We spent an hour wandering the streets of the historic center when we stumbled upon this local gem…read more We have no idea how this compares to the other seafood restaurants in Taranto but we enjoyed ourselves and by the looks on the other faces in the crowded dining room it looked like were were not alone. During out entire 1-2 hours here we heard not a word of English. It looked like a local joint with families and singles on dates well represented in the crowd. We were greeted at the door like we were long lost relatives and hustled right away to a table. We were presented with menus but before we could open them we were beckoned into the next room where all manner of fresh caught seafood was lying on ice. I assume they were telling us to pick out what we wanted to eat (some of the choices were still moving around) but as they spoke no English and I even less Italian they could have been telling us anything and I would not have had a clue. We picked out swordfish, calamari, bream and something else that looked adventurous. At each selection the animal was ceremoniously plucked off the ice and placed on a large silver platter. Once we were done we were led back to our table which had been adorned with bread and cutlery in our absence. We still had not opened a menu. We looked around and noticed nobody had menus and they simply told the waiters what they wanted and a few minutes later it magically appeared from the next room on silver platters for the diners to inspect. Once approved the sea creatures were then off to the kitchen and their fate. Needless to say it was delicious and as fresh a fish as I have ever eaten. And I have lived on the beach where seafood was there for the taking. Not only did we have our fill but it was the perfect fuel for our mile walk through the February night back to the hotel. Our entire bill including wine was $46.00 We would definitely come back.

This was such a great place we ate here twice in one week. Similar to some of the BBQ restaurants…read morein the area but this is all fish. It is not fancy but incredible value and great fish! You select the fresh fish you like from the counter and then tell them how you want it cooked, pick what you want to drink and then go find a table. The mixed fried fish has exactly what you want, you select your own mix. The oven baked Cernia was amazing! Give it a try!

This restaurant is off the beaten path. The sea food is fresh. It was so good to be able to order…read morewhatever we wanted from the selection and have it cooked the way we wanted. They have soft drinks, beer and wine. The mussels in white wine were excellent. We also had a grilled fish and the spaghetti with sea food. Delicious. The ambiance is relaxed. A very good food experience

We stopped by on our way from Otranto to Monopoli for dinner, due to all the high reviews and was…read morenot disappointed! We tried several raw offerings - all of which were delicious and fresh. The pastas were just ok - overly cheesy so you couldn't taste the other ingredients as well. The calamari was way oversalted. Think someone accidently salted it twice! The grilled veggies were good. The restaurant looks very nice but it's not pretentious.

The fish tacos were good but the tuna with grilled veggies (green peppers) was not good at all. Not…read moremuch flavor, and no sauce. The tiramisu was not great either. What was most disappointing though, was that the staff made us feel unwelcome. We quickly paid the bill and had an after-dinner drink elsewhere just to avoid being ignored/snubbed.

This place is freaking awesome. My friends and I came for seafood and we found everything…read moreincredibly delicious and fresh. Traditional apulian recipes mixed with contemporary cuisine. Great mix of appetiziers and first and second dishes both fish and meat based. A must try in Ostuni. 5plus

We had dinner there a couple of days ago. We both had caprese salad I had pasta with clams then the…read morerabbit special. My wife had the gnocchi. All food was excellent as was the service.

This was the last dinner in Lecce on our Puglia trip. Sometimes you just want seafood and this…read moreplace did not miss. We walked into the restaurant and was ushered to the seafood chest by one of the waitstaff. The waitress lead us through the process of choosing our seafood, deciding the cooking process, and then sat us down. We ordered tuna tartare which was fresh, tender, and delicate. I ordered fried seafood for my main and my friend ordered mussels and a ravioli. We were seated... the restaurant was dimly lit, white table cloths dressed the tables, and restaurant felt more romantic than a friendly local hangout. The food was amazing and I can't wait to go back and eat again.

Beautiful restaurant and unique experience where you pick out your seafood first and then it is…read moreprepared as you wish. Wonderful experience and you will be delighted.

This place is outside of the mainstream, but should really be on a major part of the map in…read moreCarovigno..,the ambiance is quaint and charming directly on the water...the food was delizioso and the seafood succulent and flavorful. We are coming here again soon!! Our server Alessandra was refreshing along with the rest of their establishment...

Came here for lunch. Nice view of the water and good seafood. Ask, and they can make most things…read moregluten-free. The service was good, and the atmosphere was relaxed. There is parking in front but the streets are closed at night, so you may want to walk here at night.

Service was terrible and so was the food. We made a reservation for six requesting an outside…read moretable. We were refused an empty outside table for six, and given an indoor table in the back. Food was sub par as well. We were rushed and servers acted annoyed because we were asking questions about the menu and needed a couple of explanations and translations. Avoid!!

Only pizza on menu but what a great place! We had the bolognese pizza and buffalo mozzarella pizza…read more and both were excellent!!!! Great prices and great food and service!

Beautiful restaurant with stone arches and ceilings…read more We did the tasting menu. Which was excellent. The tuna tartare was so fresh. The rice and mussels were tasty, however the mussels were tiny. We shared 3 pasta dishes, I really liked the pasta and prawns. We all had the fish special which is cooked with olive oil, zucchini and potatoes and olives. Yumm We were so full that we took dessert home. The service is very good. I highly recommend this restaurant.

We are staying at the Grotta Palazzese, which is the highest end hotel of the region with two…read morereputedly fabulous restaurants. However, other than our breakfasts at the hotel, which we paid to have included with our rooms, we are not likely having dinners here. While their menus will astound many, as well as the views of the caves, which is why many come to dine and visit, we have been seeking less extravagant dinners while here, given our suite is over $1,500 a night at the present Euro conversion. So we consulted YELP for the best rated restaurants in town and that led us here. It was all 4 and 5 ratings, save for a single rating of 1, which was based on a disgruntled patron who never even ate here. They just were declined at the door - due to no reservations, which are recommended - in a manner they deemed obnoxious. It's easy to see why so many though rated this a 5. However, we felt it fell just short in some respects that brought it down to a 4. That said, we are sure many will enjoy a 5 experience. We had a few glasses of local primovito by the glass, which like most places we've dined in Puglia was absurdly reasonable by our local NYC metro area standards. These were poured after complimentary glasses of Prosecco and a lovely small potato soup. We ordered the house special antipasto, which were 5 different small seafood dishes (baked scallops, fried cod, mussels with rice, potatoes, and tomatoes, octopus salad, and yellowfin tuna tartare). This is a must have introduction to any meal. My wife then had one of the catches of the day offerings and I the half lobster with tagliatelle. It's an all seafood restaurant, so if you are looking for something other than that, you'll need to look elsewhere. However, if seafood is your thing, of which there is quite a lot in this town, this restaurant deserves your patronage.

A great restaurant! I must first say, I'm not a big fan of seafood, but everything I tried here,…read moremade me change my mind. I could tell that the fish and the seafood were very fresh, and so was everything else (fresh handmade pasta!), the prices are good considering the quality of the products. Great view of the sea and friendly service. If you're looking for a place to have the best quality fresh seafood, and enjoy a great time, look no more. Thank you Nautilus for a great Sunday afternoon!