A story like others?
Maybe, but this is our story,
therefore unique.
CRISTINA WAS BORN IN A KITCHEN,LITERALLY!
Her father Michele was a grumpy and shrewd man, an old fashioned cook, with heavy hands and a fiery personality. In his restaurant the atmosphere was that of a family meal and Michele’s personality was authoritarian, he was the decision maker, nobody dared to contradict him. He had a winning personality and the exceptional flavors he created delighted palates of politicians, artists, tourists and friends.
So the fame grew quickly and the Dal Baffo restaurant became a reference point of Salento cuisine.
Meanwhile Cristina and her brothers were growing, the playing field was the restaurant tables during closing hours when the summer heat took your breath away and the smell of the sauce filled the room.
Gradually the game was replaced by the need to help mum cut some vegetables or curl the orecchiette. In that way, instead of duty, passion grew.
Cristina Conte, Chef and owner of the LaltroBaffo restaurant, has followed that passion to the end, a passion that has come this far, Cristina decides to challenge the origins of the Salento traditional recipes, giving life to what will become an icon of contemporary Salento cuisine.
​
The selection of ingredients has become a wonderful obsession, the products are seasonal and the wild herbs, of which the Salento offers plenty, bring back the flavors and aromas of this land.
​
The recipes of the past are always Cristina’s primary source of inspiration, but the knowledge of international cuisine is the one to deepen, to reinterpret and then propose this Salento roots in a continuous challenge to taste, perhaps to the memory, as a wise gastronomic research.
​
The team is also a Melting Pot of nationalities: different cultures and techniques, the Far East link with Africa and Northern Europe meets South Salento, but the "vision" remains one:
​
the research for the perfect balance between lightness, pleasure and emotion.
L'ESPRESSO 2020
“Uncompromising, essential and convincing cuisine, the Chef's hand reveals technique, knowledge of the raw material and originality. Comfortable environment with nice terrace and suggestive terrace for the summer season. Room service shines with punctuality and courtesy .
GAMBERO ROSSO 2020
A stone's throw from the splendid Cathedral, in the heart of the historic center, is the Cristina Conte's restaurant, considered by many to be the best address in Otranto. Relaxing space, with a minimal style and very nice furnishings and mise en place.
LONELY PLANET 2020
This elegant modern restaurant near the castle stands out in the gastronomic scene of Otranto. Staying in touch with tradition, it creates new explosive suggestions : the "carbonara" made with sea urchin eggs is a contemporary classic.
