San Biagio Bistrot
££££ │ Modern Italian food with a Roman influence
Open All Day │ Directions & Opening Times on Google
Don’t be fooled by the weird Salento tradition of sticking words from other cultures like ‘Bistrot’ on the front of their restaurants. I think they do it to sound cool or something (in fact I literally don’t know why they do it), but there’s absolutely nothing french about this place. I think it’s only association with the word ‘Bistrot’ is that it’s open all day. The kitchen is basically a mix of Roman and Salento plates. For antipasto we had the sharing plate for two (about 22€) which was huge. There was a mix of parmigiana, potato foccacia (local classic), a salento version of caponata, mozzarella and some meat (maybe Capocollo?), fava puré with wild chicory (another local classic), a supplí (a roman classic, a fried and breaded rice ball with mozzarella inside), lots of grilled vegetables, and some other bits and pieces I’ve probably forgotten. It was expensive but generous, easily enough for 3 people and fair value for money.
On the primi piatti list there’s basically the four traditional roman plates (Cacio e Pepe, Gricia, Carbonara & Amatriciana) and then a couple of local classics (pasta with pomodoro and cacioricotta for example). The roman plates in particular are both not hard to well, and extremely difficult to find done well in restaurants around Lecce. As someone who is not native to Salento and loves food from all over Italy (and frustrated when I can’t find good central/northern plates here) I was delighted to eat a really rich Amatriciana that is really every bit as good as you’d find in Rome. The roman pasta (not the sauce, the actual pasta) is not homemade for the purists out there, its not a problem for me. Our pasta was truly wonderful. The salentino pasta plates are completely homemade and this is a really excellent place to try some restaurant grade Orecchiette. They don’t always bring cheese so if they don’t ask for it, and if you remember, ask for cacioricotta (this is a local cheese that is the correct cheese to put on Orecchiette Pomodoro, it’s hard and salty like Parmesan but because it’s actually a ricotta it has that slight creaminess).
There’s a secondi list (second course plates) too that we didn’t make it as far as but I would expect to be excellent based on the antipasto/primi piatti.
As you walk in there’s a feature gold bar/counter that takes up most of the space and off to the right a tastefully converted tiny dining room which is literally part of the Porta next door. But it really comes into it’s own when you sit on one of the delightful outdoor tables that spill out into the paved area in front of Porta San Biagio. It’s one of the most beautiful places to eat day or night in Lecce.
Bistro San Biagio has not been open long, but has quickly become a staple of our reliable, quality, and easy eating-out places. The food whilst not being in anyway ground breaking is really rich and delicious. It is playfully and successfully inventive on some plates (notably the antipasto), but they also do the basics extremely well, and on that basis I would definitely recommend you go there; especially if you can get a table outside on a warm spring/summer evening.