Agriturismo Locanda Ventura

This is just about the restaurant, since I didn't stay in the accommodation. What a feast! The Italian food was fresh and delicious, with local ingredients and homemade things like the ricotta. The owner was friendly and took good care of us. It's a remote, unassuming setting, but I'd recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

We didn't stay in the rooms, so this is only about the restaurant. This was probably the most frustrating dining experience we've had in Selva, and maybe the only one. We waited 30 minutes just to place our order. They were clearly short staffed and struggling to keep up, so we politely said we'd pay for our water and leave. We had a small child with us who needed to eat and then nap. Instead of being honest about the wait, they said someone would come soon and the food wouldn't take much longer. Five minutes later they took our order. The appetizers arrived 10 minutes after that, but the primi took so long that we ended up staying 2.5 hours altogether. There were two servers for 40 people. They blamed it on another staff member not coming in, but we'd had the same experience at a birthday party here last year. Other tables were struggling too, and some people waited so long for their food they got up and wandered around the property. The food was decent country fare once it arrived, and the price was reasonable. This place could do much better with more restaurant staff. We won't return, and wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't want to spend nearly three hours on an understaffed lunch. Also, the servers don't speak English, or at least they didn't in our experience, so the restaurant seems better suited to locals and Italian tourists. My partner is Italian and I understand the language, so that wasn't a problem for us, but it would be difficult for non-Italians.

Agriturismo Locanda Ventura was so peaceful and well kept, surrounded by nature. I stayed there for two nights with my father, two siblings and my two-year-old nephew, and we couldn't have asked for a better time. Breakfast was homemade, with dairy products from the local cows that roam freely around the property. It's close to the lovely Zoosafari, monopoli, fasano and plenty of other great places. We didn't get to eat there, though the menu looked healthy, local and absolutely delicious. It's dog-friendly too, and I'd definitely go again!

A really peaceful place with excellent food, and a great way to get away from the tourist hotspots. Definitely worth a visit.