GOURMET TRAVELLER LECCE Top to bottom: hidden courtyards; The Awaiting Table’s almond brittle; local sea bass; the pool at Masseria Trapanà. Opposite, clockwise from top left: olive groves; relaxing at Masseria Trapanà; freshly picked lemons; the alleyways of Lecce; fresh fish at the market Where to Stay La Fiermontina Tucked away in the northern corner of Lecce’s city walls, La Fiermontina is an urban resort par excellence, with its own sculpture garden, olive groves, swimming pool and dining room serving an international take on local specialities. Situated in a 17th-century house, it boasts just 16 guest rooms and suites. It is one of the most stylish and exclusive properties in the city. Doubles from $410. Piazzetta Scipione De Summa, 00 39 0832 302 481, lafiermontina.<strong>com</strong> Masseria Trapanà Ineffably elegant, Masseria Trapanà is a boutique hotel which opened in October 2015, approximately 10km to the north of Lecce in the countryside. The 16th-century country farmhouse features a bijou chapel with original frescoes, a swimming pool with sunbeds, six walled gardens and nine private suites with four-poster beds. Doubles from $595. Strada Provinciale 236, 00 39 0832 183 2101, trapana.<strong>com</strong> Palazzo Rollo Situated just across from the Lecce Cathedral, guests enter Palazzo Rollo through an ivy-covered courtyard. There are three grand B&B suites upstairs and a number of studios below. Don’t miss aperitivo hour on the roof terrace. Doubles from $68. Via Vittorio Emanuele, 00 39 0832 307 152, palazzorollo.it Patria Palace Hotel Set in the heart of historic Lecce in what was formerly an 18th-century palazzo, the Patria Palace Hotel is located just opposite the Basilica di Santa Croce. The hotel offers old-world charm at its finest, with a leafy roof terrace and 67 rooms in classic styling. Doubles from $99. Piazzetta Riccardi, 00 39 0832 245 111, patriapalace.<strong>com</strong> Risorgimento Resort Easily one of the most modern properties in Lecce, Risorgimento is located just minutes away from the Chiesa di Santa Chiara and the Piazza Sant’Ortonzo. The five-star design hotel boasts the most enviable rooftop terrace in in the city, as well as chic, contemporary bedrooms, a restaurant, bar and wellness spa. Doubles from $110. Via Augusto Imperatore 19, 00 39 0832 246 311, vestashotels.it prettified with rosemary flowers and leaves. After I misinterpret crema di peperoni as red bell pepper purèed with cream, Alessio admonishes: ‘In Lecce, if you see someone cooking with milk, they’re not a cook, they’re a killer.’ In many cases, neither are eggs invited to the party – Puglian pasta is traditionally made with only flour and water. The final dish is pezzetti di carne al pomodoro (slow-cooked horsemeat served with a piquant tomato sauce). While it may be a bit unorthodox to us Brits, it’s about as cucina povera as it gets: nothing goes to waste, even the trusty family steed. However, there are those who would like to break with local traditions, employing new techniques, foreign produce and molecular trickery in their cooking. Antonio Torre is one such person and he has met with a hard-headedness from locals (like Silvestro Silvestori) who are more concerned with ensuring cucina povera remains in rude health. Antonio’s restaurant, La Torre di Merlino, is particularly good if you’d like some variation – and his deconstructed spaghetti carbonara is a sight to see and taste. There’s nothing better than a long stroll after dinner to aid digestion, and Lecce is the perfect place to do it. Narrow streets and alleyways abruptly open into muscular boulevards hemmed in by luminous architecture. Nicknamed the ‘Florence of the south’, it perhaps has more in <strong>com</strong>mon with Venice: its quiet streets have the same timeless character. Lecce is yet to be discovered by tourists but it’s ripe in so many ways. The locals are fiercely loyal to an identity that’s taken thousands of years to construct and they fight not to let it go. It’s been gestating into its current state for three millennia, and when a recipe is perfect, you’re wary of interlopers sticking their fingers in the sauce and mucking it up. Nick Savage and Gary Latham travelled to Puglia with help from Italian National Tourist Board and Puglia Promozione, the regional tourist board 66 FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
GOURMET TRAVELLER LECCE ‘Narrow streets and alleyways abruptly open into muscular boulevards. Nicknamed the “Florence of the south”, it perhaps has more in <strong>com</strong>mon with Venice.’
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