Orecchiette: the pasta of Bari
Orecchiette with turnip tops are the signature dish. The best pasta is the handmade kind, and in Bari Vecchia you find it literally on the street: in Arco Basso, the "orecchiette street", the women shape it in front of their homes and sell it fresh. Buying a bag and cooking it in the apartment is one of the most Bari things you can do.
At a restaurant, look for it with turnip tops, or in the version with sauce and braciola, the meat roll in Sunday ragù.
Focaccia, panzerotti and street food
Bari focaccia, tall and soft, with crushed cherry tomatoes on top and olives, is a religion: you buy it at the bakery and eat it walking, warm. The fried panzerotto, tomato and mozzarella inside and crisp outside, is the perfect street food for an evening stroll.
They’re simple, inexpensive things, but they tell the city better than many restaurants do. Always keep them as a plan B for lunch or a snack.
The raw-seafood ritual
At the old harbour and the Molo market, sea urchins, small cuttlefish and mussels are eaten just caught, raw, with a squeeze of lemon. It’s a Bari experience to try at least once, early in the morning, among the fishermen. It’s not for everyone, but those who try it fall in love.
For a more relaxed fish dinner, the seaside districts like Madonnella and the north seafront have trattorias where the day’s catch comes straight to the table.
