Vitantonio Lombardo Ristorante In Matera

Rather 'usual' michelin restaurant, wonderful compliments and desserts, but rather experimental food, from wow to meh and wtf. If you want experience, go, if taste, avoid Updated the review to 3 stars: same thing after 4 years

Very nice atmosphere, impeccable service on the food honestly I would have expected much more. Unfortunately I have to be honest I would not return.

Visit date: 02/08/2025 - Lunch at 1:00 p.m. Location and Environment Vitantonio Lombardo Ristorante is a charming restaurant, located within a rock formation, which gives it a cozy, intimate and well-designed atmosphere. The lighting is excellent and creates a warm and elegant atmosphere. There is no free public parking nearby, so it is advisable to walk there. Payment by card or cash is accepted. Menu and Gastronomic Experience The restaurant exclusively offers a tasting menu, with no a carte option. There are three formats: • 5 courses: 140 euros • 7 courses: 170 euros • 10 dishes: 200 euros I opted for the 7-course menu, and the experience was more than enough in terms of quantity. The peculiarity of the place is that you can choose the dishes on the menu according to your preference, without a pre-established menu. The pace of the kitchen is adequate, with agile service and no long waits between dishes, which I consider a great plus. Plus, the staff is attentive and offers good wine recommendations. The duration of the intermediate menu was approximately 2 hours, ending at 3:00 p.m. Positive Aspects • Cozy space and attractive design. • Impeccable and attentive service. • Fluid pace of service, without excessive delays between dishes. • Open kitchen visible from the dining room. • Possibility of choosing dishes from the tasting menu. Improvable Aspects • You can't choose your bread: fennel breadsticks and raisin bread are offered, which may not be to everyone's taste. • The two star recommendations (pizza and egg) were not to my liking and seemed expendable to me. • High price compared to other Michelin star restaurants, especially considering the location in a small town and not in a capital. • Excessive price of drinks: a glass of wine cost 20 euros, while the entire bottle is priced at 18 euros, which I consider an abuse. Total Price • Tasting menu (7 courses): 170 euros • Water: 5 euros • Glass of wine: 20 euros • Total per person: 195 euros Dish Selection I chose the following 7 dishes from the tasting menu: 1. Tuna tartar in rapiata cracker, smoked oil crumbs and red onion ice cream. (9/10) 2. I dropped the egg in the garden. 3. Pizza in black. 4. Sweet liquid ravioli with sea urchins, cinnamon and yellow tomatoes. (10/10) 5. Acquerello rice with Grana Padano cheese, peanuts, salted caramel and truffle. (9/10) 6. Sea bass in a black olive crust with turnips, white chocolate and vinegar sauce. (9/10) 7. The last kiss (lemon, capers, almonds and pomegranate). (8/10) In addition, the menu includes an initial presentation with a castle-shaped sculpture where four bites are served, which are present in all tasting menus. A tomato focaccia and house oil is also offered. Before dessert, they serve some petits fours, which include almonds, a chocolate ball (which I didn't try, since I'm not a fan of chocolate) and a natural fruit jelly. Conclusion Although the experience at Vitantonio Lombardo Ristorante is interesting and the service is excellent, I consider that the price is high compared to other Michelin restaurants with more innovative and lower-cost offerings. The tasting menu is flexible and the pace of cooking is agile, but some recommended dishes did not meet my expectations. Final rating: 7.5/10.

Wonderful place, Service worthy of the Michelin star and of this very romantic cave. Donato is an exemplary professional who stands out with his 360 degree preparation of the place and his work, perfect recommended wine and impeccable service from start to finish. Dishes that leave you speechless. Details make the difference and yesterday they did. If I can only give one piece of advice that can only be constructive, I would venture on the musical selection, which in these contexts are very important and are always details that in my opinion help, but this has absolutely no bearing on anything, it is just a personal opinion. Heartfelt thanks to the staff who helped make me and my girlfriend have an unforgettable evening. From the dishwasher to the chef, up to Donato, thank you!

perfect service from Nicola. What good food and good wine list. Thank you

Siamo stati in una domenica di Febbraio con mia moglie, locale ben curato personale molto competente e ben preparato i piatti sono veramente considerevoli la carbonara la pizza black insomma una festività ed un esplosione di gusto . Il menù a sette portata e’ quello perfetto. Dolce finale molto buono

7 services but of unequal quality. Wine package served drop by drop and no wine accompaniment with cheese… blah blah

In September, my husband and I dined at this one-Michelin-starred cave restaurant in Matera. The simple decor emphasized the stunning cave walls and ceiling. I appreciated the option to choose dishes instead of a set menu, especially as someone without a sweet tooth. The waiter recommended dishes marked with years as their best, and we tried: - I Dropped an Egg in the Garden (2013) - Pizza in “Black” (2012) - Sea Bass in Crusted Black Olives, Occhipinti Beans, and White Chocolate Water with Vinegar (2017) - Zitoni with Meat Ragu and its Sauce (2010) - Misery and Nobility (2011) The dishes were beautifully artistic. Our favorites were the sea bass, with its unique pairing of white chocolate, and the egg with vegetables and chocolate cookie crumble. For two people, the HEART 5-course meal with one wine-pairing and a few additional glasses of wine came to 370 euros. Highly recommend for a one-of-a-kind dining experience in a Matera cave.

Favorite bite was the Shrimp Crudo on Lemon Tagliatelle. From start to finish, service was amazing and the wine selections are vast but not intimidating. Overall fantastic experience and congrats to them on Michelin again.

Esperienza con la E maiuscola tra i sassi di Matera. L’interno del ristorante è una vera grotta di tufo dove abbiamo optato per la degustazione di 7 portate con abbinamento vini. É stato uno spettacolo non solo per la gola ma anche per gli occhi e non pensavamo di trovarci così bene. Complimenti!