Top Lecce Classes & Workshops

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Let out your inner artist in Lecce, and book a paper-mache class in the city. This craft workshop offers a way to get creative and bring home a self-made souvenir using an ancient art form. You’ll hear the history behind paper-mache, learn some different techniques, and enjoy a sociable setting with your own personal group.

We are more than a Traditional Restaurant, but a refined Puglia Heritage Restaurant, a place where people can learn hands-on how a historical dish comes to life. The origins of a dish go beyond the recipe. They encompass the history of a region. Over the years, many of our customers have rediscovered flavors long lost in their memory. Forgotten tastes that have touched their hearts, bringing back vivid memories. Currently, our Maestro di cucina is Giorgio Grassi. He learned everything from Rosalba De Carlo, his mother, a great expert in Puglia’s culinary culture. She belongs to the noble baronial family Andriani De Vito of Corigliano d’Otranto. Being also in close contact with the peasants of her village, Rosalba has deep knowledge of both the rich and the humble versions of the same culinary tradition. For this reason, a conference with the UNESCO Patronage chose her as a Case Study in 2010. Rosalba is a great treasure to our Restaurant, but above all a precious jewel of our family.

Learn about local ingredients in Otranto, then find out how to cook with them with this combination of a market tour and a cooking class. During your class, enjoy the special opportunity to learn a local pasta recipe, followed by an iconic Italian dessert—tiramisu. Then at the end, you can taste your culinary creations with a glass of local wine to complement the dishes.

This hands-on workshop is the perfect way to express your creativity while designing something beautiful. A gusto Tuo, quindi meraviglioso!

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.

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.

This paper mache jewelry workshop in Lecce introduces guests to the city’s papier-mâché tradition through a hands-on and creative experience. At Lady Papavero’s atelier-boutique, participants create their own ring or brooch using two different techniques. During the drying time, they enjoy a short walk through Lecce’s historic centre, with stops at two sites linked to the history of papier-mâché in the city. The experience ends back at the atelier, where each piece is personalised with decorative finishes before guests leave with their handmade creation and a unique memory of Lecce. No previous experience is needed, making this activity ideal for beginners, art lovers, and travellers looking for authentic things to do in Lecce through art, history, local culture, and a handmade souvenir to take home.

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.

Delve into the rich heritage of Persian carpets in Lecce, where tradition meets craftsmanship. This exclusive experience welcomes you into a historic family showroom, complete with traditional Persian tea that embodies the warmth of generational hospitality. Explore captivating stories behind each carpet, learn the intricacies of their patterns and colors, and participate in a hands-on lesson that unveils the secrets of identifying genuine handmade masterpieces. With rare carpets displayed up close, this activity caters to art lovers and cultural enthusiasts alike, ensuring you leave with newfound knowledge and cherished memories.

Every region of Italy has its own distinct cuisine and this private cooking experience focuses on the delectable dishes of Otranto. Meet your local host and learn to cook a variety of dishes from the region from start to finish. Then, sit down to a delicious meal paired with local wines and great conversation.

Visit a local fish market with an expert. 'The pioneers of teaching food and wine in Puglia- The New York Times. Owner is a sommelier of wine, sommelier of extra virgin olive oil, classes are held in one of Italy's most beautiful kitchens, fitted with antique copper pots and pans and one of Italy's largest private amaro collections.

Go deeper than is possible on most food tours. This private tour is an immersive culinary experience. First, you’ll visit a local market in the company of your local host, then you’ll go to their home to get a hands-on experience making three authentic regional recipes. Afterward sit down to enjoy your meal together, accompanied by a glass of local wine.

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.

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

With the help of your native host, you will learn to make pasta from scratch and cook it according to our local recipes. Our host will teach you about the regional traditions, culture and history.

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Discover the true taste of Lecce with an immersive, hands-on cooking experience focused on Focaccia Barese. Learn to prepare the dough from scratch, create a rich mix of toppings, and bake the perfect focaccia under the guidance of a skilled local cook. As you shape and layer the ingredients, you’ll understand the delicate balance that makes this dish so beloved in Puglia. While the focaccia bakes, enjoy a small aperitivo and explore Lecce’s culinary traditions, soaking in the warmth of Italian hospitality. Finally, savor your homemade focaccia, paired with a glass of regional wine, for a full, flavorful experience. Hosted by Cesarine, Italy’s oldest network of passionate home cooks, this experience offers an authentic, local perspective that no restaurant can match. Join us in Lecce to cook, taste, and enjoy the flavors of Puglia like a true local!