Brindisi Airport

Brindisi Airport is a small but surprisingly characterful gateway to Puglia, and even before you board your flight, the food scene airside gives you a genuine taste of the region. The main terminal has a handful of cafes and a central bar where you can knock back a proper espresso made with southern Italian beans — strong, dark, and served with the kind of confident brevity that tells you you're already in the south. Grab a cornetto filled with crema pasticcera to go with it and you'll start the day the way the locals do.

For something more substantial, the sit-down options lean into Puglia's most beloved staples. Look for frise — those twice-baked barley rolls softened with a splash of water and topped with ripe tomatoes, olive oil, and oregano — alongside panini stuffed with local cheeses like burrata and caciocavallo. The airport's casual dining counter usually stocks decent portions of orecchiette with tomato sauce, a small but meaningful nod to the pasta shape that defines this corner of Italy. Don't expect haute cuisine, but do expect honest, unpretentious food that punches above its setting.

The bar area near departures is your best bet for a pre-flight glass of Primitivo or Negroamaro, the bold red wines that put Puglia firmly on the wine map. Staff are generally happy to recommend what's open, and the atmosphere — bustling but unhurried — mirrors the pace of life just outside the terminal doors. It's airport dining, yes, but with enough regional soul to send you off with the right flavour of the place lingering on your palate.