The best rustici in Brindisi: where to eat Salento's favourite savoury pastry

What is a rustico?

If you walk into any bar in Brindisi between ten and noon, you will see them in the glass case next to the cornetti: golden discs of puff pastry, about the size of a saucer, slightly domed in the middle. That is the rustico, or rustico leccese, the savoury pastry that the whole of Salento eats standing up.

Inside there are only three things: a spoonful of béchamel, a cube of mozzarella and a touch of tomato, often with a pinch of black pepper or nutmeg. Two discs of puff pastry are sealed around the filling, brushed with egg and baked until the edges puff and shatter. The magic is in the contrast: flaky, buttery pastry outside and a molten, creamy centre.

The story usually told is that the rustico was born in Lecce, where cooks trained in the French style of the Bourbon court brought puff pastry and béchamel to the south, and local bakers paired them with mozzarella and tomato. Whatever the exact history, the rustico is now the signature savoury snack of Lecce, and Brindisi, as the northern gate of Salento, shares the habit.

How do locals eat it?

A rustico is eaten hot, standing at the counter, held in a paper napkin. Order "un rustico, per favore" and the barista will warm it if it is not fresh from the oven. Ask for a glass of water or a cold drink with it, not a cappuccino: Italians keep milky coffee for the morning.

The classic moment is mid-morning, around eleven, the merenda between breakfast and lunch. It is also a quick lunch for people working in the centre, and a late-night snack after an evening on the waterfront: some bars bake rustici until very late.

The one rule is to wait. The béchamel stays very hot long after the pastry feels warm, and the first bite of a rustico fresh from the oven is a classic way to burn your mouth. Break it in half, let the steam out, count to sixty.

How much does a rustico cost?

At the counter of a bar in Brindisi a rustico usually costs around 2 to 3 euro. In Lecce's historic centre, where prices have risen with tourism, recent surveys put the average at about 2.40 euro and the most expensive at close to 3. Sitting at a table always costs more than standing at the bar, as everywhere in Italy.

A good rustico is not about price but freshness. Italian consumer groups have warned that some bars sell reheated frozen rustici. The tell-tale signs of a fresh one are irregular, very flaky edges, a filling that is creamy rather than rubbery, and a tray that empties and refills during the morning.

Where to eat the best rustici in Brindisi

These are the places in Brindisi city where locals and visitors go for a rustico. Walking times are from BDS House in Vico D'Orimini, at the edge of the old town. Opening hours change with the seasons, so check Google Maps before you go.

• Caffè Ausonia 1963. Corso Garibaldi 91, about 4 minutes on foot. The historic bar of Brindisi's main street, open from 5:30 in the morning, with more than a thousand reviews. The rustico is one of its specialities, alongside excellent pasticciotti and cornetti. One reviewer summed it up: the rustico is obviously a Lecce thing, "but in Brindisi this is unbeatable". If you only try one, try this one.
• American Bar. Corso Garibaldi 24, one minute from the house. A simple neighbourhood bar at the top of the Corso, opening at 7:30, where the rustico gets warm words from regulars. Perfect for a quick one on your way out in the morning.
• Enogastronomia Il Salumino. Via Carmine 27, about 6 minutes on foot. A delicatessen with cured meats, cheeses and a small hot counter, rated 4.7: rustici and other baked snacks to take away, and the place to build a picnic for the beach.
• Lu Furnu. Via Pisanelli 24, next to the covered market, about 4 minutes on foot. A bakery and rosticceria with focaccia, pucce, panzerotti and pizza by the slice: a good stop if you want to compare the rustico with other Apulian street food. Opening days can be limited.
• Panificio Pane e Pomodoro. Via Cristoforo Colombo, about 10 minutes on foot. A busy bakery with a large rosticceria counter, focaccia and ready-made dishes, popular with locals for a quick lunch at fair prices.
• La Capannina. Viale Duca degli Abruzzi 4, on the seafront, about 15 minutes on foot. A seaside bar, open daily from early morning to the evening, where the rustico is listed among the specialities. Order one with a drink and sit facing the sea.
• Peddy Bar. Via Appia 105, about 20 minutes on foot or 5 by car. A pastry shop and bar open 24 hours, which makes it the place for a rustico after midnight or before an early flight. Reviewers mention "pasticciotti and rustici, excellent, straight out of the oven".

Rustico, panzerotto, pizzetta: what is the difference?

The glass case of a Brindisi bar can be confusing. These are the savoury pieces you will see most often, and how to tell them apart.

The rustico is the only one made with puff pastry and béchamel, which is why it feels richer than the rest. If you like it, our guide to what to eat in Brindisi covers the rest of the counter, from pucce to panzerotti.

A rustico morning from BDS House

Here is how I would spend a morning around the rustico. Start at nine with a cappuccino and a pasticciotto at Caffè Ausonia, four minutes from the house. Walk down Corso Garibaldi to the waterfront and the Roman column at the end of the Via Appia. Around eleven, when the second tray comes out of the oven, go back for a rustico and a cold drink: you are now eating like a local.

In the afternoon, compare it with the original. Lecce is about 35 to 40 minutes away by car or train, and its bars bake rustici all day. Our guide to Brindisi vs Lecce explains why many visitors sleep in Brindisi and spend a day in Lecce, and our guide to the best pasticciotti in Salento takes care of the sweet side.