Vitantonio Lombardo Ristorante

Truly awful. The worst experience in a Michelin-starred restaurant. Awful harsh lighting. The vibe is off. Service was inattentive. Avoid at all costs.The food and experience was uninspiring. Texture and taste was not good on the palate. Having frequented many Michelin starred restaurants something does not add up here.The worst pasta course we experienced on our 2 week Italy trip. I’ve had frozen microwave pasta that is better.We just wanted the meal to end. So skipped a course to speed up the horror show. Desert arrived and it tasted awful, the sorbet still frozen solid in the middle.Asked for the bill. The bill arrived. Waited 15 minutes for the waiter to come and take the card payment. Paid the bill. Finally, time to escape!After we paid, the waiter asked if we enjoyed the meal, we explained the experience was not good. This feedback did not land well with the director of hospitality and the chef.The chef followed/chased us out of the restaurant whilst the rest of the guests looked on at this show. He stood at the edge of the street and watched us as we walked off into the night. Safe in the knowledge that we would never step foot into the terrible place ever again.

Fantastic night in a memorable restaurant. Pleasure to eat there, full respect to the overall professionalism on the plate as well as on the “ground”. Beautiful experience from beginning to the end. Fully deserved Michelin star.

An evening of delight & dramaThe restaurant is located in a beautiful cave - artfully decorated in a simplistic but tasteful style as only Italian designers seem to know how to do with purposeful lighting. We opted for the 6 course degustation & our service staff were charming, professional & took great pride on their service. The menu consisted of ALL the dishes available & one could choose any 6 courses - entrees/mains/desserts in any combination. All dishes were expertly explained & the introduction of our amuse bouche on a tower representing Matera was very dramatic. It was fun to decide on what dishes to select with input from the staff. The arrival of the chef Vitantonio Lombardo in the kitchen was announced by a chorus of Italian voices (we later realised it was only his voice) - sounds of which floated into the restaurant proper whenever the kitchen door opened! There is a clear glass where the tables in the centre of the restaurant can peer through to see the kitchen action. To say the chef is colourful is an understatement - it looked as if his sous chef & helpers were completely under his command as he barked his instructions. All very dramatic (with some people, it may have been a little disconcerting to see the chef seemingly berating his staff) but it all looked like tough love where he was very strict in how the food was cooked, prepared, plated but I must say - every dish that arrived at our table was pure perfection! The chef is a big man (in size & stature) whilst his assistants all seemed much smaller in size so it looked a little like comedic entertainment in a cartoon! The restaurant started to fill up & all dishes seemed to come out of the kitchen in a precise flow. It is obvious perfection is demanded not only in the kitchen but out front with the service staff as well. Each dish was amazing but standout dishes were the black pizza, pigeon cooked in 3 ways & the “Last kiss” dessert where one had to eat it without utensils & a soundtrack (with earphones) was provided whilst eating it. All very novel & fun. A most enjoyable evening - food was stellar & the drama in the kitchen provided entertainment! Reservations are a must & totally recommend this experience when in Matera!

La location del ristorante e' molto suggestiva quanto unica, scavata direttamente nei sassi di Materia. Abbiamo preso il menu degustazione a 7 portate ed ogni singola portata ci ha colpito sia per il gusto sia per l'originalità. Quello che ti aspetti da un ristorante stellato. Su tutte mi e' caduto l'uovo nell'orto" (una composizione di 7 verdure ognuna presentata con una cottura diversa) e "Pizza in black" sono state le nostre preferite. Stella Michelin assolutamente meritata"

Ottima cena, servizio eccellente, esperienza unica, porzioni abbondanti .. abbiamo fatto il menu da 6 portate. Consiglio il dessert “l’ultimo bacio” !

Location vista sassi e chiese rupestri. Arredamento moderno . elegante in grotta tipica materana. Tavoli vista cucina e chef che cucina personalmente. Brigata e chef sorridendi mentre cucinano. Ottima qualità dei piatti proposti. Unico neo il menù va scelto unico per intero tavolo. Tutti piatti ottimi nei sapori e da quadro nella presentazione. Personale in sala attento e ti segue nei percorsi gustativi.Assolutamente da provare e immancabile tappa se a matera

An amazing experience. The staff was completely attentive and the food was absolutely amazing. We had the 8 course which was just the right amount. From start to finish…absolutely fantastic and well deserving of their Michelin Star. Highly recommended

Ristorante di alta cucina, intimo e ricercato. Si mangia divinamente delle porzioni giuste e dopo il pasto passa lo chef a chiedere commenti agli ospiti. Assolutamente consigliato

Un’esperienza unica , dai gusti raffinati accompagnati dalla cortesia e professionalità di Donato , quale ci ha consigliato e seguito dettagliandoci ogni portata. Conto di ritornare al più presto. Grazie mille ancora , Claudia

Ottima esperienza. Ristorante stellato di altissima qualità ed estremamente elegante.Personale gentilissimo e preparato su tutti i piatti.Abbiamo avuto anche l'opportunità (nonché piacere) di salutare e ringraziare lo chef per la magnifica esperienza.