Sensi | Gelateria Artigianale — Restaurant in Lecce

Listen. You will see TikToks and blogs saying, “don’t go anywhere with big pans of gelato!! It’s no good.” Baloney. You can watch plenty of shops hold pans up to their machines as they pump out house-made gelato, top it with local goods, and carry it straight to the cooler. (Do you want to put a thermometer in it and check for technique or do you want to enjoy it? This is coming from someone with a culinary degree in pastry.)

All that to say, you will get very good versions of the classics here and if you are a mix-in junkie, get the Raffaello and pair it with the caffe and go to gelato heaven. I went to plenty of stuffy artisanal gelaterias in a couple dozen towns. Most were great and none were as good as Sensi. This is a don’t miss. (It’s also sparkling clean and the folks were nice!)

The coffee granita is killer too…. It’s not traditional granita, but a coarse coffee slush and it’s perfect for a light and refreshing treat...

Ice cream is alright, but the rudeness of staff was beyond… None of 3 staff members at the front could explain their system - each cone type is a different number of scoops (and eg taking the biggest cone for €5 gives you a certain number of scoops - we thought you pay per scoop, not per cone). None of them spoke English and were annoyed I don’t understand Italian. Lastly one of them called a person from the back to come and translate for them. She did know a few words in English but was so rude she left us speechless. Shouting at me at the end “Are you satisfied now?” Go learn any foreign language first and then ask me if I am satisfied. Ridiculous. I recommend you go to a different gelateria, there’s one right on the same street a couple meters down the street with...

Sensi on Corso Vittorio Emmanuele II is by far the best gelateria in Lecce. Its gelato flavors taste rich, sophisticated and not too sweet, surpassing the same flavors offered by other gelato shops in the city. My most favorite flavors are Degli Angeli, Fragola and Variegato Amarena. Its fragola (strawberry) gelato tastes like real strawberry. I enjoyed Sensi gelato almost every day when I visited Lecce. I...