La Lopa

I found this lovely little place when looking for a restaurant upon my arrival in Matera, looking for local cuisine. Such a pretty little place, lots of small rooms spreading out from the center of the restaurant, which made for lots of private space in which to have dinner. The food was delicious, obviously carefully prepared. The bubbles so good I ordered a bottle to take away. : ) They have a great selection of local wines, and offer wrapped bottles of all of their selections if you want to take something home. The service was also very nice, attentive and the staff warm and congenial. The big bonus here is their downstairs cave cinema, which shows clips of all of the movies filmed in Matera (of which there are MANY, going back to the 1950s!). End of meal, I sipped my amaro down there while watching all of the cinematic drama unfold. What a nice surprise! Highly recommend this restaurant for all of the reasons mentioned. A stellar find.

The slow cooked lamb special was way over salted and full of gristle. We did not eat it my advice is do not order this. We had ordered a starter a first course and two second courses. The starter and one second course arrived. Service was slow for the next dishes until finally the waiter admitted that the order had been lost. The next first and second were then served together! The food apart from the lamb special, was ok not impressive just ok . Best part of the pork cheek dish was the vegetables with the mint. Tip if you put a candle on the table please light it. Best part of the meal was the wine, I think that’s enough said. In summary we felt like the ornament on their table.

Nunzia took amazing care of us. We loved trying this local restaurant and tasting some of their most iconic dishes some recipes are still made by the mom! It was a wonderful experience from appetizer to dessert. And the cherry of th cake was a little movie theater inside the cave where you can watch all the movies that were filmed in Matera. See you soon!

I was eating on my own and all staff was incredibly friendly and made me feel like at home. Not only was the food incredibly but also the venue is out of this world. Downstairs they have a projector showing clips of all movies filmed in Matera, what a truly unique experience - thank you!!

Absolutely incredible experience. From the outside it looks unassuming, but step inside and you’re taken down into a stunning cave-like setting carved into the rock—completely unique and full of character. The food was exceptional. The pasta was some of the best I’ve had—fresh, beautifully balanced, and packed with flavour. Simple ingredients, executed perfectly, which is exactly what great Italian cooking should be. Service was warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming without ever feeling overbearing. You can tell there’s real pride in both the food and the experience. Paired with a great local wine, it made for a memorable evening in Matera. If you want authentic, traditional food in an unforgettable setting, this place is a must. Easily one of the highlights of our trip.