Itineraries for Your Trip to Lecce
3 Days in Lecce for Foodies
The region of Puglia is one of my top foodie destinations in Italy, and the elegant southern city of Lecce is my favorite place to dine in the region. Set on the Salento Peninsula midway between the Ionian and Adriatic coasts and surrounded by olive groves, vineyards, and walled masseria farm estates, Lecce is at the heart of a gourmand’s paradise.
There is fantastic traditional dining and street food snacking in Lecce’s old town, as well as farm-to-table experiences in the hills and plains just beyond the city limits. Here’s how to savor the best food and drink Lecce has to offer in three days.
Temperatures soar between June and September, so do as the locals do and dine late when the heat abates.
If you only have time for one thing, snack on a custard-filled pasticciotto paired with an almond milk-laced caffè leccese.
Start your trip with a tour through the old town that combines eating and sightseeing. Admire the carved facades of Lecce’s baroque churches and palaces while snacking on rich rustico pizza, pasticciotto pastry, and sweet caffè leccese espresso.
Opt for an aperitivo in the late afternoon to tide you over until dinner. The city has a lively happy hour and its bars and cafés fill with locals relaxing over drinks and finger food by 6 pm. Join them or connect with a local host for an aperitivo experience and lesson at their private home.
This morning, delve into Lecce’s traditional cuisine with a cooking class hosted by a passionate home cook. Some options include a trip to the local market to choose seasonal ingredients. Enjoy the recipes you prepared together over a celebratory lunch.
Lecce is surrounded by prestigious wine country. Spend this evening at a sommelier-led tasting at a wine shop in the old town; sample red Primitivo di Manduria, white Fiano, and other local varietals as you learn about the area’s DOC and IGT labels.
Take a gourmet day trip today to the Itria Valley just north of Lecce. Many of the region’s top olive oils and wines are produced here, plus burrata and caciocavallo cheese and artisan cold cuts. Join a food tour to discover family-run cellars and historic farming estates (or masserie) and sample a few of Puglia’s iconic local specialties. Alternatively, head to the harbor town of Otranto, known for its fish and seafood dishes.
