La Torre di Merlino

This restaurant is very popular with locals, which is always a good sign. It has a lovely outdoor terrace that's perfect for sunny days, but the indoor space is just as charming, especially when it's cold outside. They are especially proud of their focaccia, and rightly so; I recommend trying one. We also had the burrata, and it was one of the best I’ve tasted in Puglia — creamy, fresh, and full of flavor. Unfortunately, the orecchiette was a big letdown. It was overcooked and had very little taste, which was disappointing. Luckily, we had also ordered the tagliatelle with crispy guanciale, mushrooms, and parmesan fondue and that dish was a real highlight. Rich, well-balanced, and delicious. One area that could really be improved is the wine list. Being in Lecce, I expected a better selection from the excellent local wineries nearby. It felt like a missed opportunity.

Our first night in Lecce and we stumbled across this place. Will be hard to beat - great food and wine. Highly recommend. Great location/setting. Very authentic, and some superb wines to match the quality of the food. Best carbonara ever (whatever the secret ingredient might be!!)

Loved the courtyard setting. The service was excellent and our food was fresh and tasty. The prosciutto and melon was very filling and generous portion of prosciutto. The ravioli was done just right. Not a huge wine selection but plenty of good choices. Our server Aexandro was the best. Made the evening even more enjoyable.

great place for lunch or dinner! food is top notch! I recommend the Vitelli tonato and pasta carbonara! I was blown away! I totally recommend it!

We have had a month in Italy and this was the best pasta meal(s) we have had. The house special was to die for, as was the tagliatelle Bolognese. All the appetizers and entrees were a delight. The wine was great and the service was excellent. Magnificent. VictorB

Great food of course but set in a fantastic building and with live entertainment too. Super

We have been coming here since 2015 (as you can see from the picture I posted of my son every year. Lol). The food and wine have always been great. We haven’t been here since 2019 and since then some things have changed. The biggest change is they don’t make pizza anymore. It’s a bit of a disappointment because that’s what my kids used to eat here. They have upped their game and seem to be leaning toward more upscale dining. The downfall is that it is no longer kid friendly. However, the food we had was amazing and the service was ok (not as good as I remember). I had the cacio e pepe bombette and the dish was AMAZING.

The service is professional, the waitress and the owner are very friendly a approachable. The atmosphere is cozy, romantic... just perfect! It's well located in the center of the old town, walkable distance to any place or hotel. Food quality is high and tasty. I ate here twice and my favorite was the eggplant appetizer. They have a good selection of wines and they are good to give recommendations. I would repeat it again! Grazie mille per l'alto servizio e il buon cibo! Maria Klann

So I was on a tasting vacation with my Girlfriend in Southern Italy this past May. If you have not been to southern Italy, and you want a relaxing time with great food, check it out. While we were in Lecce we came across La Torre di Merlino. It had a Michelin guide sticker, and we wanted a fancy meal, so we went in, and sat outside. It is in the old city center, and it is a great place to be outside. Usually, when I eat at this level of a restaurant, I like to let the chef decide what he wants to make me, so I say to the server, "chef's choice." That gives the restaurant the chance to either move things they want to get rid of, but more often it allows the chef to show what the restaurant can do, and it usually is off the menu. Upon my order of chef's choice, the waiter rolled his eyes, and decided to pick items from the menu himself. To his credit, the food was good. But the server's air of arrogance for the rest of the night because he was put out at having to pick things from the menu was almost too much to take. Needless to say it ruined what should have been a great meal. I will say the food, by itself, would be worth trying it again, and it would probably be great. But I only have this one experience to go on. But DO visit Lecce. Cheers, David

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