They call it “Grecia Salentina”, the linguistic island in the province of Lecce that marks the boundaries of the nine villages where Griko – the neo-Greek dialect – is still spoken. One of these is Corigliano d’Otranto, and in its light-coloured stone lanes there is a former underground olive mill from 1350 where lively, fashionable dishes are served.

“Summer. Friends, good wine and the magic of our little lane” – this is what Samuele Toma, young chef and owner of his Sinódia, loves to repeat. In the lanes of the ancient heart of Corigliano d’Otranto, beneath the vaulted ceilings of a 14th-century underground mill, his restaurant comes to life.