Beautiful space with a generous charcutterie platter…read more Black pork sausage, pecorino and sundried tomatoes were the highlights. The bread and cheese shine alongside the Materan primitivo the sommelier selected for us.

We recently dined at Ai Palmenti Ristorante during a trip through Southern Italy, and unfortunately…read morethe experience was quite mixed. The food itself was decent--there were some good flavors and the dishes showed promise. Nothing extraordinary, but certainly enjoyable enough. However, the service was among the worst we've encountered during several weeks traveling across Southern Italy and Sicily. It was inattentive, slow, and at times felt dismissive, which really detracted from the overall experience. What was most surprising--and disappointing--was the billing. The restaurant added what was effectively an "American-style" extra charge, including a bread fee and a cover charge that came to about €15 per person. While a small coperto is common in Italy, this felt excessive and was not clearly communicated upfront. Overall, while the kitchen shows potential, the poor service and unexpected charges make it difficult to recommend. There are many better options in Matera that offer both great food and a more welcoming, transparent experience.

We had a wonderful time here, had a nice couple of glasses of wine and the food was very nice. The…read morepeople were very friendly and kind.

When you finally figure out where Matera, Italy is... BEAUTIFUL untouched city with the most…read morewonderful people in the world be sure to go to Enoteca dai Tosi. The architect is chic and fantastico! BUT it is the people who make this place a must go to!!! Alberto is charming, charismatic and a perfectionist. He will make sure you are 110% satisfied. John Paola the owner is engaging and wonderful. And Giuseppe is attentive and a pleasure. If I could give this place more stars I would. Ciao!

A small local Osteria tucked into a sasso overlooking the Sasso Barisano district of Matera. Off…read moreVia delle Beccherie. Nice, reasonably-priced and authentic selection of Lucanian pasta, meats and veggies. Great place for a nice lunch. Owners polite and helpful. Good selection of local wines. I'd certainly go there again.

On a spur of the moment we came in…read more The meat and cheese to share I had a pillow shape pasta with white fish and olives and capers and my wife had a twisted pasta with bacon and portobello slices. Just a terrific lunch. Won't need dinner.

Wonderful outdoor bistro right next to the Chiesa di San Pietro Caveoso and beautiful views of…read moreMatera! The pasta here are incredible! Local dishes and local flavors are non like you have tried before. We ordered a large prosciutto platter with different tasting of cheese (burrata, pecorino, and another kind). Must get this to pair with their homemade bread! Tried two different kinds of local pastas, including the orecchiette. And a pork rolls with gravy and side salad. This restaurant is a must try for local Matera cuisine!

Sweet, beautiful Matera. A place that seems made by a careless god, but which actually has more…read moreplanning and thought than you might think, all it takes is a visit to the ungrounded cisterns to understand that. We discovered areaotto our first evening in Matera, after dropping our bags off at our hotel in the sassi, we wanted a place to stop and have a drink and ended up staying here much longer than we imagined. Jutting off the side of a wall, during the day it is a communications agency, and night it turns into a bar and sort of disco. A dj plays cool tunes from the back of an ape vehicle, vintage and mis-matches chairs pepper the terrace. We settled into some old cinema chairs and ordered a moscow mule and a negroni sbagliato infused with ginger. Hot damn, these drinks were spot on, and for the cheap price 6€. My moscow mule was made with true ginger beer and in a copper mug. While they off an evening aperitivo buffet, we ordered off the a la carte menu, fava and chicory purée, a few bruschetta, and a mixed cheese platter. All were well-presented and tasted fabulous. We ordered tiramisu for dessert, which was made in a deconstructed style complete with your very own 'mezza-tazza' moka mug, so cool! The interior of areaotto is like a dream, a shabby-chic design one at that. The owner clearly put a lot of effort and love into this place and it shows. Mikaela the owner even took us to visit the secret back room, made in a speakeasy style complete with a James Bond mechanical pop-up bar. I could not love this place more if I tried, well-done! A very prime example of just how far this once-abandoned town considered the 'shame of Italy' has come.