Top Lecce Food & Drink

Lecce is famous for its baroque architecture and authentic cuisine. With this cooking class in the heart of the city’s old town, experience the best of both. Meet your hosts at an “osteria” set on one of the most charming lanes in the historic center and discover the secrets to rolling and shaping fresh “orecchiette” pasta, a traditional specialty from Puglia. Then relax over a guided wine tasting paired with regional delicacies.

Spend an evening in a real Italian home with Enza and her family in the countryside in Corigliano d'Otranto near Lecce. We begin with a traditional Italian aperitif, sharing homemade appetizers and prosecco while everyone gets to know each other. Then each guest prepares their own fresh pasta by hand using local ingredients and family recipes. Once the pasta is ready, we cook everything and sit around the table together to enjoy dinner with local wine, music and conversation. The evening ends with homemade dessert, our family limoncello, and a small memory of the experience.

Delve into the world of Puglian wine without leaving Lecce’s old town with this wine tasting experience in the heart of the Baroque city. Take a break from sightseeing and relax at a local wine bar for a guided tasting featuring four different regional wines paired with local specialties. Learn about Puglia’s winemaking history and culture as you sip and enjoy views over the pretty lane lined with traditional “palazzi”.

Explore Lecce through its flavours—and uncover spots you'd likely miss alone—on this guided food and drink tour. Skip the guesswork as your local guide leads you down hidden streets and past highlights such as the Cathedral and the city’s oldest square. Along the way, stop at top foodie spots to sample traditional pizza, taralli, and local drinks. It's the perfect way to see—and taste—more of the city.

Apulia is known for its top-notch cuisine, even among Italians. But culinary secrets are closely guarded, and it can be hard to find authentic pasta once your vacation ends. Master time-tested recipes you can recreate back home during this private pasta-making workshop. Roll out the dough, and create typical “orecchiette” shapes paired with tomato sauce. Then, sit down to enjoy your freshly prepared creations—along with plenty of local wine.

If you want to immerse yourself in authentic Lecce and Salento cuisine, come to my home where I'll be waiting to teach you the art of homemade pasta with simple ingredients. Together, we'll cook a Salento menu full of delicious aromas. We'll make pasticciotto, Lecce's most famous dessert, and then we'll make Lecce coffee, the kind that has captivated tourists from around the world. I'll use only the highest-quality ingredients, always favoring local, farmer-produced products and using organic products! Come cook and eat with me, a menu also suitable for vegetarians. We'll make pasta with our hands and a rolling pin, and we'll make orecchiette and maccheroncino just like my grandmother used to make.

Location: Balù Bistrot Shop (where you can find a selection of local wines and olive oils) Instructor: an experienced cooking class teacher (Puglia native and food wine olive oil connoisseur) Tuition: an immersive and learning experience for everyone Buffet Tastings: a selection of food and wine

What you will do will be an authentic sensory and cultural experience. Making fresh pasta by hand is a tradition deeply rooted in Salento culture and this course offers you a practical immersion in local life and customs, going beyond traditional tourist experiences. Learning will be practical and fun and the course will allow you to gain a skill that you can take home and replicate with friends and family. The course is aimed at small groups and therefore encourages direct interaction with hosts. While making the pasta with their own hands, guests will have the opportunity to ask questions, hear stories and receive personalized attention; for this, a human bond will be created that enriches the experience. The course is perfect for those traveling as a couple, family or small groups, allowing an intimate and fun sharing of the culinary experience.

Discover Lecce through its flavors on our city food tour, a journey through the charming streets of this beautiful Baroque town in the heart of Puglia. Taste the dishes locals love, from rich traditional recipes to the finest regional wines and olive oils. Every stop is carefully chosen to introduce you to authentic Salentine culinary traditions, showcase the best local eateries, and create an unforgettable food experience. Your guide is a passionate local “Foodie,” a friendly expert who shares insider tips, explains each dish, and reveals the history and stories behind every bite. Do Eat Better Experience tours combine high-quality gastronomy with an immersive cultural walk, offering a true taste of Puglian life. To ensure a personal, authentic experience, we welcome only small groups, so every guest receives our full attention and guidance. Please note that the tour is always run in English and Italian; other languages available upon request.

Escape the tourist hustle and bustle for an intimate journey into the soul of Puglian viticulture. Join us at a beautifully decorated boutique wine bar nestled in a quiet Baroque alley just steps from the Basilica di Santa Croce. Under the guidance of a professional wine expert, you will discover the rich history and vibrant flavors of Puglia. This isn't just a drink; it's a sensory masterclass where you’ll taste four premium local wines, each perfectly paired with traditional Salentino delicacies. Whether you're a seasoned oenophile or a curious traveler, this cozy atmosphere offers the perfect setting to relax and sip like a local.

Immerse yourself in a private dining experience at a local's home, enjoy an exclusive cooking demo and taste authentic recipes treasured in family cookbooks passed down by real Italian Mammas. Feel the warmth of Italian hospitality as you connect with local people. Enjoy a 4-course menu including starter, pasta, main course with side dish, dessert with drinks included (water, selection of red and white wines from regional cellars and coffee). This experience is held by Cesarine: Italy’s oldest network of 1000+ home cooks all over the country in more than 500 cities. They are passionate and welcoming hosts that open the doors of their own homes to curious travellers for immersive culinary experiences.

Discover the art of Apulian cooking in a hands-on class led by a local chef in the heart of Lecce, one of southern Italy’s most charming foodie destinations. Learn how to make fresh handmade ravioli, fettuccine, and classic tiramisu from scratch using high-quality local ingredients. Enjoy a fun and engaging experience with expert guidance, 3 glasses of wine plus 1 Prosecco or soft drinks included. With small group sizes, you’ll enjoy a more personal and memorable experience, so be sure to reserve your spot. Along the way, hear the stories and traditions behind the dishes you’re preparing, take home authentic Italian cooking techniques to share with friends and family. After the class, sit down and enjoy the delicious dishes you’ve created together paired with local wine, ending your experience on a sweet Italian note with homemade tiramisu. You’ll also receive the recipes so you can recreate everything at home and relive your unforgettable Lecce culinary experience.

You can taste local cooking during this exclusive dining experience at a home in Gallipoli. Watch as your host prepares your meal and lets you in on their culinary secrets. Taste authentic recipes from family cookbooks cherished by real Italian mammas. Then, enjoy a 4-course menu, with drinks included, and connect with locals to feel the warmth of Italian hospitality.

You will be welcomed in the cozy garden of an ancient boathouse, typical Salento structure with 4 star vaults, recently renovated, used in the past as a stable and warehouse and used today to make you live a fantastic culinary experience respecting local traditions. After the visit of the structure, you can taste an aperitif of typical local products accompanied by the excellent wines of Salento. Next thing you know, everyone's at work... We will prepare with you the pasta that we will season with two different sauces based on "fresh tomato & basil" and "Ciceri & Tria" chickpeas flavored with a mix of vegetables and fried pasta. During the evening you can listen to the traditional music "La Pizzica" and use, if you want, the fine violin guitars and tambourines made available to accompany some stornello. An excellent homemade ice cream and a fresh limoncello of the house, will close the evening

Step into Lecce's only 1920s-style speakeasy, hidden in a baroque building facing a stunning 16th-century Greek church. SaloonKeeper 1933 recreates the glamour and mystery of the Prohibition era, with original vintage furnishings, Chester sofas, low lighting, and the sound of Jazz and Blues filling the air. Whether you choose to sit on one of Lecce's most beautiful piazzas or sink into a vintage armchair indoors, this is an aperitivo experience unlike anything else in the city — crafted cocktails, curated flavors, and an unforgettable atmosphere that transports you straight to the Roaring Twenties.

Discover an underground olive oil mill museum in Gallipoli’s historic center. Carved into local stone, these ancient spaces, part of Palace Granafei, span about 200 square meters beneath two historic buildings. Descend into rooms excavated in soft limestone from the 17th-19th centuries, showcasing original and reconstructed equipment like stone mills, presses, and storage pits used for olive oil production. An audio guide explains how olives were milled, pressed, and traded, highlighting Gallipoli’s role as a key olive oil port from the 16th century, exporting oil across Europe for cooking, lighting, and industrial uses. The short, engaging tour lasts 15-30 minutes and offers insight into traditional methods and history. Afterward, enjoy a tasting of 7–8 varieties of local extra virgin olive oil, paired with snacks like taralli and fried broad beans, and optional herbal liqueurs for 18+. This experience appeals to history, culture, and food lovers seeking a unique Mediterranean story.

Enjoy this 2h30-street food tasting tour into one of the most enchanting and magic cities of the Southern Italy. Walk into the old town and taste the best local street food. Be impressed by the taste of the "rustico", soft puff pastry disc filled with mozzarella, tomato and bechamel, the flavour of local cheese, the crunchy tarallini, the "pasticciotto" freshly baked: a short pastry stuffed with custard and even more! See the jewels of Baroque architecture like Basilica of Santa Croce and Piazza Sant'Oronzo with the "Sedile", the old city Hall. Let yourself be attracted by the soft atmosphere in Piazza Duomo. This tour is the perfect formula to join a visit to the city to tasting of local specialties!

Take a break from the beaches and discover Salento’s food and wine, instead. With a private guide, you’ll visit two award-winning Salento wine estates where varietals using the primitivo and malvasia grapes, among others, are produced. As you sip, you’ll learn about viticulture in the region, and enjoy a light lunch either at the winery or nearby. Choose to add on a third winery or a swim stop at Porto Cesareo on your way back to Lecce.

If you're looking for a fun and curious way to visit Lecce, you've come to the right place! With this digital guide created with the support of a local, you will be able to visit all the most important monuments at your own pace. You'll get to know the stories and curiosities of Lecce! But also you will discover everything about local foods, Italian Aperitivo in authentic local restaurants, and much more!

Skip the usual restaurant scene for this small-group pasta cooking class in a carefully selected private home in Otranto. Meet your host in their home, warm up with an Italian aperitivo, and learn how to make two kinds of fresh pasta and one of Italy’s most iconic desserts, tiramisu. Choose between lunch or dinner time classes and enjoy your meal with wine, water, and coffee.

Immerse yourself in a hands-on cooking class in Lecce. Learn to make orecchiette and maccheroni al ferretto, enjoy fresh sauces, local wines, and traditional Salento specialties in a cozy family setting. The small-group lesson of no more than seven people means you'll get plenty of attention from your teacher, plus, you'll leave with recipes to take home with you.

Learn how to make two different types of pasta as well as a traditional Italian dessert—tiramisu—with this small-group class. As well as having lots of fun, it’s a great way to learn special techniques from a local cook that you wouldn’t find in a recipe book. After an Italian aperitivo, enjoy a hands-on class, followed by the chance to eat all of your culinary masterpieces.

Combine a market tour and a cooking class on the same day to have the ultimate culinary experience in Lecce. Going on a market tour helps expand your knowledge of local ingredients before you visit a local’s home to begin your experience. Start with a traditional aperitivo, followed by demonstrations on how to make pasta and tiramisu. Then, end the experience with a chance to taste your culinary creations with wine.