This might sound odd (or maybe not, if you know me), but this place was the main reason I wanted to come to Bari. It was featured on an episode of Milk Street TV, and they were talking about the focaccia here so reverently that I couldn’t help but want to check it out. So I did!
Panificio Fiore is actually pretty interesting; it’s been around since the early 1900s, and is in a building that dates back to 1508. So there’s some history there, putting it mildly.
They serve all the local bakery staples, but the focaccia is what they’re really famous for.
The focaccia they serve here — delightfully oily and topped with tomatoes and olives — is a local speciality, and can be found in dozens (if not hundreds) of bakeries throughout the area. This place is one of the most well known of the bunch, and yeah, there’s a reason — it’s really, really good.
The texture is great, with a nice contrast between the crispy bottom and chewy interior, and the flavour — though simple — is thoroughly delicious. The sweetness of the tomato and the pops of saltiness from the olives play really well together.
It’s also incredibly cheap; I don’t know if you quite get a sense of scale from the photo, but the slice I was served was absolutely enormous and cost a scant two Euros.