Terradimare

The story

Terradimare in Trani: Chef Domenico Di Tondo's Contemporary Modern Cuisine

At Terradimare in Trani, chef Domenico Di Tondo translates a dual heritage into plates of contemporary modern cuisine. The sea and the land are not metaphors here—they are the literal poles of his family story. His maternal grandfather tended the soil with meticulous care; his paternal grandfather was a fisherman, guiding him toward the catch of the day. In Di Tondo’s cooking, these two worlds fuse.

The chef’s formation began at the Molfetta hotel school, then deepened in Milan at Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia, a temple of Italian gastronomy. Under two-Michelin-star chefs Fabio Pisani and Alessandro Negrini, Di Tondo refined his technique and imagination. Returning to Puglia, he became executive chef at Le Lampare al Fortino di Trani, bridging tradition and innovation. That experience was the prelude to his own restaurant: Terradimare.

The menu is described as a noble evolution of Mediterranean cuisine, born of love and ingenuity, history and tradition. It selects ingredients and recipes with great care. Di Tondo’s work has earned him a place in the Michelin Guide, which recognised the restaurant with a Recommendation for 2026—a nod to his skill and the clarity of his vision.

Terradimare offers lunch and dinner, with outdoor seating for warmer months, air conditioning, and wheelchair access. Private parties, wine pairing, Wi-Fi, and takeaway or delivery are also available. The setting is Piazza Gaetano Quercia, in the heart of Trani, a city where limestone gleams and olive groves and vineyards stretch to the horizon.

The restaurant’s name, “Terradimare,” is a statement: earth and sea, fused in an alchemy Di Tondo pursued through years of training and tasting. It is contemporary Italian cooking grounded in the flavours of Puglia, and it has found its place among the recommended tables of Italy.