Lecce Food Tours: Pasticciotto, Rustico & Salento Street Food
Lecce food tours: pasticciotto, rustico leccese, puccia, frisa and caffè leccese, street food walks through the baroque old town, cooking classes, and how to book.
The short version: Lecce, the baroque capital of Salento in Puglia’s heel, is one of southern Italy’s best street-food cities. The essentials are the custard-filled pasticciotto, the flaky rustico leccese, puccia sandwiches, frisa with tomato, fried pittule and caffè in ghiaccio with almond milk. A two- to three-hour walking food tour covers them all; a cooking class adds orecchiette and ciceri e tria. Here is what to taste and how to book.
At a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Must-taste | Pasticciotto, rustico leccese, puccia, frisa, pittule |
| Coffee | Caffè in ghiaccio con latte di mandorla (espresso, ice, almond milk) |
| Pasta | Orecchiette, ciceri e tria (pasta with chickpeas, part fried) |
| Wine | Negroamaro, Primitivo di Manduria, Salento rosato |
| Format | 2 to 3 hour walking tours; cooking classes in town and masserie |
What you taste
Start the day like a local with a warm pasticciotto, shortcrust pastry filled with custard, and a caffè leccese over ice with almond syrup. For lunch on the move there is the rustico, puff pastry filled with bechamel, tomato and mozzarella, and puccia, a soft bread stuffed with local fillings. Then frisa, twice-baked bread softened with water and topped with tomato and olive oil, and pittule, little fried dough balls. Wash it down with a glass of Negroamaro or a Salento rose.
Food tours and cooking classes
Walking food tours loop through the old town past Piazza Sant’Oronzo, the Roman amphitheatre and Santa Croce, with stops at bakeries, bars and family trattorias. Cooking classes teach orecchiette by hand (see our orecchiette guide) and Salento classics like ciceri e tria. For wine, Primitivo and Negroamaro country is close by; see Puglia wine tours.
Our pick: the Lecce: Street Food Tasting and Walking Tour walks the baroque old town tasting Salento street food with a local guide.
Planning more food stops? See the best food tours in Europe.
Compare every city: the best food tours in Italy.
Frequently asked questions
What food is Lecce famous for?
Pasticciotto, rustico leccese, puccia, frisa, pittule and caffè in ghiaccio with almond milk, plus orecchiette and ciceri e tria.
What is a pasticciotto?
Lecce’s signature pastry: a small shortcrust case filled with custard, baked and best eaten warm with coffee.
How long is a Lecce food tour?
Most walking food tours last two to three hours and include several savoury and sweet tastings and a drink.
Book a Lecce food tour
Compare Lecce food tours and cooking classes, or see more Puglia food and wine experiences.
