Finding a decent ice cream shop in Italy isn't usually difficult, and the beautiful city of Lecce is no exception. Whether you've come from dinner at an Italian restaurant, or a glass of wine at a local wine bar, or spoiled yourself with delicious food from one of Lecce's many street food vendors; an Italian style gelato is undoubtedly one of the best ways to round off an afternoon/evening. Italian gelato, much like Italian food is, when at its best, rich creamy and intense - just the right amount of heaviness without quite tipping over the edge into...well too much.

Although the regional cuisine and typical dishes of Salento are quite different from the Italian food served in much of Italy, Gelato is more or less the same in taste and flavour as Rome, Florence, Venice & Milan.

If I had to give a single recommendation, then, of all Lecce's artisan ice cream shops I have to say the Baldo Gelato is my favourite. It’s a cute ice cream parlour both central and tucked away. Consistently good ice cream and good range of sorbet too keep it at the forefront of Lecce’s gelato scene. It’s a good place to head to if you’re vegan too as they have plenty of lactose-free / dairy-free options. They pay attention to provenance and sustainability and are super friendly and helpful in the gelateria. Getting a cone in there is also pretty easy most of the time, though it can get quite queued on the busiest July and August nights.