Awaitingtable Reviews 7

What a spectacular week—packed with hands-on culinary instruction and educational deep dives into so many aspects of Salento and Puglia. Silvestro is an ideal host and leader: gracious, patient, funny, charming, extremely knowledgeable. The week could easily have been a bore. Would Silvestro keep us engaged across five full days? Would we tire of making pasta, day after day? Would we walk away enriched and enlivened, or relieved to be done? We could easily have stayed another week. We returned to Colorado flooded with grand memories, newfound culinary passions and a keen desire to return to Awaiting Table for another one of Silvestro's fabulous classes. I'd recommend any class at Awaiting Table. Silvestro is a hospitality pro, fantastic raconteur, astute listener and thrilling educator. We most certainly will return to gorgeous Lecce for another Awaiting Table class.

We just returned from an extraordinary week in Lecce with Silvestro at The Awaiting Table, and I can honestly say it was one of the most memorable and enriching travel experiences we've ever had.

We first met Silvestro during a one-day class back in October 2021 as part of a Puglia food tour. Even then, we were blown away by his depth of knowledge, his passion for Salento's culinary traditions, and the way he paired incredible food with exceptional local wines. That brief introduction left a lasting impression—so much so that we knew we had to return for the full week-long experience. This time, we brought friends along, and it exceeded every expectation.

Silvestro, along with his lovely assistants Anna and Antonella, are deeply devoted to the food, wine, culture, and history of Salento. What makes this course so special is how immersive and personal it feels. Each day included a morning visit to the markets—sometimes the fishmonger, a local butcher, or a charming wine shop—followed by hands-on cooking sessions where we learned to handcraft various regional pasta shapes, work with wild greens (and learn about the surprisingly political nature of them!), and cook traditional dishes with care and purpose.

The days were long but joyful, with lunch and dinner prepared and enjoyed together, always with a thoughtfully paired local wine. We cooked, laughed, learned, and feasted—often finishing close to midnight, happily full and completely satisfied.

Conversations flowed just as easily as the wine: from the nuances of olive oil and amari, to the complexities of wine classification, to the art of Salento coffee and gelato. Silvestro is witty, welcoming, and incredibly knowledgeable. Whether you’re an accomplished cook or an enthusiastic beginner, you’ll feel at home in his kitchen.

One of the unexpected highlights was the camaraderie among the guests. Despite our varied cooking backgrounds, we all clicked and have become great friends. Sharing the joy of cooking and discovery in such an intimate setting really brought us together.

I returned home with five bottles of Silvestro’s exquisite house-made olive oil—both a delicious souvenir and a way to keep the memories of this brilliant week alive.

If you’re even remotely interested in Italian cooking, culture, or just having an unforgettable travel experience, The Awaiting Table is not to be missed.

What a fabulous experience!
Our group was the first week-long class after Silvestro moved his entire business to a new location within the historic center of Lecce. You could notice some of the hard work behind the scenes: all the kitchen tools were ready, while some boxes were still waiting to be unpacked.
Every day started with a stroll through town to the market to buy fresh produce directly from the farmer. We might also stop for cheese, fish, or meat depending on the dishes we were going to cook.
Throughout the week we learned to make six pasta shapes, and sauces, main and side dishes, all traditional to Puglia.
Once we sat down, we tasted varieties of olive oil, the food we had made together, several wines, and after-dinner amari.
We learned so much in just five days, but the pace never felt rushed. There was lots of time for discussion, connection, and laughter.
Bravo to Silvestro and this staff!

We planned an entire trip just to Lecce, Italy around a week long cooking class at Awaiting Table. Flying from Denver, Colorado we took a massive chance that this course would be worth it, and we are so thrilled we did! What a phenomenal week we had with Silvestro and his amazing team in his gorgeous cooking and dining space.

We met every morning to forage in the markets for our lunch and dinner provisions. After which we spent time learning a new pasta shape or two that would be featured in one of the many dishes we would enjoy. Not only did we learn how to make pasta and/or meat/seafood/veggie dishes from the region, but we learned the why.

After a week, I have not only a real appreciation for the food of the region, but also the history. The five days we spent in the company of Silvestro were full of fascinating stories, amazing food, delicious wine and wonderful company.

Silvestro has been doing this for over 20 years and he knows how to create a space for deep learning and engagement with his students. There was never a moment in the entire week when I wanted to be anywhere other than right there, learning and absorbing all that I could from Silvestro and his vast knowledge of food, wine and history of the region.

We are already plotting how we can go back again next year!

This last week at Awaiting Table in Lecce was something really special. It wasn’t just about learning recipes—it was about immersing yourself in a way of cooking and living that feels deeply rooted in place and tradition.

Silvestro has an amazing way of blending hands-on kitchen time with stories of local history, food culture, and regional wine. Even with a good amount of cooking experience, I learned so much—especially about the why behind the dishes, not just the how. His approach is thoughtful, unpretentious, and full of passion about local food and wine culture.

The group dynamic was also great. Conversations flowed as easily as the wine, and it was a joy to cook, eat, and learn together.

If you’re even remotely into food—and especially if you love Italian cooking—this is absolutely worth doing. It’s the kind of experience that stays with you!

I did the 5 day cooking course with AwaitingTable (Silvestro) and it was honestly one of the best travel experiences I’ve ever had. It was the perfect combination of learning local history, Italian culture, wine appreciation and building the foundations for Italian cooking. I was definitely the least experienced cook in the group but it didn’t matter at all. Silvestro made it accessible for everyone, informative, fun and above all, for me, a new found desire to continue on my cooking journey (with a special place in my heart for Italian food).

His team were friendly, passionate and made every effort to guide you with the feeling of ‘your mother’s kitchen’ coupled with deep and local culinary experience.

We’d a fantastic group for the week that amplified the entire experience and also had individuals and couples join for a day or half-day through the week. Always adding a new energy and dynamic.

I honestly can’t recommend enough; whether you’re a solo traveler, a couple or group…AwaitingTable is a must do on any planned visits to Puglia.

Cancelled a history tour, food market tour, and cooking class the day we arrived after flying to Italy to do this as a special birthday celebration.

Didn't even inform me until 2 hours after I checked in with them. Said they didn't have new tables. Not sure why that affected the tours, or why they could but use old or alternative loan tables. Total let down. Rude response saying "they'd love me to attend next time in in Puglia".

Suspicious they wanted payment in cash too.