Top Puglia Dining Experiences

Apulia is known for its top-notch gastronomy and stunning views, but it takes insider knowledge to ditch the tourist traps and find where locals eat. On this half-day vineyard visit and family-cooked culinary experience, indulge in the best of Apulian cuisine during a multi-course meal—from hand-prepared orecchiette pasta to decadent meat rolls (bombette)—while taking in sweeping vineyard and Itria Valley views.

Every region of Italy has its own distinctive style of pasta. Make like a local and learn how to craft “orrechiette”—Apulia’s signature pasta that’s shaped like little ears—on this interactive course at a “masseria”, a fortified farmhouse that’s typical of the region. Enjoy a tasting of bread, olive oil, burrata, and cured meat, feast on your “orrechiette” with tomato sauce, and finish with an authentic sweet almond cookie.

Foodies are in for a treat with this farm tour, which gives you a glimpse at the unseen world of dairy farming and cheese-making. This family business has been going for four generations, and they have a unique perspective to share with you, as well as a tasting menu of cheeses, including mozzarella and burrata, along with other treats like cured meats, focaccia, and local wine.

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.

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”.

My trullo is located in a dominant position in the middle of a small valley, in an area characterized by the presence of typical rural buildings, trulli, farms and cummerse. We will immerse ourselves in nature in direct contact with the old Susumaniello grape plants, discovering the history of this ancient variety. You will choose where to live this experience, between one of the stone terraces or in the shade of one of the majestic trees in my garden. You will pick up your basket, with the excellent local wine and many gastronomic delicacies of my area, tasting in total relaxation taralli, focaccia, homemade bread, dairy products and fresh cheeses, traditional cold cuts and other specialties that I will prepare just for you. It will be wonderful to share these hours with you, and make your trip to Puglia even more special.

Use your time in Alberobello to learn more about local wine with a sommelier-led session at a winery. Join a group of like-minded travelers and sample four wines from the cellar, each expertly paired with traditional dishes. After, take in the beautiful vineyard views and bask in the warm Italian sun as you swap tasting notes with others.

This experience is special because it combines manual skills, tradition and conviviality in an authentic Apulian context. Travellers are not just spectators, but actively participate in the preparation of orecchiette and focaccia, learning techniques handed down for generations. The atmosphere is informal and welcoming, designed to make everyone feel at home, sharing the pleasure of cooking together. Each moment becomes an opportunity for cultural exchange, between local stories, ancient gestures and genuine flavors of the Apulian tradition.

Enjoy an evening of flavors and tradition. Start with a pizzica dance class and learn the basic steps of Salento’s most famous folk dance in a lively and festive atmosphere. Afterwards enjoy a rich dinner featuring typical local products such as frise, local cheeses, panzerotti, and local specialties, accompanied by three glasses of local wine.

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.

Discover the essence of Italian viticulture with the Iconica Wine Experience in Alberobello. Over the course of an hour and a half, you'll explore the fascinating winemaking process by visiting a historic wine museum, packed with ancient agricultural tools and an extensive photo exhibition. You will conclude your trip with a tasting of three fine wines, selected specifically to enhance the unique flavors of the region. Guided by experts in the field, this experience offers a deep immersion in Puglia's wine traditions, making it the perfect excursion for all wine lovers.

Immersed in a centuries-old olive grove, you will have the almost unique opportunity to walk in the vineyards of Ottavianello, Impigno and Francavidda, minor vines that have almost disappeared, and to visit the medieval hypogeum.

Enjoy the Apulian welcome and conviviality with other guests at the home of a local, taste the authentic cuisine of my region. Talk about food, travel and life stories. Sharing interests and experiences socializing with people from different countries around the world, while dish after dish you will discover how good Apulian cuisine is

An authentic experience with a local woman,producer of agricultural products.You will learn everything about traditional food and passion

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.

I offer visitors the opportunity to learn about the world of olive oil, from plant cultivation to milling, from the point of view of our company, in business since 1949. Along with this it will be possible for guests to taste the gastronomic specialties of Gargano, not only oil, but also a choice of wines, cheeses and other products. At the request of those interested you can also visit our olive grove, where you can enjoy a moment of relaxation in the shade of our old trees!

In addition to learning how to make fresh orecchiette pasta with a local grandmother, you will enjoy a complete gastronomic experience. During dinner, you will taste typical local products such as crunchy frise, local cheeses, delicious panzerotti, and of course the orecchiette you prepared together. Everything is accompanied by three glasses of local wine, for a true journey into the flavors of Salento.

Immerse yourself in Italian culture with a hands-on cooking class in Alberobello. Guided by a Cesarina, Italy’s network of passionate home cooks, learn how to roll fresh pasta by hand, prepare two classic pasta dishes, and master the art of tiramisu. Enjoy a warm Italian aperitivo and connect with fellow food lovers in a welcoming home setting. This activity is a fun, flavorful way to experience Puglia like a local.

Immerse yourself in a private dining experience at a local's home, enjoy an exclusive show cooking and taste authentic recipes from Varese 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 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.

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.

Roll up your sleeves for this hands-on small-group cooking class in a local’s home in Polignano a Mare. Learn how to make regional staples such as Bari-style focaccia and orecchiette pasta, before you sit down to enjoy your creations alongside your classmates, with local wine and traditional snacks included.

In the host dialect, "u prisc" indicates the joy in doing something, the same joy Mauro and you will feel in sharing this journey to discover the ancient traditional flavors from Apulia. The food is cooked in an old stone oven of the wood-fired farmhouse dating back to 1700 so the food that will taste originate from the most ancient peasant traditions of Apulia. All the dishes will be cooked in traditional terracotta pans following ancient family recipes. The dinner will take place in the most beautiful and oldest area of ​​the farm: the stables, with the authentic mangers and the original stone flooring.

By the end of the session you will be able to do the basic steps of the folklorist dance of Salento "Pizzica Pizzica" (Taranta). In this experience you will get a very significant portion of the Salento culture and you will not wish to be elsewhere.