Agriturismo Masseria Le Calie

The setting made the birthday feel special: this lovely masseria sits among nature and has a calm, authentic feel. We celebrated a 30th birthday there, and the staff were kind and attentive, giving us plenty of freedom to decorate and arrange the space our way. It’s easy to get to while still feeling peaceful. We’d happily return, whether for another event or just a day out.

What a disgrace. We got a serious lack of professionalism and staff, and an older man introduced himself proudly as the owner, then told us about his life and sacrifices. Honestly, as guests we weren’t interested, and if he spoke Italian it would have been more appropriate. The food was decent, but tasted frozen or packaged. Calling this a “masseria for events” feels absurd after what we experienced. The incompetence was obvious throughout. You can’t expect better from an owner who isn’t a restaurateur. If you’re a bricklayer, stick to bricklaying instead of claiming expertise in something else. What a shame for beautiful Salento.

I travel a lot and like sharing places, but this one was absurd. The room cost €80 per person and came with no service at all. There was no staff to help at night, and the place was dirty and unprofessional. Even getting in and out meant hauling open and shut a huge iron gate myself after paying as a guest. That’s a real hassle. Shame!

The idea of an all-you-can-eat meat dinner sounded good, and €20 for a really large portion was a low price. The food itself was average, though, and everyone at our table was unhappy with the experience. Our beer still hadn’t arrived an hour after we sat down, and after asking four times for bread, we kept hearing “it’s coming,” but it never did. The meat was cold when it reached us because it had been sitting ready for a while before anyone brought it over. I think the awful service came from not having enough staff. The concept is nice, but they need to consider what the place and its staff can actually handle. I won’t be back.