Best Restaurants in Ostuni Salento, Italy

Impasto Napoletano

The Impasto Napoletano Restaurant was founded in 2009 after the Salemme brothers decided to turn their shared love for Neapolitan cooking into a business idea. The Impasto Napoletano pizzeria is just a short five minute walk from The Old Town of Ostuni Salento. The restaurant is split into two sections, a beautifully positioned terrace with incredible views over Ostuni Salento and a smaller indoor room, which was designed by a local craftsman, that can hold up to 35 people. With the menu full of delicious handcrafted pizzas, you will be sure to experience the true taste of Naples. Impasto Napoletano prides itself on only using fresh, quality ingredients and every order is lovingly prepared and created in house. Choose from delicious options, with choices spanning from the classic Margherita pizza to a build your own’ style pizza so you can sample lots of the local ingredients that Impasto Napolentano has to offer. The restaurant also offers an array of pasta, seafood and meat dishes with the focus always on providing the best to their customers. The waiting staff are always on hand to ensure you have the best dining experience, with helpful suggestions and knowledge regarding the food and the surrounding area. With their love for classic Italian cooking, the family environment and the beautiful setting for Impasto Napoletano – you will be sure to have a traditional Italian experience and create exciting memories for everyone to remember.

Ristorante Porta Nova

If it’s a fine dining experience that you’re looking for, the Ristorante Porta Nova is a great option to tantalise your taste buds. With just a stone throw away from the Ostuni Marina, the Ristorante Porta Nuova stands high on top of a Aragonese tower, providing the perfect setting for panoramic views of the surrounding olive groves. Large glass windows ensure that wherever you may be seated, the diner will always receive a beautiful view. The setting provides a quiet and cosy feel which easily translates into a romantic atmosphere; this restaurant is perfect for special occasions or parties. The restaurant celebrates the beautiful tastes of all seafood, with fresh fish caught daily to ensure the use of best quality ingredients. The menu offers delicious culinary experiences, from freshly caught sautéed shrimp to creamy lobster risotto, you will be sure to find something that is right for you. You also have the chance to visit Ristorante Porta Novas cellar to discover over a hundred different wines to accompany your meal, which is an added bonus for any fine wine connoisseurs. Every delicious option that Ristorante Porta Novas has to offer is sure to amaze you by the sheer beauty of what is presented before you. The food is displayed in such a simple and elegant way, you will almost feel like you are eating a piece of art. The Risorante Porta Nuovas has received praise from Michelin who stated that a few points to notice were the excellent wine list and fresh ingredients used. The Ristorante Porta Nuova is a dining experience that will make you feel as if you were almost Italian royalty.

White Ostuni Tito Schipa

white ostuni
white ostuni

A restaurant named after the city of Ostuni itself, White Ostuni provides guests with a true taste of Italy. Many famous faces have visited and enjoyed this restaurant with the most notable being Italian tenor Tito Schipa, in the mid 1930s. The restaurant underwent a redesign in 2010 and carried on the legacy of the previous ownership, keeping Tito Schipa’s name as a focal point. This restaurant is split in three large rooms; the relax room, the bistro-restaurant room and the White Ostuni Tito Schipa. The Relax Room is perfect for guests to enjoy a deliciously crafted cocktail while reclining on comfortable sofas. Head over to the Bistro-Restaurant room to enjoy panoramic views of the winding streets of the historical town and the Sea near Ostuni. The White Ostuni Tito Schipa is the perfect mix of elegance and modernity and a great area for gatherings and events. The White Ostuni Tito Schipa always crafts fresh bread daily, with options including salty cornets and sweet pan cakes – a perfect accompaniment to any meal! The restaurant also prides itself on hand picking the best raw ingredients to include in all their dishes, focusing on the quality of every individual course. If you want to enjoy a coffee, the White Ostuni Tito Schipa carefully picks each blend to offer visitors an experience in the ways of traditional Apulian territory. Visit the White Ostuni Tito Schipa and be blown away by the rich history of the restaurant while enjoying a luxurious meal in spectacular scenery.

Osteria del tempo Perso

Nestled in the centre of Ostuni, in the wondrous Apulian resort known worldwide as The White City’ lies Osteria del tempo Perso, one of Ostuni’s most beloved, historic and renowned Italian restaurants, founded in 1983. Made up of two truly wonderful and unique environments, you can enjoy the authentic, delicious Puglia and Ostuni tastes of Italy. The restaurant is differentiated into two halls, both of which are found in the millennial rock of Ostuni. The first hall is a real cave, dating all the way back to the 15th century, adding character and charm to this amazing restaurant. The second hall is for a more quiet and private dining experience, that was once the barn supplying the old oven. The originality, tranquillity and contrast of these halls helped to develop a unique once in a lifetime experience. Hosting authentic and traditional pasta dishes such as Orecchiette and Laganari, tantalising appetizers like Parmigiana Aubergines and Tuscan and Martina Franca Salame, mouth watering desserts and over two hundred different wine labels hailing from Italy’s prestigious vineyards, Osteria del tempo Perso is truely one of the best restaurants in Italy.

 

Ristorante La Reggia

Located directly in the heart of Ostuni, you will find one of the best restaurants in all of Italy. In the middle of the historic centre of the region you will find Ristorante La Reggia, a stunning restaurant renowned for its pizza, pasta and seafood dishes. Not only this, the restaurant is converted from a medieval cave – sights which must be seen to be believed. With cave walls surrounding you, you can travel back through time whilst enjoying delicious, modern Italian cuisine. Accompanying its wonderful indoor scenery, it offers spacious and comfortable terrace seating areas outside where you can relax in the beautiful sunshine and enjoy fantastic food whilst watching the world go by. With dishes such as tagliatelle, an array of pizzas and fish dishes, antipasti, mixed salads and house wine to accompany them, it’s no wonder tourists and the locals flock to Ristorante La Reggia regularly. In a prime location offering authentic Italian character, exquisite and fresh ingredients and decor unlike any other restaurant, you will no longer be wondering where to eat on your visit to Ostuni. Instead, unquestionably you will be visiting Ristorante La Reggia, where you will be greeted by excellent service, fantastic prices and a dining experience like no other.

Heading to Lecce? Here Are The Best Places According to The Locals

Piazza del Duomo - Lecce, Italy - Travel photography

Lecce is a great city in Apulia that you can visit or stay at during your holidays. The city has a lot to offer in the way of historical and artistic attractions, such as churches, Roman ruins, the Castle of Charles V and museums to discover the past and present of this beautiful destination. It also has many other little gems for you to unveil, and you can live a truly immersive experience in Apulia through the local, traditional food and activities that you can engage in while you’re here.
Staying in Lecce means you’ll have the chance to visit this incredible city while also being close by to many other wonderful sights of Salento. You’ll be able to reach beaches, hot springs, cathedrals and more, and the best way to tour Salento is through car rental. The various cities and towns scattered along the coast are not always connected through a reliable and intuitive public transport system and the experience could get complicated and unnecessarily uncomfortable, especially when the alternative of going by car is a much better choice. The lack of severe traffic (unlike that found in Northern Italian cities) will ensure you’ll make your way to your destination faster, and every attraction as sufficient parking space to accommodate tourists.
The best time of the year to visit Salento is the beginning or ending of the high season. Come to Salento in May/June, or during September/October to find a more relaxed and quiet atmosphere. Without hordes of other tourists swarming the beaches and sights, you’ll have more space and time to fully enjoy everything Salento has to offer, both in the way of nature (such as Otranto and Sana Cesarea), as well as what concerns the hinterland, further from the seaside, where you can find great spots (like the city of Lecce itself).

 

Must See in Salento

Salento has a lot to offer and the choice is wide, since every mile of beach hides treasures, and every corner of Apulia has the potential to be a vacation spot full of great things to see and do. Since you’re probably not going to be able to visit every little place on your way up and down Salento, here are some ideas on what to visit during your stay. Don’t forget that behind every little town or beach is hidden a great opportunity to find interesting and scenic locations, restaurants and places to relax – Use the internet freely on the go to look for the best rated eateries and spots for an extra little adventure as you visit the following main sights. Sometimes, getting lost is a blessing, when it enables you to find hidden gems!

Otranto

 

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In the city of Otranto you won’t just find the spectacular Aragonese Castle, but also the Cathedral, dating back to 1088. The altar is surrounded by the remains of the 800 Martyrs of Otranto, making for a truly impressive sight.

Lecce

We’ve already mentioned the many beautiful places that you can visit while in Lecce, but the most important and historically relevant feature of the city would have to be its churches. The Duomo, Lecce’s Cathedral is the most eye-catching feature of the city square, with a 70-metre high bell tower.

Galatina

In Galatina you will find many interesting buildings and tourist sites to visit, bot religious and of historical relevance, but the most beautiful is the Basilica di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria, build at the end of the 1300s. While you’re busy in the city touring the sights, stop by a bakery or ask for the local signature dessert at a restaurant: the pasticciotto, a baked pastry with custard filling you’re sure to love!

Santa Cesarea

Come to Santa Cesarea to enjoy the sea and to take part in something unique: the thermal baths, with various facilities. The city was built on hot springs and here you can enjoy different cosmetic and therapeutic services.

Porto Cesareo

Visit this town if you love nature, for you will find a natural reserve, a marine reserve and many wonderful beaches to enjoy. Clear waters, rocky and sandy shores and many picturesque spots await you in Porto Cesareo. Don’t forget to enjoy some incredible fish dishes and seafood while you’re here.

Castro

South of Lecce, you will find the town of Castro and its many natural sights. You can enjoy the beautiful sea nearby and the natural areas and rock formations. The Grotta Zinzulusa is the most relevant in the area among other minor cave complexes near Castro, and it consists of three rooms filled with stunning stalactites, stalagmites and rocky walls that for their shape will remind the visitor of laundry on a clothesline with the sun filtering from the nooks and spaces between them.

Vicino Poesia

Puglia’s Best Secrets

Puglia is Italy’s gem when it comes to history, archaeology and culture. The southeastern region has for many years thrived as a tourism hub with so much to offer vacationers interested in taking a step back in time and experiencing old Italy in its most authentic form. Despite its popularity among tourists, Puglia’s unmatched wealth in history and culture is not what makes it one of Italy’s best kept secrets. Below is what most people don’t realize that Puglia has up its sleeves.

1. Porto Selvaggio

The path to Porto Selvaggio

Porto Selvaggio is found in Puglia’s province of Lecce. The beach itself is found along the Salento Peninsula with breathtaking crystal clear waters. In addition to the geographical beauty, Porto Selvaggio has a lot to offer in terms of history. It is actually the only place on earth where an ancient Greek dialect known as Griko is still spoken.

What to see and do

· Sunbathing and swimming

It is nothing short of a crime to visit Porto Selvaggio and not pay the beach one or two hundred visits. It is the reason why it is on this list as one of Puglia’s best kept secrets. You could also decide to experience the water by taking a boat ride or going SCUBA diving.

 

· Sightseeing

Some points of interest in Porto include the walled seaport of Gallipoli, Villa Tafuro and Uluzzo Bay. If you have extra time and an untamed adventurous spirit, you should also plan a visit to the various archeological sites there including the cave of the horse and sierra Cicora.

· Watch the sunset at the beach

You will never find anything to match its breathtaking beauty.

2. Monopoli

monopoli

Monopoli is in the heart of Puglia given its location in the region’s capital province of Bari. The town is right next to the Adriatic Sea. Like all other Puglia gems on this list, Monopoli is a triple threat with the sandy beaches, archaeological and historical as sights as well as culture to enjoy. Below are a few things that you should not leave Monopoli without having seen.

· The beaches

The beautiful waters of the Adriatic Sea meet the mainland forming beaches that you simply must see to appreciate. The aquamarine blue waters will leave you refreshed and ready to explore more of this amazing town.

· The ancient castles

The Castle of Charles V in particular is a must visit for people with a soft spot for history and fine architecture. The building was used as a prison until the mid-sixties when it was converted into a museum and art gallery which is where you will get the best cultural experience of Monopoli. The castle of S. Stephen is also worth a visit.

· The Jerusalem Hospital

This is probably the oldest hospital not only in Italy but in the whole world dating back to 1350. The architectural marvel is full of history and is one of those places you simply can’t leave Puglia without visiting.

3. City of Ostuni

Ostuni

The city of Ostuni is pretty much a white fortress and one of the fewest old towns in the world that has managed to preserve its medieval layout. From a distance, all you can see is white buildings. This is not a coincidence but has a historical etiology where people lime-washed the walls of their houses in an attempt to deflect the heat from their homes. Below is more that this charming little town has to offer:

· The Archbishop’s palace is Ostuni’s highest points and is an architectural marvel.

· Beautiful beaches along the Adriatic sea

· The Saint Oronzo festival every August to celebrate the town’s patron saint.

4. Grotte di Castellana

Grotte di Castellana is a series of amazing cave formations in Itria Valley, Puglia. They date back more than ninety million years and are among the most important of all of Puglia and Italy’s natural attractions. Taking a guided tour though the cave gives visitors the opportunity to experience not only nature at its best but also history and archaeology through the fossils and cave art you will get to see.

5. Da Mimi Trabucco

The Da Mimi Trabucco is a must-see if you want to add an educational aspect to you Puglia trip. The Trabucco itself is actually a unique fishing contraption that is nothing short of genius. You will get to see how it works and as many questions as you would wish to. It is a dining experience that you will not get anywhere else. In addition to the fishing scene, Da Mimi Trabucco is full of history with the Ottaviano family name popping up more than once in the fishing, culinary and construction aspects.

5 Restaurants in Salento for Your Palates only

Written by Paola Fiocchi, Director, Passepartout Homes (www.passepartout-homes.com)

Having visited the region of Salento in Puglia for the past 8 years, I can pretty easily assure you, you won’t have a bad gastronomic experience in the heel of Italy.

Wherever you will end up eating, you will be greeted by welcoming hosts and mouth-watering dishes, made with simple ingredients. From starred restaurants to shacks on the beach, Salento knows a thing or two about good, honest food and wine.

crystal clear water of Salento
Salento in Puglia offers sun, crystal clears waters and excellent gastronomy.

Puglia provides most of what Italy consumes. Most of the grains for pasta, fish, olive oil and wine come from here. The region is covered by vast areas of ancient olive trees so it will come as no surprise that Puglia also produces over 70% of Italy’s olive oil (and 15 percent of the world’s olive oil). The region is also producer of 25 DOC wines most of which come from the Salento area.

Some of the region “signature” dishes include “orecchiette” (or “small ears”) because of their resemblance to small ears. Enjoy orecchiette with fresh tomato sauce, basil and strong ricotta cheese. Orecchiette with “cime di rapa” (sort of broccoli) are also a region’s favourite.

For breakfast head to the your local bar where locals enjoy a cup of freshly brewed espresso coffee and warm “pasticciotto” standing at the counter. The best pasticciotti can be eaten in Galatina where Pasticceria Abalone has been creating these pastries since 1745.

You will not get hungry during the day as there are plenty of snacks and appetisers available, including “frittini” , a mix of fried appetisers, “friselle”, a snack made of crunchy dry bread best served dipped in water and topped with fresh tomatoes, basil and extra virgin olive oil and “pucce, a sandwich made of pizza dough and stuffed with cured meat, cheese or vegetables; not to mention the round shaped “tarallini” crackers available in different flavours, excellent with a glass of cold rosé wine on the beach.

Here are my top 5 recommended places to eat in Salento. Spoil alert, expect the lovely aroma of freshly prepared meals and the warm welcome of their owners.

L’Altro Baffo in Otranto, where Chef Cristina Conte will serve you traditional Apulia dishes interpreted in a contemporary key, where tradition meets innovation. Expect freshly made pasta, fresh fish and seasonal ingredients. Our favourite dish is “chitarrine ai “ricci di mare” “, fresh pasta with sea-urchins, for those of you with really fine palates! A family run business located in one of the most scenic spots of Otranto under the shadow of the Aragonese Castle. Reservation highly advisable.

Lo Scalo in Alessano, a historic seafront restaurant built along the rocky coastal route between Tricase and Leuca. Seafood dishes will be prepared according to the catch of the day and served in an enchanting setting by the water. As dessert, excellent is “pasticciotto” with lemon custard. Reservation highly advisable.

Agriturismo Le Site in Corigliano d’Otranto, where most of the ingredients used in the kitchen are cultivated in the Agriturismo’s own fields. Excellent meat and an abundance of vegetables are served by this family run enterprise. Le Site also produces its very own olive oil as well as home-made jam and liquors, available for purchase at the restaurant. Le Site also offers a number of guests rooms for those looking for a lodging.

Cantine Menhir Salento located outside Otranto is a producer of some of the best wines of Salento, including Negroamaro or Primitivo. Here you can also reserve a table at their “Osteria Origano” where excellent traditional Apulia dishes are served. In summer you can dine al-fresco in their Mediterranean garden and may be entertained by live music.

La Porta Antica in Sternatia is a traditional trattoria where excellent pizza, meat and fish dishes can be savoured. Their speciality are the “antipasti” which I highly recommend to try in abundance. Portions are very generous! It is very popular with locals and during the weekend and summer months it can be very crowded. reservations recommended.

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