Antichi Sapori

The story

Antichi Sapori in Andria: A Bib Gourmand Oasis of Apulian Farm-to-Table Cooking

The Garden and the Kitchen

Seventy metres. That is the distance between the vegetable patch of Pietro Zito and the dining room of Antichi Sapori, in the hamlet of Montegrosso, just outside Andria. It is a span that defines everything about this place. Zito does not like to be called a chef. He is a farmer at heart, a man who learned his craft from his parents and grandparents, and from the land itself. “The earth, you carry it inside you forever,” he says.

The restaurant occupies a simple stone building on Piazza Sant’Isidoro. Inside, an open kitchen invites guests to watch – or even step in. “It is not forbidden to enter the kitchen,” Zito tells his guests. The atmosphere is that of a home, where every dish carries a story.

The Cooking

The cooking is a direct expression of what grows in Zito’s garden. The harvest changes from day to day, so the menu follows nature’s rhythm rather than a printed list. Dishes emerge from the soil: strascinati (hand-rolled pasta) with turnip tops, roast capocollo with green tomato salad and marjoram, warm fresh ricotta. A typical meal might include orecchiette with wild greens, a simple parmigiana, or zucchini in the “poverella” style. The garden supplies marjoram, garlic, oregano, wild rocket – all recognisable on the plate.

Zito’s Apulian cooking is rooted in the biodiversity of the Murgia plateau. He uses ancient techniques and local ingredients, from the olive oil of the Coratina cultivar to the prized Burrata di Andria. The wine list draws on the Castel del Monte DOCG, including the rare rosato made from Bombino nero.

Recognition and Legacy

The Michelin guide has awarded Antichi Sapori a Bib Gourmand, recognising good quality, good value cooking. The honour is a natural fit for a restaurant that keeps things simple and honest. In 2013, photographer Oliviero Toscani captured Zito for a project celebrating Italy’s best osti. The framed portrait hung in the dining room for years, a testament to the warmth of the place.

Zito also runs a project called “Antichi Sapori per Giovani Chef,” inviting young cooks under 25 to spend a Monday in his kitchen, creating a special dish for guests. “We must bring kindness into the kitchen,” he says. “The kitchen is the home of creativity.”

Antichi Sapori is not a stage for culinary theatre. It is a quiet, steady place where the land speaks, and the food tastes of exactly where it comes from.