IL PIZZICOTTO Lecce Pizza Review: Best Slice in Puglia

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Lecce Food Guide

IL PIZZICOTTO

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ⓒ Words & Photos by Nomad Ssalmi

When in Italy,

you absolutely have to try the pizza!

As I was wandering through the historic streets of Lecce,

I kept spotting pizza boxes

in the hands of so many people.

That's when I knew—this had to be a certified local favorite!

I immediately searched it up on Google Maps and headed straight there.

Let me introduce you to this incredible pizza spot,

IL PIZZICOTTO.

1. IL PIZZICOTTO Basic Info

IL PIZZICOTTO is

a pizza spot specializing in

the traditional Italian style called

Pizza al Taglio (pizza by the slice),

where they cut your slice

and charge you by weight (kg).

As you might guess from the scissors logo

on the Il Pizzicotto sign,

once you choose your favorite pizza,

they literally snip off your slice with kitchen shears.

In fact, this spot

has been consistently recommended

by Le Routard from 2018 all the way through 2025,

proving it's a tried-and-true favorite for both locals and travelers.

2. A Look Inside

The indoor space is super cozy and compact.

Honestly, you should expect

almost no seating inside.

There is a small bar counter,

but with so many people coming in to order,

it didn't look very practical to sit there and eat.

They display a mouthwatering variety of pizzas in a glass display case.

Just pick what you want,

and they’ll cut it to your desired size.

Once cut, they pop it right back into the oven to reheat it,

so you get to enjoy your slice nice and hot!

Although there's a menu board,

not every single option listed

seemed to be on display at the moment.

From truffle potato,

zucchini-topped pizza,

to fresh ham and arugula toppings—there are so many options!

The customers ahead of me

ordered the pizza on the left,

so I asked for the same.

But the staff kindly warned me, "It has anchovies in it, is that okay?"

I immediately changed my mind 🤣

If you're unsure about the ingredients,

just ask! They are incredibly friendly

and happy to explain everything.

The one on the left is a simple cheese & tomato sauce pizza,

and the one on the right is topped with sausage and mushrooms.

When you choose your pizza,

"This much? Or less?"

they’ll ask you to confirm the size.

I loved that you can customize the portion exactly to your liking!

Once you decide, they snip-snip it away with these cool-looking scissors!

Since so many Google reviews

highly recommended the truffle potato pizza,

I knew I absolutely had to try it

and picked it first without hesitation.

Prices vary by weight depending on the toppings,

so they’ll weigh your slice to determine the price.

Once you pay and they reheat it in the oven,

you can grab it and head outside to eat.

There are outdoor tables set up

where you can sit and enjoy your meal.

The neighboring spots also have

similar outdoor dining setups,

so this particular place only had about 4 tables.

Cars drive past right next to you,

people stroll by, and even pigeons wander past—

it has a very lively, "in-the-wild" vibe,

but honestly, I absolutely live for this kind of atmosphere! 😍

The pizza menu is pictured above.

But since it's hard to tell what's what just by reading,

it's actually much easier to just point at the display

and ask about the ingredients.

The prices listed are per kilogram.

The drinks menu was easy to read,

so we just ordered from the menu board.

We ordered a lemon soda,

and the staff kindly let us know

we could use disposable cups to share it.

3. Food Review

Our pizzas are served!

For three different kinds of pizza and a lemon soda,

the total came out to around €15 (approx. $16).

The portions were bigger than we expected,

so we stuffed ourselves.

Incredible value for money, right?

This is my absolute number one pick:

the Truffle Potato Pizza (€20.90/kg, approx. $23/kg).

It features thinly sliced potatoes

layered over the dough,

topped with a rich drizzle of truffle cream.

You seriously have to try this.

The aroma of truffle is so intense,

and with just one bite, your mouth is filled

with this incredible, rich flavor.

Wow, I couldn't stop thinking about it even after we left.

I'm definitely planning to go back one more time

before leaving Lecce.

The green garnish on top is parsley,

so it doesn't have any polarizing flavor.

The next flavor we chose was

La Bufala (€17.58/kg, approx. $19/kg).

It's a beautifully simple slice topped with tomato sauce,

creamy buffalo mozzarella, and fresh basil.

Classic and elegant.

The Puglia region is famous

for its amazing mozzarella,

and this one in particular is made with buffalo milk—

Buffalo Mozzarella (Bufala Mozzarella).

The pizza tasted exactly like you'd hope,

and since I had never tried authentic bufala mozzarella before,

I wanted to order it for the experience.

The bufala mozzarella was so delicious that

I actually bought some at a local market later on,

and it's absolutely delicious topped on sandwiches or tossed in salads!

This next pizza was my husband's absolute favorite:

La Norcina (17.58/kg).

It's loaded with savory salsiccia sausage, mushrooms, saffron,

and creamy stracciatella cheese.

The aroma and rich umami flavor of this one

were absolutely incredible.

The subtle earthy notes of the mushrooms

perfectly balanced the savory saltiness of the salsiccia sausage—

it was incredibly delicious.

Even though it's technically sausage,

the texture feels more like minced meat or savory bulgogi,

creating a unique flavor profile you won't easily find anywhere else.

4. Wrapping Up

IL PIZZICOTTO

isn't a fancy, high-end restaurant,

but it's the perfect spot to soak in those authentic Italian vibes

while enjoying some seriously amazing pizza.

If you're exploring Lecce

and looking for a delicious, budget-friendly meal,

I highly recommend giving IL PIZZICOTTO a try!

I hope this post helps make your travels

even more delicious and memorable.