Gallipoli – Spritzy Snapshot
The Ultimate Gallipoli Guide – Refreshing Boat Trips, Magical Aperitivos, and Delicious Local Seafood, what more could you want!
- Best Spritz – Beuna Vista Bar. You will be hard pushed not to find a great spot for a spritz in Gallipoli. It has the perfect setting for any aperitivo hour. However, for us Buena Vista Bar took out the crown, simply because it ticks all the boxes. They are seriously large Aperol’s with the perfect mix, the spritzers come with delicious aperitif snacks to enjoy alongside – ours included olives, crisps and the traditional local taralli, and lastly that view! There’s no better place to enjoy a spritz than seeing and hearing the crystal blue water lapping in front of you.
- Best Seafood Restaurant – Lampara Lab
If you love seafood like me then you cannot visit Gallipoli without visiting Lampara Lab. It’s the elevated sister restaurant of La Lampara at the fish market but here you get the combination of the same fresh seafood with a modern twist on dishes, served up in a magical spot amongst the old town laneways. There is a fish counter to select fish straight off the boat and it is the perfect place to try Gallipoli’s famous seafood crudo platters.
- Best Local Bar –La Putea Experience
The minute we walked into this bar it just felt like good times were guaranteed. Housed in the new town, every night seemed packed with locals enjoying drinks and celebrations spilling out onto the street. The staff were really friendly with great service and the drinks were so cheap and strong. Open into the earlier hours of the morning.
- Best café / Gelato – Martinucci Cheesecake gelato
The fact that this place serves up cheesecake gelato, is a great start to sum up how amazing this place is. You are spoilt for choice on gelato flavours, cakes galore and savoury pastry treats. The hardest part is to not order them all. The queue can be busy in the old town spot but they also have another place to get your fix in the new town. Both couldn’t be recommended enough.
- Must do – Spend an afternoon sailing the turquoise waters
If you only do one thing in Gallipoli then make sure you take a boat trip. Sailing around the crystal clear water, with the sun on our faces and the lapping of the waves against the boat was a real highlight. We sailed around the light house and took in the view of Gallipoli as we looked back at it’s beauty with a rose in hand. It was so refreshing to jump off the boat and snorkel with the colourful fishes (just watch out for jellyfish). We used Sailor Fly and had the most beautiful sailing boat, Vito, our skipper was amazing so knowledgeable and they couldn’t do enough for us. They even let us sail the boat ourselves for a bit, making it such a special experience all round.
- Must Try – Rustico Leccese & Crudo Prawns
I have been to Puglia a number of times before but some how I had never heard or tasting the delicious pastry treat that is Rustico Leccese. Where has it been hiding! The combination of that flaky piping hot pastry filled with the melted cheese, tomato and bechamel sauce is a pure taste of heaven. Best place to try from is Martinucci.
I also couldn’t leave out the crudo prawns. This is the real highlight of the region where you can taste the freshness of the sea and the silkiness from the prawns in their raw form. A true local delicacy not to be missed. (The Ricci de Mare or sea urchins are also a must try but unfortunately they were out of season for us).
See my Puglia local delights article for more must try foods.
