Overview

The go-to place to discover local gastronomic traditions

In a splendid 18th-century wine cellar carved entirely out of the tuff rock, stands the restaurant and pizzeria “La Cola Cola”. This charming location, open for both lunch and dinner, is set among the beautiful landscape of the Gravina di Matera.

The restaurant has three rooms with exposed stone on three levels that can seat up to a hundred diners. As the spring season arrives, the panoramic terrace opens up, from where you can enjoy stunning views of the Città dei Sassi.

It is a family-run business managed by Valeria and Giuseppe, who reproduce the great dishes of local gastronomic tradition, paying particular attention to seasonality and the selection of zero food mile products. Don't miss the first course of fresh pasta with chickpeas and king trumpet mushrooms, sliced pork sausages prepared following traditional peasant techniques, beef and horse steaks, and some typical appetisers, including knot-shaped cheese “nodini” and “cialledda”, a dish of stale bread, tomatoes, red onion and oregano.

These delicacies are accompanied by a variety of delicious local wines from renowned regional wineries, including Fine Primitivo wine, Aglianico red wine, rosé and white wines. The menu also includes a fantastic selection of pizzas to try, which are, however, only available in the evenings.