[July 2026] On the first day of our summer holiday in Lecce, Puglia (Southern Italy), we took a break at our Airbnb and then searched online for a delicious dinner spot.
Naturally, given the region’s proximity to the sea, we looked for a seafood restaurant.
My husband found a place called *Gusti Proibiti*.
It was a restaurant located just outside the historic centre where we were staying.
The historic centre—with its rows of uniform cream-coloured stone houses and numerous churches—felt like an open-air museum; however, stepping just outside that area revealed a typical, bustling Italian town.
When we arrived, we found the restaurant was a far cry from the rustic local spots we usually prefer; instead, it featured a grey-toned decor and seemed to be aspiring to a “posh” vibe.
We had a 7:00 PM reservation, but we were the only customers there until just as we were finishing our meal.
The staff consisted of a middle-aged man—presumably the owner—and two young women.
We could hear a man and a woman arguing in the kitchen.
I think that’s why I got the impression it was a restaurant still finding its footing—not quite “posh” yet.
For our starter, we shared a salad containing octopus and just a few shrimp.
It was light and refreshing, and the quality of the ingredients made it delicious.
The portion size was perfect for the two of us to share.
Oh, and before that, we were served round fried bites as an appetizer.
They appeared to be made of olives, tomatoes, and flour.
For the main course, we both ordered the seafood pasta.
The pasta itself was thick and firm—almost like udon noodles—which isn’t really my style, and the dish was a bit of a let-down because it contained very little seafood (mostly just a few shellfish).
The flavour was good, though.
For dessert, we both ordered the *millefoglie*; what arrived was an unusual treat consisting of three thin, crisp biscuit layers with cream and fruit—such as melon—sandwiched between them.
The cream was absolutely delicious.
As a complimentary extra, we were served a potent local *amaro* with an alcohol content of around 45%.
Including a bottle of local rosé wine, the total came to 118 euros.
My husband remarked, “That’s ‘Milan prices’ for you.”
The last time we visited Puglia was back in 2017.
I had heard that the region’s popularity surged since then, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic and that prices had risen everywhere; this experience certainly confirmed that for me.
