Da Tuccino – A True Gem by the Sea ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I’ve been to Da Tuccino several times, and it never disappoints. One of the oldest and most respected restaurants in the region, it combines impeccable service with truly outstanding seafood. The location is perfect — right across from the sea, with beautiful views that set the tone for a memorable meal.
The seafood is as fresh as it gets, and every dish is prepared with real mastery. All the pastas are unbelievably tasty — I had pasta with sea urchins, and it was simply fantastic. They also offer gluten-free and lactose-free options, which is a big plus. My daughter had the lobster pasta, and it was truly a work of art.
We love the atmosphere here — elegant yet warm and welcoming. It may not be the cheapest place in the region, but great quality comes at a fair price, and here you absolutely get what you pay for.
Highly recommended to anyone who loves exceptional seafood and fine dining. We will definitely be back again and again!
Svetlana
.
10 Agosto 2025
10,0
Food decent, fresh seafood is good, but the service is really bad even for Italian standards. I was alone, they gave me a bad table even though the restaurant wasn’t full. I had to wait for everything for long time, could never get anyone’s attention. Extra points for gluten-free pasta and bread. The bread came especially handy because I could chew on it while endlessly waiting for my food. The view is beautiful.
Kseniia Kastusik
.
08 Agosto 2025
6,0
"Elsewhere you eat fish; at Tuccino's you listen to the sea."
Stairs to the terrace, salty air, a rosy sunset over the Polignano pier: the fish stall shines like an altar in Puglia's cathedral of raw fish.
Here I celebrated our anniversary with my wife. Usually wary of raw fish, she had promised to make an exception... and rightly so.
A staircase leads to the terrace: sailboats moored in the marina, the salty breeze of dusk, and—occasionally—the frivolous roar of a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, or a Porsche, entering or leaving the nearby parking lot. Some may find it a nuisance, but I take it as part of that Adriatic dolce vita atmosphere.
The dishes that stole our hearts
The seafood tasting: includes cuttlefish tagliatelle, mussels (black and hairy), walnuts, scampi, purple shrimp, clams, oysters, limpet mussels, and "taratuffo." The waiter recommends eating the latter last due to its intense flavor. I can only confirm this. To the seafood, I add a couple of Special Moana No. 2 oysters accompanied by a red onion sauce—the best I've ever eaten, plump, abundant, and unique.
Pure raw octopus: buttery texture, flavor of the rocks.
Trio of tartare, amberjack, tuna, and especially citrus-marinated scorpion fish: if I close my eyes, I can still smell those Adriatic aromas.
Gallipoli purple shrimp cocktail: if you've tried the classic shrimp cocktail, prepare yourself for absolute excellence.
For the first course, I choose the scampi & urchin paccheri: three whole scampi resting on a golden sea, polished by the creamy sea urchin roe that smells of the Adriatic. The bright orange of the sea urchin takes me back to a childhood on the beach: a pure, no-frills explosion of flavor, where the pasta becomes the canvas and the sea its color. Only the flavor of the sea and wisdom.
My wife prefers the squid ink orecchiette: the deep black of the dough provides a backdrop for the yellow-green petals of the zucchini flowers, the savory clams, and the lightly seared red shrimp. The creamy yet light texture, with an irresistible iodine note that immediately invites you to try it again (I'll try it at home soon, but I doubt I'll be able to replicate the same grace).
Intermezzo & Desserts
Before moving on to the desserts themselves, they served us a mandarin sorbet designed to refresh the palate: citrusy, creamy, perfect and atypical, very special.
Then it was time to try some of the house pastries: my wife opted for a wild berry millefeuille that crunched under the teeth and smelled of butter, while I lost myself in the Mimosa cake, soft and enveloping like a cloud.
Wine? I chose a Furia di Calafuria rosé: fresh, floral, paired with raw seafood. The menu boasts over 1,000 labels and is almost daunting in its vastness; I glimpsed some Champagnes that deserve a separate trip.
To conclude, a limoncello that recalled the flavor of the homemade one made by my aunts in Alberobello.
The price per person isn't cheap, but every euro has a face: that of the sea urchin, the octopus, and the waiter who guides you.
Advice from a "friend who's already been there"
Book a table with a sea view.
If you like to experiment, give the waiter carte blanche: the sequence of flavors will make sense.
Save some room for the mandarin sorbet: it's the light interlude that closes the circle.
Will I return? Without a doubt: next time I want to try the salt-baked Gallipoli purple prawns and the scampi in ice, choosing a vintage Champagne from their treasure chest cellar.
In an age where "fresh fish" is the slogan, Da Tuccino is an exception: the sea is savored, not talked about. If you want to turn a dinner into a memory, this balcony overlooking the Adriatic will make every kilometer worthwhile. Word of someone who still has the taste of sea urchin on his lips. And—as my wife, who usually distrusts raw fish, says—"here I can close my eyes and trust." 🐟💙
Tony Palmisano
.
07 Agosto 2025
10,0
Una nuvola in mezzo al mare dove mangiare ottimo pesce e godersi una vista mozzafiato, nella sua semplicità. Specialmente a pranzo. L'antipasto crudo é di altissimo livello, lo scorfano é spettacolare e il servizio é molto "gentile".
Il locale é un po' retrò ma è un'esperienza che vale la pena fare, soprattutto se si amano i crudi, la Puglia e quel senso di estate perenne che pochi luoghi sanno trasmettere.
M.W.
.
10 Luglio 2025
8,0
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