"You can have the best chef in the world but if the service isn't equally good you're likely to fail. La Corte dei Pandolfi may be perilously close to this situation, allow me to explain why. The lunchtime menu was commendably concise and devoid...of the kind of dishes so beloved of international tourists so we were off to a good start. From the concise menu, I attempted to order the Wagyu beef skewers but they were “off”. Would it hurt to indicate this on the menu? As I was in the mood for some red meat, I ordered the beef tartare. A very good cut of beef, coarsely chopped, (no mince here), but possibly a little too coarse. Served without the traditional accompaniments of egg yolk, capers and other flavour enhancers. All in all pretty bland but a decent enough start. I followed this with a superb red-prawn spaghettone. Perfect pasta, topped with deliciously sweet, raw prawns, delicately seasoned. Top marks for the pasta. My wife began with a Burrata, served with Coppa, which also earned top marks. Two absolute top quality examples of cheese and charcuterie. Her pasta with clams and tuna bottarga was good, (if a little heavy on the fish roe), which totally dominated the dish. Dessert? Well there was only one on the menu but we didn't get to try it. We were asked would we like a dessert and said yes. The young, solitary waiter disappeared and that was that we thought. The table was cleared and we waited… and waited. We were the only two covers this particular lunch time, so I doubt the kitchen was too busy. However after half an hour, I decided to call it a day. Obviously the young waiter had forgotten our order. So I politely interrupted the conversation he was having with another young man, (not in kitchen whites), paid our bill and left. I doubt this place will be open for long; if our experience is typical. This will be a sad day, as the chef is obviously very talented. Talent in the kitchen isn’t the only reason diners visit a restaurant. Demonstrated by the fact that the place next door was packed, (can't comment on their food, didn't eat there). All may not be lost however. We had another four days in Lecce and the waiter that served us, (or didn’t), wasn’t seen in the evening and customer numbers seemed better than the day of our visit. La Corte dei Pandolfi does get a professional guide recommendation, so I must conclude we visited on a bad day. If our experience is typical, I predict it may not make next years guide."
