Basilicata is one of Italy's most untouched and dramatic regions, hidden in the instep of the Italian boot. Best known for Matera — a UNESCO World Heritage city carved into ancient ravines — the region also harbors Pollino National Park, the Tyrrhenian resort town of Maratea, ruined Norman castles, and vast stretches of wilderness that have barely changed since antiquity. Carlo Levi immortalized the land in 'Christ Stopped at Eboli', and today the raw beauty that once symbolized isolation has become its greatest draw.
Basilicatan cuisine (cucina lucana) is bold, earthy, and built on preserved meats, dried peppers, hard cheeses, legumes, and handmade pasta. The region was historically poor, so every ingredient is used maximally — pork fat for flavour, stale bread for soups, sun-dried vegetables for winter. The key flavour marker is the peperone crusco — a sweet dried red pepper fried in olive oil until crisp, which appears on pasta, with eggs, and as a standalone snack.
Top restaurants
Handpicked picks for the best dining experiences.
Ristorante Vitantonio Lombardo
This is chef Vitantonio Lombardo's own restaurant, built into a cave dwelling in the Sasso Caveoso and holding a Michelin star. The cooking takes Lucanian pantry staples - cruschi peppers, Murgia lamb, local cheeses - and reworks them into tasting menus with fine-dining plating and technique. The dining room keeps the rock walls and vaulted cave ceiling exposed rather than covering them over, so the setting stays tied to the Sassi even as the food gets modern.
Known for: Farm-to-table tasting menus celebrating indigenous Basilicatan ingredients
Via Madonna delle Virtù 13, 75100 Matera MT, Italy
Baccanti Ristorante
Baccanti is also set inside a Sasso cave, but the food sits a step below full fine dining - reworked Lucanian trattoria dishes like turnip-top orecchiette and black pork braise, plated with more care than a typical osteria but without full tasting-menu pretensions. The stone-vaulted room is dimly lit and atmospheric, which is part of why it's a popular dinner booking in the Sassi.
Known for: Extensive Aglianico del Vulture wine list
Via Sant'Angelo 58–61, 75100 Matera MT, Italy
Trattoria Lucana
A long-running, unpretentious trattoria on Via Lucana serving the kind of home-style Basilicata cooking - hand-shaped pasta, lamb stews, ragù - that predates the Sassi's tourism boom. It's more straightforward dining room than cave-restaurant theater, aimed at people who want a proper plate of regional food without ceremony.
Known for: Decades-old family recipes; legendary ragù sauce
Via Lucana 48, 75100 Matera MT, Italy
Le Botteghe Matera
Popular Basilicatan Slow Food restaurant in Basilicata.
Known for: Curated selection of Basilicata's Slow Food Presidia products
Piazza San Pietro Barisano 22, 75100 Matera MT, Italy
Oi Marì
Popular Southern Italian Modern restaurant in Basilicata.
Known for: Cave dining room in a 10th-century hypogeum
Via Fiorentini 66, 75100 Matera MT, Italy
Don Matteo Ristorante
Don Matteo is one of the cave restaurants carved into the Sassi rock, serving traditional Lucanian dishes - cured soppressata, pork ragù, honey pastries - in a setting where the tufo stone walls and low arched ceilings do a lot of the atmospheric work. The menu stays closer to classic regional cooking than to the more chef-driven reinterpretations found elsewhere in town.
Known for: Dining in an original Sassi cave carved from the rock
Via San Biagio 12, 75100 Matera MT, Italy
Il Terrazzino sui Sassi
Popular Lucana with a view restaurant in Basilicata.
Known for: Terrace with direct panoramic views of the Sasso Caveoso
Vico San Giuseppe 7, 75100 Matera MT, Italy
Osteria al Casale
Popular Home-style Lucana restaurant in Basilicata.
Known for: Farm produce from own land; home-made pasta
Contrada Piscitello, 75100 Matera MT, Italy
Restaurants by cuisine
Browse picks grouped by cuisine type.
Artisan Gelato
Gelateria Lapietra (Matera)
Known for: Seasonal wild berry and local fruit flavours
Via Roma 68, 75100 Matera MT, Italy
Basilicatan
Ristorante Lo Scudo (Melfi)
Known for: View of Melfi Castle from the terrace
Via Vittorio Emanuele 61, 85025 Melfi PZ, Italy
Basilicatan With Wine Focus
La Taverna dell'Oste (Potenza)
Known for: Over 200 wines from Basilicata, Campania, and Puglia
Via Nazario Sauro 8, 85100 Potenza PZ, Italy
Cucina Casalinga Lucana
La Cucina di Mamma
Known for: Budget-friendly home cooking by local family
Via Lucana 230, 75100 Matera MT, Italy
Cucina Lucana
Trattoria del Caveoso (Matera)
Known for: Direct view of Santa Maria de Idris cave church from outdoor tables
Piazza San Pietro Caveoso 3, 75100 Matera MT, Italy
Enoteca
La Cantina di Matera
Known for: 100+ Basilicatan and southern Italian wines
Via Ridola 33, 75100 Matera MT, Italy
Farm
Agriturismo Masseria San Lorenzo (Metaponto)
Known for: All produce grown on-site; award-winning extra virgin olive oil
Contrada San Lorenzo, 75012 Bernalda MT, Italy
Hyper
Locanda del Barbiere (Aliano)
Known for: Village atmosphere in Carlo Levi's adopted hometown; handwritten daily menu
Piazza Roma 3, 75010 Aliano MT, Italy
Italian
Bar Tripoli (Matera)
Known for: The main gathering place on Piazza Vittorio Veneto; perfect for people watching
Piazza Vittorio Veneto 8, 75100 Matera MT, Italy
Lucana
Ristorante Da Mario (Venosa)
Known for: Family-run for over 30 years; lampascioni (wild tassel hyacinth bulbs) a specialty
Via Appia 1, 85029 Venosa PZ, Italy
Lucano
Ristorante Lanterna Verde (Maratea)
Known for: Terrace with views of the Christ the Redeemer statue
Via Rovine 40, 85046 Maratea PZ, Italy
Modern Lucana In A Cave
La Grotta dei Pipistrelli (Matera)
Known for: Atmospheric cave setting under a 7th-century cistern roof
Via Lombardi 3, 75100 Matera MT, Italy
Neapolitan
Pizzeria Due Torri (Matera)
Known for: Wood-fired oven; dough fermented 48 hours
Via Nazionale 12, 75100 Matera MT, Italy
Roasted Meats And Local Snacks
Rosticceria Il Buongustaio (Potenza)
Known for: Local workers' lunch spot; authentic affordable meals
Via Pretoria 77, 85100 Potenza PZ, Italy
Rural Lucana
Ristorante Il Frantoio (Grassano)
Known for: Set in a converted 18th-century oil mill surrounded by olive groves
Contrada Frantoio, 75014 Grassano MT, Italy
Seafood
Osteria del Pescatore (Maratea)
Known for: Fish bought daily from local Maratea fishermen
Via Porto 18, 85046 Maratea PZ, Italy
Traditional Lucana
Taverna Medievale (Venosa)
Known for: Aglianico del Vulture wines by the carafe
Via Roma 67, 85029 Venosa PZ, Italy
Food tours & tastings in Basilicata
Eat your way through Basilicata with a guide.
Browse food experiences in BasilicataWe may earn a commission from bookings made through these links.
Street food
Local flavours at affordable prices.
Focaccia di patate
Potato-stuffed flatbread sold at bakeries; €1–2 (~$1–2.20)
Find it at: Bakeries in Matera and Potenza
Panino con soppressata
Cured pork sandwich — the classic worker's lunch; €3–5 (~$3.25–5.40)
Find it at: Rosticceria Il Buongustaio (Via Pretoria 77, Potenza)
Sgagliozze
Fried polenta squares — street food from the Puglia border area; €2–3 (~$2.20–3.25)
Find it at: Matera market stalls on Fridays
Food markets
Where locals shop and graze.
Mercato di Matera
Mercato di Potenza
Dining etiquette & tips
Navigate the local food scene confidently.
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Food budget guide
What to expect at different price points.
| Level | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | $5-15/meal | Street food, local eateries, and simple restaurants. |
| Mid-range | $15-40/meal | Sit-down restaurants with good service and varied menus. |
| Upscale | $40+/meal | Fine dining, international cuisine, and premium experiences. |