Lecce is the most beautiful city in Puglia; and one of the most beautiful in Italy. For us it’s quite simply must-visit if you’re nearby.
Its home to honey coloured palaces, baroque churches and the best food (and ice-cream) in Puglia. These are our favourite eating spots:
Pizza:
For the best pizza we’ve had outside of Rome, head to 400 Gradi just outside the city walls. Based in an uber cool, large modern courtyard, 400 Gradi has the largest range of pizzas we’ve ever seen. The menu includes 7 versions of margherita featuring differing grades of tomatoes and cheese. We sampled three and they were all phenomenal. 400 Gradi is the optimum temperature for a pizza oven and the pizzas start at 6.50 euros.
La cucina povera:
Peasant cooking is Puglia’s speciality. It’s no waste traditional rural cooking with a few ingredients. And it’s delicious. There are two famous places in Lecce. Alle Due Corte which (although it was full of locals – usually a good sign), had incredibly slow service and really dull food – one of our worst ever Italian meals. Equally famous and infinitely better is Trattoria Le Zie. Run by a group of women, it’s like eating in your aunty’s kitchen. Made from basic ingredients, the food is sublime. The only snag is it’s a locals’ favourite and there are long queues.
If you can’t get in, we suggest A’Roma I’Osteria just outside the old city. You enter through an apartment block to a small dining area. It serves delicious pasta in a walled courtyard. Plus the crisps are home made!
Gelato:
Lecce has an amazing choice of artisan ice- cream. Our 3 top choices are all in the Old Town.
Crem has a cool vibe and serves organic, vegan scoops in tantalising modern and traditional flavours. We loved the pistachio pesto and the lemon and mint.
Baldo Gelato is in a back street near Santa Croce and worth searching for. It serves exceptionally creamy gelato, we tried peanut and Bronte pistachio IGP. Delicious, but more expensive than Crem.
Finally, Pasticceria Natale, near Piazza Sant’ Oronzo. Is the locals’ favourite. You will notice the queues outside this traditional pasticceria before you get there, but it’s worth the wait. We had ricotta and fig, and frutti di bosco sorbet.
Finally don’t leave Lecce, or Puglia, without trying a pasticciotto – a sweet custard or ricotta filled pie – and the signature pastry of the area.