Tana del Lupo — Restaurant in Galatina

I’ve lived in the Salento for nearly two years and this is the first time I’ve felt like a stupid tourist taken advantage of. On a very hot mid-day in Galatina, we stopped for lunch in what looked like a charming little typical restaurant on the side of the road - the aptly named den of the wolf! My husband (who doesn’t drink) and I who had already had a late breakfast and only wanted a small bite, ended up eating only the antipasti, little vegetable plates brought out from the kitchen -- indeed each delectable — as we sat down. I asked for a glass of wine — was brought a half liter of truly undrinkable white) — which I could not even finish. The antipasti on a hot day were more than enough. We were never offered a menu, never saw a price of anything but trusted that the as elsewhere in Salento we would be charged a fair price for a simple meal. When the server told us the meal would cost 50 euros we were shocked. When questioned they randomly reduced the bill to 45, then 40 euros because I had not eaten a pasta that they somehow thought I did. The mamma, who also cooks the delicious food, aggressively suggested that a cover elsewhere in the area would be 6 euros each (I’m not sure where she eats but certainly not in the best tables of Nardò as we do). In the end we paid 20 euros each for a meal with no pasta, no fish and no meat. Never again. To be avoided at all costs. There are so many wonderful places in the area that will leave a much sweeter taste in the mouth after the...

Rating 1 star even though we didn't have a chance to try out, but also precisely for that reason. In short: discouraged due to owner's arrogance and rudeness.

A family of four ahead of us are seemingly asked to return in a while (or so I understood as I don't quite speak Italian), so we don't have much hope that they'll have a table for us three, and so while I wait for them to let me know if they have it, my wife wanders to check the place next door. As the owner sees her checking out the other place, he dismisses us in a rude manner telling me and my daughter that we're better off going with her (my wife) to the place next door (Tre Grazie), which is exactly what we did and was definitely the right choice. We then read some of the reviews from other customers and were not surprised to see very similar comments...

They write whole movies about dining experiences like the one we had at Tana Del Lupo. This was hands down one of the best meals w head in all of Puglia. And the portions are much more amenable for a primi e secondi. Whatever you do absolutely start with the antipasta di casa. It’s a multi dish appetizer serving of very traditional Salento dishes. And it’s absolutely amazing. The orchiette is made by hand by the mom and it will blow your mind. One of the unexpected treats was the homemade wine. The red was refreshing and perfectly matched the food. They also make their own digestives with the lemoncello made with lemons from the daughter’s farm.

If you are lucky the dad will come and sing a song for you. Ask him to sing a song from Galatina and you will be treated to a traditional song sung in the...