Cioccolati Gourmet

££££ │ Gelato, Waffles & Crêpes

Open All Day │ Directions & Opening Times on Google

Cioccolati Gourmet has a BIG WALL OF CHOCOLATE. It’s massive. They’ve obviously been to see a Willy Wonka movie, and made some notes. Creamy liquid chocolate oozing down an entire wall. If you’re stood anywhere near the building you can’t possibly miss it. It’s like a statement of intent. And if you’re in the chocolate business, which evidently they are, it’s a pretty good statement to make.

I’ve been twice for gelato and it really is outstanding. Predictably the chocolate flavours are the highlights (especially the ‘fondente’, aka dark chocolate), and the slogan on the wall ‘La cultura del cacao’, whilst extremely cheesy, is not misplaced. There is a small selection of other non-chocolate flavours which are well above average. As if all this wasn’t enough, nice details such as good quality, chunky; crispy cones + a whole range of warm liquid chocolates and whipped cream (to adorn your gelato with) really do take the experience here to the next level.

I have yet to sample the waffles and crêpes but I would imagine them to be of the same luxurious quality as the gelato. They also serve coffee and breakfast, and it’s not a bad spot for it.

Service is on the slow side and in the busy summer evenings you might need to take a number from the dispenser and wait to be called. A good (but not concrete!!!) rule for this is that it usually takes them about half an hour to clear ten numbers (so if you’re 84, and they’re currently serving 73, you’ve definitely got time for a stroll). NB, there is always a risk of people dropping out of the queue and it moving faster, so don’t blame me if you miss your number!

Cioccolati Gourmet is just off Piazza Mazzini, in the middle of the newer central part of Lecce. It’s a different vibe altogether from the old city. In fact, spend fifteen minutes dawdling round here and you could easily be forgiven for thinking you were in Milano. Whilst, the baroque glory and picturesque beauty of the old city are undoubtedly the main reasons to come to Lecce, if you don’t venture over to Mazzini and stop off in Cioccolati Gourmet you will be missing out on a whole section of Lecce, which is well well worth visiting.