Al Dragone

The story

Al Dragone, Vieste: Apulian Cooking and Flambé in a Cave

Al Dragone is an Apulian restaurant at Via Duomo 8 in Vieste, set inside a natural cave in the old town. It is listed as Recommended by the Michelin Guide for 2026.

A stable, a cellar, a dining room

In the first half of the last century the cave was a stable belonging to a modest Vieste family. In the 1960s Angelantonio bought it to store wine from his own production, and in 1989 Pasquale Troiano took over and opened the restaurant. The rock keeps its natural color under low light.

Flambé in the dining room

Pasquale prepares flambéed dishes at the table every day. The idea comes from the local legend of the dragon and Saint George, patron of Vieste, who is said to have beaten the fire-spitter in a cave beneath the cathedral, on the very spot the restaurant occupies. For 2026, ilGolosario gave Al Dragone its "Faccino Radioso" and singled out Pasquale's hospitality.

On the plate

The kitchen mixes Apulian tradition with a lighter modern touch. Look for salt cod cooked at low temperature with olive oil sauce, seared cardoncelli mushrooms and chickpea crunch. Pasta might be fusillone of Senatore Cappelli wheat with bean cream and mussels, or troccolo with amberjack and datterino tomatoes. The green pepper fillet, flambéed with Cognac, is the showpiece. Mains average 27 euros, and a tasting menu is 60.

The wine cellar

The owners began collecting wine about 35 years ago, and the list now runs past 150 labels from Puglia, the rest of Italy and abroad. Red Apulian bottles of primitivo, negroamaro and nero di troia make up a large share of it.