You Can Dine Inside This Gorgeous Italian Grotto

If a brick-and-mortar restaurant is too conventional for you, head to the Italian town of Polignano a Mare, a dramatic cliffside enclave dating back to medieval times. There, adventurous eaters can visit the Grotta Palazzese Hotel, a local inn that boasts an in-house restaurant built into a cave overlooking the Adriatic Sea.

Long before it became an eatery billed by Fodor’s as “one of the most romantic settings in all of Italy,” the scenic cave is said to have been the site of banquets for Italy’s wealthy aristocrats dating back to the 17^00s. Today, the restaurant is perched 74 feet above sea level, providing diners with a lofty view of the water below.

The eatery is open from May to October. Come for the seafood-based dishes and breathtaking view, stay for the hotel's suites, which are carved out of the rock and located only steps away from your dinner table.

All photos courtesy of grottapalazzese.it

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