Restaurant: Gimmi
Location: Via S. Pietro in Lama, 23, 73100 Lecce LE, Italy. +39 0832 700920
Date: August 8, 2024
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Unusual format, but very nice meal
The location was unusual.
We were told there was a concert going on in the cloisters here, which led to a brief confusion about where to enter the ancient structure.
Gimmi is the gourmet restaurant at the Chiostro dei Domenicani in Lecce open to hotel guests and the public. The cuisine, led by executive chef Donato Episcopo, is a tribute to Salento, not without intriguing contaminations: each course is a discovery, where you can sense that many experiences and many emotions have passed through Episcopo’s hands. The wine list offers a rich and refined selection of regional, Italian and international labels.
And a lovely dining room.
Tree of amuses.
Veggies on bread.
Bite of tuna.
Tamborine of breads — very salty and very delicious
More breads inside.
MARINATED SALMON. with jasmine tea, tuna-fish, ginger, aubergine and apple.
Orecchiette pomodoro.
POTATO DUMPLINGS AND CHERRY TOMATOES CONCENTRATE. buttery cheese from Andria, sweet peppers, basil pesto and amberjack fish ceviche. This seemed weird, but was actually quite awesome.
CARNAROLI RISOTTO SOAKED RESERVE. with 25 years aged balsamic vineagar, saffran, and vegis. Classic!
FILET OF SEA BREAM “BOCCADORO”. beetroot, green beans, black olives crumble.
More bread.
PAVLOVA. chantilly meringue maracuja and black mulberry ice cream.
Petite Fours.
And more.
There was a concert!
I was actually worried when we booked because they locked us into a smaller tasting menu that was almost the same for all of us — and I eat very differently than my companions — but the food turned out to be quite excellent here.