A cuisine of sea and land
In Gallipoli, fish reaches the table just hours after being landed at the harbour, and Salento cooking turns simple ingredients into memorable dishes: pulses, garden vegetables, extra virgin olive oil and bread baked in a wood-fired oven.
Here is what to order for a true taste of the area.
Seven dishes to try
Scapece gallipolina
Fried fish marinated in layers with breadcrumbs, vinegar and saffron. It is the town's signature dish and a star of local festivals.Gallipoli red prawns
Sweet and full of flavour, best eaten raw with just a drizzle of olive oil and lemon.Sea urchins
Eaten raw with bread, ideally by the sea.Ciceri e tria
Chickpeas and homemade pasta, part of it fried: an ancient first course that is creamy and crunchy at once.Frisa
Twice-baked bread quickly dipped in water and topped with cherry tomatoes, oil and oregano. The perfect lunch after the beach.Pittule
Fritters of leavened dough, plain or with vegetables and salt cod: a classic of the winter holidays.Pasticciotto
Shortcrust pastry filled with custard, best eaten warm at breakfast. At The Lotus you will find it every morning.
The catch of the day
The best way to choose? Ask what came in this morning. In the old town restaurants the fish menu changes with the day's catch: trust the cook's advice.
Our restaurant follows the market too, serving traditional Salento dishes every evening.
Join us at the table
Breakfast buffet, restaurant and drinks on the terrace: book your stay directly on our website.
