14 Piazza Duomo

Tel: 39-0835-334358

Chef Nicola Vizzari's Palazzo Gattini restaurant, attached to the hotel of the same name, is the latest addition to a collection of Matera restaurants that highlight highly prized regional ingredients. Vizzari's simple, sophisticated spot mixes French chandeliers with local terra-cotta cuckoo whistles and highlights long-prized varieties of olives, oils, wines, and even beans. These heirloom ingredients are put to delicious use: A purée of fagioli di Sarconi is an earthy base for pasta with oysters and calamaretti, while a tartare of purple Lucanian olives spices a delicate turbot.
Tip: Wines are just as exciting—a tasting of Aglianicos, including a Cantine del Notaio 2004 from La Firma and a bottle of Benedetto from the owner's own vineyards, was surprisingly varied (prix fixes, $45–$72).