasonably. The cherry on top was not a dessert because we were too full but the excellent service by Monica who is such a lovely person and great host.