Top Lecce Dining Experiences

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.

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”.

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.

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.

Be welcomed into a private home and discover the most authentic traditional dishes with this exclusive home cooking demonstration and family-style meal in Galatina. Connect with a local host and discover the secrets to recreating recipes passed down through generations as you watch your meal being prepared. Afterwards, relax over an informal four-course meal featuring these beloved historic dishes served with area 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.

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.

Lecce is famous for its pasticciotto and espresso at the bar — fast, standing, and delicious. This experience offers the opposite: a full sit-down brunch in a relaxed local venue, with a complete menu, real choices, and time to enjoy it. No tourist buffet, no rushed café stop — just a proper brunch, freshly prepared and served with care. You choose your dish, sit back, and enjoy a slower, more authentic side of the city. Designed for travelers who value comfort, quality, and atmosphere, this experience offers a curated selection of dishes in a welcoming setting just outside the historic center. It’s not just breakfast — it’s a moment to slow down and start your day in Lecce the right way.

Pizzica experience wants to teach and experience firsthand the dance and tradition of the Salento pizzica, a dance that has become famous throughout the world. The activity will take place in a location from the 1400s, in an ancient courtyard in the heart of the center of Lecce. You will also be offered an aperitif with local products and wine. A professional pizzica dancer will teach you the steps so you can dance with her. You will touch the tambourine with your hands, made by Salento artisans. The languages spoken are: Italian, English, French and Spanish.

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.

This is the only experience of Salento cuisine that offers you a taste of the real typical products of our region. I will be happy to explain to you the whole history and the food and wine culture of Salento while we will prepare lunch or dinner tasting together the best wines of Salento.

A unique opportunity to explore the food and wine tradition of Puglia through a guided tasting of wines and local specialties. Savor four glasses of typical wine, including two reds, a white and a rosé, while delicious taralli and friselle flavors with fresh tomato enrich the experience. An industry Expert will share fascinating stories about Apulian wine and culture, making every sip and bite a journey into the heart of Salento.

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.

I worked for 15 years as a biochemical researcher of wine. Now I have transformed my dream and my passion into an activity dedicated to the world of wine, offering my clients an exclusive experience in the authentic culture of Salento wine. Thanks to my experience of online wine sales matured with my website I know perfectly all the cellars and wines of Salento. And now I want to use all my knowledge to give you the best and most complete wine experience you can find in Salento. Make yourself comfortable because the tour is about to start.

Would you like to discover the most authentic side of Italian gastronomy and share it with other enthusiasts of the “cucina italiana”? Enjoy this shared Market tour and typical Dining experience. Visit the vibrant local market and learn about the seasonal produce and secret ingredients. Then, head to your Cesarina’s house to enjoy a 3-course dining experience, showcasing the authentic regional dishes stored in the cookbooks of your host. You will take part in an experience which is so much more than just a lunch or dinner. You will make new friends, feel like one of the family and live like the Italians do.

Savor the essence of southern Italy with a Gourmet Pizza Experience in Lecce, where each dish encapsulates the warmth of Italian hospitality. Located just outside the historic center, this cozy venue invites you to indulge in a selection of traditional local appetizers, followed by four slices of gourmet pizza, all crafted with fresh, local ingredients. As you enjoy each bite, sip on local wines like Primitivo or Negroamaro, and engage with your knowledgeable host who shares insights into Salento’s rich culture and traditions. Conclude your meal with a seasonal homemade dessert that embodies the spirit of Italian family recipes, creating a delightful evening filled with flavors and stories.

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.

Enjoy a quiet experience away from Lecce's tourist crowds. In a cozy wine bar located in the old town with an inspiring deco, taste Puglia foods and wine with the locals. A special dinner in Lecce with a local sommelier!

Aperitivo in Italy isn't just a drink — it's a daily ritual. But not all aperitivo is the same. In Lecce, it means real food, local flavors, and time to slow down. This experience gives you the authentic version: a full aperitivo served at your table, not a buffet. One cocktail of your choice and a generous selection of Salento specialties, ready when you arrive. No standing at the bar. No waiting. No guessing what to order. You sit down, relax, and enjoy a complete experience built around comfort, quality, and genuine local products that change with the season. This is how locals actually enjoy aperitivo — unhurried, social, and centered around good food. Unlike a standard bar stop, this is a sit-down experience with table service, real Salento food, and no rush. Perfect for couples, solo travelers, and small groups looking for a relaxed and authentic evening in Lecce.

Lecce is known as the food capital of Puglia, and you can experience the city’s rich culinary culture with this food experience that takes you from market to table with a local “Cesarina”, or home cook. Stroll through the market with your host and then watch as she prepares traditional dishes in her kitchen. Afterwards, it’s time to sample these recipes yourself over lunch or dinner served with Puglian wines and espresso.

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.

Discover Salento through its food in a relaxed and welcoming family-run setting. This experience offers a generous selection of local flavors inspired by the culinary traditions of Southern Italy, with dishes prepared according to season and availability. Depending on the day, you may taste local cheeses, cured meats, vegetables and other traditional Salento specialties, accompanied by local wine or a non-alcoholic alternative. team will be happy to introduce the dishes and answer questions about local ingredients and food traditions. Because we work with fresh and seasonal products, the selection may naturally change throughout the year. Relax, enjoy good food and discover genuine Salento hospitality in a warm and informal atmosphere. What makes it special is the combination of generous portions, seasonal ingredients and personal attention from a local team, offering an authentic way to experience Salento’s food culture.

Lecce is famous for its traditional handicrafts, papier-mâché figures, and artisan products, and this 3-hour shopping tour offers the inside scoop on shopping in the city. Admire landmarks such as Santa Croce Basilica, Porta Napoli, and Saint Oronzo square on a rickshaw ride; shop for souvenirs at luxury boutiques and ateliers; then relax with a traditional Italian aperitivo.