Osteria del Tempo Perso Modena

Osteria del Tempo Perso is one of Ostuni’s long-established institutions. The restaurant has been operating since the 1980s and is set in atmospheric historic rooms carved into the pale stone of the old town, including a former oven dating back several centuries. The surroundings are certainly memorable, but the food remains firmly grounded in traditional Puglian cooking rather than trying to turn the setting into the main attraction.

By this stage of our trip we had eaten many variations of exactly these dishes, which actually makes judging them easier: after enough repetitions, one becomes something of a specialist and starts comparing the details very directly.

We started with grano pestato with Caciocavallo fondue and black truffle, a very satisfying combination of rustic, chewy grain and rich melted cheese. The traditional parmigiana di melanzane was equally good: comforting, properly cooked and without any unnecessary attempt at reinvention.

The chargrilled octopus on rosemary chickpea purée was one of the strongest dishes, the octopus nicely charred outside while remaining tender, with the chickpeas giving it the earthy backbone that works so naturally with this style of southern Italian cooking.

The spaghetti with fresh sea urchin was perhaps the most delicate dish of the evening: simple, marine and properly focused on the ricci rather than overwhelming them with additional ingredients.

We then had the slow-cooked pork ribs glazed with honey, accompanied by potato chips, rich and comforting, with a simple mixed salad providing some necessary relief.

Almost as an extra, we added the Fassona tartare with stracciatella and black truffle as the final dish. Richer and more luxurious than the rest of the meal, it still worked very well at that stage and was another confidently executed plate.

Overall, everything was good. Nothing revolutionary, and it does not need to be. After eating our way through Puglia and repeatedly encountering many of the same ingredients and preparations, Osteria del Tempo Perso held up very well in direct comparison. The cooking is traditional, assured and polished through decades of repetition rather than transformed into something it was never meant to be — and that is precisely its strength. Less