L'orchidea

Set within the evocative surroundings of a fourteenth-century masseria, nestled within a park of centuries-old trees, this venue presents one of the most interesting gastronomic experiences in the Puglian countryside near Polignano. At the time of our visit, the menu takes the form of a single tasting menu available in five or seven courses, through which Michele Spadaro interprets the flavours of regional tradition with creative verve. We are told that a more accessible option for the interior dining room is also forthcoming, designed for guests spending longer in this setting of great allure

Founded in 1969 by Martino Marsella, the restaurant has its roots in the tradition of the Apulian butcher’s shop with grill, of which it became a natural gastronomic extension. To this day the management remains firmly in family hands and meat continues to occupy a central role on the menu, as the excellent breaded capocollo readily attests. Alongside these, freshly harvested vegetables, drawn in part from the family’s own kitchen gardens, find their place, together with a generous procession of antipasti and first courses frequently entrusted to fresh pasta, such as the riccioli sampled durin

This new, restored restaurant in the upper part of the Sassi (yet still near the centre of Matera and its car parks) has a warm friendly ambience and boasts a small, charming outdoor space. Here, an entire family (father in the kitchen, mother and daughter front of house), who moved to Matera from Venosa (home of the Latin poet Horatio), serves regional cuisine with a contemporary twist and no little skill and professionalism. Various tasting menus are available, as well as an à la carte. An interesting wine list completes the picture.

Sharing its entrance with the Relais Villa San Martino, the car park leads to a cluster of romantic trulli surrounded by a small vineyard. The kitchen is entrusted to the Pellegrino-Potì duo from the nearby gourmet restaurant, yet here it is tradition that holds sway: dishes rich in flavour, often cooked in the wood-fired oven, with a menu that changes frequently to follow the freshness of the season and the market. A straightforward and satisfying offering that honours ancient techniques and the produce of the territory within a setting of great rural charm.

This welcoming, contemporary-style restaurant with a large open-view kitchen serves two different types of cuisine – one regional and Mediterranean in style, the other more creative allowing the chef’s culinary skills to take centre stage. The black rice tacos with roasted eel, green beans, soya bean sprouts and spicy hummus mayo are truly delicious – definitely to be eaten with the hands!

A small and dependable institution of the city, consolidated over decades of family management that have brought the establishment to its third generation. Fish has always been the speciality, prepared along classical lines and served in comforting recipes such as the seafood salad, various raw preparations, and dishes cooked in the pan or over the grill. Dishes that are only apparently simple, drawing out to the full the freshness and quality of the catch from the Ionian Sea.

This restaurant at the entrance to the historic centre boasts a delightful garden which leads to a porch where tables are set out in summer – an enchanting setting that feels as though you’re eating in the countryside despite the village location. The chefs’ imagination knows no bounds in complex and elaborate dishes that focus on ingredients from Puglia and are grouped into themed tasting menus.