Piadina Salentina

££££ │ Piadini (Wraps), Beers & Soft Drinks

Lunch & Dinner │ Directions & Opening Times on Google

Undoubtedly the best Piadina in Lecce. But really? This place?

Let me walk you through it. On the corner of Piazza Sant'oronzo, opposite the Roman amphitheater; there's an unassuming takeaway joint, with a large, attention seeking, vegan kebab sign written on the front. It has the air of a place that dishes out lowest common denominator tourist kebabs, probably for an extortionate price.

But if you know, you know. And most of the locals do know. Even in the hey day of the 2021 coronavirus lockdown, the steps of Chiesa di Santa Maria della Grazia were still littered with eager lunch time punters, chomping their way through some of Lecce's finest Piadinas, washed down with a beer. And that was in ‘Red Zone’: we weren’t supposed to leave the house.

Once you get a bit closer, close enough to peer in the windows, you can make out the kitchen. It's a simple operation that will begin to make you drool at the mouth when you realise the remarkable efficiency of their flavour system. Elon Musk wants to get down here and get some ideas for streamlining his production lines before opening his next EU factory.

Before I get into the kitchen details I should probably clear up what a Piadina is. For those who don't know, a Piadina is basically a wrap. When you buy the cheap ones in an Italian supermarket they look like what we call 'tortillas' or 'tortilla wraps' in the UK. Piadini are not really typical of Salento or the South of Italy (they’re more of a northern thing), hense why you don’t see a whole lot of Piadina places.

Back to the aforementioned kitchen operation. On the left of the kitchen is were the Piadini are made. Balls of fresh unleavened dough are rolled out to order, and toasted on the grill. On the right hand side a massive meat slicer takes up the majority of the counter, which is busy all night reeling off fresh slices of crudo, porchetta, speck, capocollo, and all sorts of other meats and cheese. After your freshly toasted Piadina has been loaded with whatever meat/cheese/vegan toppings you've chosen, it's moved to the centre of the kitchen where the finishing touches are added. It’s from here you will be hailed by number to collect it from.

Piadina Salentina gets busy and when you arrive, you order at the cassa (till) and they'll give you a number on your receipt. That's the number they'll call when it's ready.

One is not really enough for your main meal of the day (one and a half is perfect, if you can find someone to share with). Or if you've had a big Italian lunch, then you can easily get away with one for dinner, especially if you combine it with a visit before/after to an Enoteca for some nice wine/a meat board, and perhaps a gelato at the end if you need something sweet to finish you off.