L’Incontro ; Italian Restaurant in Mesagne, Puglia

During a stay in Mesagne, in Puglia, one restaurant reveals all the richness of Italian gastronomy: L’Incontro.

L’Incontro

Italian Restaurant in Mesagne

Discovering a new town also means discovering its good little restaurants. On a very hot evening, the door of L’Incontro opens. The dining room spreads over two floors, in a resolutely Italian setting. At the back, the open kitchen shows the dishes being prepared. Once seated, a small plate of bread and taralli welcomes the guests. A speciality of Puglia, taralli are crunchy biscuits, usually served with the aperitif.

Delicious Dishes

L’Incontro ; Homemade Apulian Cuisine

Once the appetite is whetted, a lovely starter of buffalo mozzarella on toast, sprinkled with crushed pistachios. A tuna tartare accompanies it. Every bite is a delight. You can taste the homemade quality, as well as the chef’s Italian passion. For the main course, a lovely plate of orecchiette with buffalo mozzarella. The dish is sublime, and every flavour offers a little piece of paradise. This restaurant is a sure favourite: not a single false note, not a single misstep.

Puglia, the Heel of the Boot

Puglia stretches across south-eastern Italy, at the heel of the boot. The region is one of the country’s leading olive oil producers. Its simple cuisine showcases orecchiette, sun-ripened vegetables and burrata. The trulli of Alberobello, houses topped with conical roofs, are listed by UNESCO. Mesagne, near Brindisi, offers a peaceful historic centre, far from the tourist crowds.

L’Incontro ; A Second Visit

The cooking is so appealing that a return visit is a must the very next day. This time, the sea takes centre stage, with spaghetti topped with lovely big prawns. An incredible meal: the chef prepares the spaghetti with great delicacy. The accompanying sauce is perfectly executed. For this second meal, the desserts cannot be missed. The menu offers a few, all very tempting. The choice falls on a favourite dessert above all others: panna cotta. It turns out to be simply exquisite, divinely light. A lovely final note in this little place of homemade cooking.

This little Italian restaurant is a must for discovering the richness of Apulian cuisine. In Lausanne, Da Noi (in French) also takes you on a trip to Puglia. And for another gourmet journey in Italy, head to the province of Vicenza (in French).

Via Manfredi Svevo 43, 72023 Mesagne
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L’Incontro