Fun and entertainment Pouilles-Calabre-Basilicate

Opera Theatre built in 1903, today the largest theatre in the city of Bari, and the fourth largest in Italy. It overlooks Corso Cavour. Apart from opera, it also offers musicals, ballets and concerts. Great international artists have trodden the Petruzzelli stage: Herbert von Karajan, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Juliette Greco. And of course, great Italian artists: Eduardo De Filippo, Carla Fracci, Luciano Pavarotti, Giorgio Gaber... Reduced to ashes in a fire in 1991, it was closed for 18 years.

This small, friendly bar could well become your favourite stop during your stay in Lecce. Conveniently located along one of the main streets in the historic centre, between piazza Sant'Oronzo and piazza Duomo, it is a great place to come at any time of the day: for a delicious breakfast of pastries and fresh fruit juice, for a sandwich at lunchtime or for a glass of wine with a snack. The coffee is delicious, as are the pastries: try the pasticciotto, the speciality of Salento.

Both a pub and a restaurant, this tavern offers pizzas and giant salads made with deliciously prepared vegetables. The address is really worth discovering. Under the stone vaults, the place is sieved, a candle lights each table surrounded by colourful straw chairs, old tools decorate the walls and hang from the ceiling. Everything is cosy, warm and original. In good weather, the terrace invades the street and participates in its animation. Also a large wine and beer list, of course, for before, during or after the meal!

The main attraction of this tapas bar is undoubtedly its magnificent view of the old center of Otranto overlooking the deep blue waters. ViaPunta7 has a beautiful terrace facing the sea, with some tables directly overlooking the cliff and the sandy beach below. And what could be better than enjoying this panorama with a good glass of wine and some well executed tapas? You can choose from fried mussels, grilled octopus, baccalà in tempura or meatballs in tomato sauce. The establishment also offers some dishes.

Located right next to Porta San Biagio, one of the monumental entrances to the historic center. This small bar has become a meeting place for young people who attend the surrounding schools, but everyone is welcome and is greeted with a smile. The few tables in front and the large terrace in the shade of the trees are very pleasant for breakfast or for a well-served spritz. Also some snacks to fill a small hunger. A friendly and unpretentious address that puts you in a good mood.

This little bar tucked away in a corner of Piazza Sant'Oronzo has its own roasting lab in the back. The coffee, 100% Arabica, is delicious: it is the result of a blend of beans from Brazil, Colombia and Guatemala. The aromas are greedy and balanced, a pure happiness in the morning on the terrace! For the more curious, you can ask to taste a pure origin coffee. The house also produces artisanal liqueurs with herbs, orange and gentian or coffee, which can be tasted on the spot.

Bar Betty opened in 1981 as a small seaside gelateria. Today, the establishment has become a multipurpose bar, cafeteria and restaurant, with a large terrace on the Lungomare, a stone's throw from the Roman Column. Its central location makes it an almost unmissable stop, between two visits or after a walk along the waterfront, for a coffee with a pastry, for a spritz with snacks or for lunch. Unpretentious but rather well executed cuisine. Charming welcome.

"Double zero" is the type of flour used by the house to prepare its delicious focaccias. The Doppiozero is a friendly and relaxed address, sometimes very lively, with a succession of rooms each with a different atmosphere and decoration. The terrace on a small square in the historic center is perfect for a glass of wine or a spritz accompanied by a platter of cheeses and cold cuts, taralli, olives and slices of soft focaccia.

Located at the entrance to the historic center, Saint Patrick 133 guarantees a trip through the world of brewing with more than two hundred labels of Italian, Belgian, English, Scottish and German beers. Brown, blonde, light, triple, bitter or fruity: indicate your preference and the staff will find you the beer that will satisfy your desires. Small catering is available with some beer preparations. 200 meters away, the Saint Patrick (Via Cialdini) is an Irish-style pub dedicated to Guinness.

This is THE café recommended by the locals, easy to find, in the main square of Nardò. Neat surroundings, good coffee and creamy pastries perfect for a treat. You might be lucky enough to arrive just as the pasticciotti, those delicious pastries from Salento, are coming out of the oven! A delicious terrace facing Piazza Salandra, perfect for an evening drink while the last rays of the sun caress the baroque monuments of the square. Note that the establishment charges for service, even for a simple coffee.

A bar like we would like to find more in Matera, which shares a clientele of regulars and tourists and welcomes them without distinction with the same simplicity and warmth. The Gahvè spreads out its small terrace in Piazza San Giovanni, in front of the beautiful façade of the church of the same name. For breakfast, for an aperitif with some typical products to nibble on or simply for a coffee or a special beer brewed locally, it is a welcome stop before or after an excursion in the sassi.

In a small pedestrian street between Corso Garibaldi and the seafront, there is a lively literary café that is very popular with locals. Books and bottles of wine line the shelves along the walls. Whether in the stylishly furnished room or on the terrace with its colourful straw chairs, the place is pleasant at any time of the day, from the morning coffee to the last drink in the evening. The small restaurant is not really up to the task; on the other hand, don't hesitate to try the home-made pastries and nougat, a speciality of the house.

A stone's throw from the Porta del Sole, a typical village square bar with a large shaded terrace, a relaxed atmosphere and a talkative owner. From morning to night, locals and tourists alike meet here to sip coffee and pastries, to share an aperitif served with appetizers, or to enjoy an ice cream or one of the delicious granita prepared by the house. Even Prince Albert II of Monaco, visiting Gerace in 2022, would have succumbed to it! Our favorite flavors: lemon, bergamot and mandarin.