Da Vincenzo

Authentic Italian restaurant with great cooking and incredible value for money. Really appreciated patient and kind service:)

I can't fault this place, a little untidy, not well decorated, there are no staff to review but what an authentic experience. We chose this place more out of curiosity than anything else. Vincenzo's wife was petting their dog on the step and we walked past thinking "Where is this restaurant?" We backtracked and were welcomed in, it was a little late for them in retrospect, it was about 8 and they close at 9.30. Vincenzo greeted us effusively in Italian without considering our language but, we understood and took a table. The conversation continued with an almost telepathic understanding as our host explained what we were going to eat, understanding that my wife is a vegetarian was a cue for him invent a new dish, it seemed. The meal and house wine arrives after antipasto and bread. I had the carbonara sofie had a delightful pasta with a beautiful tomato based sauce with a little chilli and other tasty ingredients. After the meal Vincenzo and I had a discussion about our cooking methods, they turned out to be similar in some interesting ways, like mashing and cooking the tomatoes with peppers for 3 to 4 hours and other "secrets" we shared. It was nothing like going to a restaurant, more like visiting an old friend and discussing food. Arrive early if you are after one of his beautiful sounding seafood dishes. Worth travelling to potenza just for this. He has no card machine so, make sure you have cash

We visited Potenza on a very slow, quiet day during the afternoon when almost everything was closed. We happened upon Vincenzo’s restaurant and had a lovely experience. We speak zero Italian, but Vincenzo - who does not speak any English - was welcoming and enthusiastic. He does not have a menu, but a few specific dishes to choose from. We took a stab at ordering verbally and were surprised by what we received, but pleasantly so. The food was great and we were happy we took the leap.

Amazing local ristorante with exceptional food with a homemade feel. The owner pretty much choose the menu for our dinner (which I recommend) and it was delish! We are 2 Australians and loved it!! Such a relaxed family run business with amazing food!

Vincenzo is simply incredible. We went in, only knowing some Italian, and Vincenzo was very patient with us. He was able to make a wonderful vegetarian and dairy free meal, as well as a classic ragù. Truly a special experience for our first night in Italy. When you go, don’t expect a traditional menu, what he serves is based on your preference and what ingredients he has available. If you aren’t a native speaker, either have some Italian, or bring google translate prepared. It’s worth the effort!