An example of a traditional dwelling house in Matera, the way people in Sasi used to live. It is both interesting and a bit creepy. The man at the counter was really nice and communicative.

Truly shows the unbelievable conditions in which people used to live in old Matera back then - highly recommended place to see when here. They also play a very good educational video.

Very interesting to see how did they used to live not long time ago. The ladies working in the museum are very friendly and helpful, probably the nicest we found in the whole trip. You need to enter at a given time and you can hear an explanation/ audio guide on your mobile.

It’s about an amazing experience! I ve been there three years ago! Sassi di Matera is not only one of the most remarkable “monuments/places” of UNESCO but also an breathtakingly stunning sightseeing! I do love this divine area and I’ll be back the sooner possible! It’s well worth visiting!!!

An interesting although perhaps not very deep dive look into the home life of a typical cave dwelling family in Matera. The online audioguide is decent although the same text is also available on the wall mounted signs. Not having made a reservation, we we're booked into a group 35 minutes after we first stopped by. This gave us time to visit the Madonna di Idris cave church before coming back to Casa Grotta.

Very interesting to see the inside. We found the video shown in room 3 very informative and a great place escape a rainy day. €3 entry fee is very reasonable.

So informative, free English translation audio guide with ticket, beautiful views, documentary video, and multiple rooms including not just the house but also a church and an ice storage area! Great value for money and lots of fun entertainment for all ages.

Very good museum in fully equipped typical cave with presentation of real peasant life in old Matera. Wonderful guide and explanation of real life in those times.

The history of Matera is not just beautiful, but also tragic. In just half an hour a film, projected on the walls of different rooms of this historici Sassi house, takes you through all of it. The shop has a wide range of history related books and other souvenirs. I will never look at Matera the same way. Highly recommended.

Wonderful film covering the history of Matera - detailed and accessible. Audio translation available in English and French.

the house is divided in 4 rooms, where you can watch a movie about the history of Matera. very emotional, and great experience

Interesting place. Basically it is a short movie about Matera history, so you should not expect to see some exhibitions apart from the old house itself. I would rather dedicate time for some cave house with preserved furniture.

Sensitively communicates some of the history of the Sassi using projections onto the walls of the rooms left to the foundation. The soundtrack is in Italian but English is available via a headset device (with Corona correct earpiece covers)

100% must do if you are interested about the history of the city. The movie is +/- 30 mins long which is not too demanding for your attention span. We highly recommend. There is also a room with a giant screen offering different tours of the city, which you can synchronise on your mobile with Google maps and then go for your own walk following their routes, which we found very useful.

I would highly recommend visiting this place. It is really interesting and informative and worth doing before you explore the Sassi.

Our visit to Matera would not have been complete without a visit to this National Trust property recommended by our hotel. The property shows a series of beautifully curated films that tell the history of the town and its people. Highly recommended.

25-minute film experience in 3 different rooms. Translated audio provided. Very well done history of Matera.

Very interesting exhibit about the history of Matera, presented in a visually striking way. Entrance fee is low for the quality of the exhibition!

A must see in Matera. Quite useful before you start exploring the town to have an understanding of its past. The video sensitively and thoroughly explains the rise, fall and rise again of Matera. Highly recommend!!

My husband and I visited Matera as a day trip and didn’t have much time to learn about the history of the town and the people who lived there. We saw mention of the exhibit in our Lonely Planet guide and were so glad that we made the visit. The information in the video gave us a much deeper understanding of the sassi, the tragedy of many of the people that lived there and the work that’s happened in recent years to bring the sassi back to life. Really well done- we would highly recommend!

A twofold experience: the site is undisputably stunning. The paintings are unique, and well restored. Our guide was kind and friendly, he is not to blame for a slightly underwhelmed feeling after the visit. But, the whole procedure is annoying, starting from the 'no foto' policy, to the fact that you have to wait in a room of overpriced tourist stuff for half an hour before being allowed into the crypt for 15 minutes, of course seated and with a kitschy Audioguide. By the way, selling prints on gypsum slabs as "oil painting on tufo" is borderline fraud.

Closed (temporary?) and covered with a mesh with tiny holes so you can barely see anything but still impressing and worth visiting

Very interesting to visit. The tour doesn't take very long. You get to sit inside the church cave and they play a recording, telling you about the history.

Awful person working there, not friendly and cheating on a small things.. Shame for Italian culture to have such a person serving historical place.

Wouldn’t recommend it unless ur spending a lot of time in puglia.. the crypt is tiny (20sqm), and the place is far away from Matera (20mins car drive). Go to the Chiesas in the actual town.

Muy interesante. Sería recomendable una mejor audioguía (en nuestra vidita fallaron todas, literalmente) y que para el acceso final hubiese un vehículo especial, a poder ser ecológico, tanto por facilidad (la carretera no es tan mala como comentan pero tampoco es buena) como por puro sentido común. Finalmente los perros de alrededor parecían bien cuidados, pero uno en particular tenía el pelo demasiado largo y sucio. Sería excelente que el pueblo de Matera ayudase un poco con el cuidado de estos animales, que aquí han encontrado un habitat excelente. (Translated by Google) Very interesting. A better audio guide would be recommendable (in our little life they literally all failed) and that for the final access there was a special vehicle, if possible to be ecological, both for ease (the road is not as bad as they comment but it is not good either) and for pure common sense. Finally the dogs around seemed well cared for, but one in particular had too long and dirty hair. It would be excellent if the people of Matera help a little with the care of these animals, which have found an excellent habitat here.

It was much better than I thought - the presentation is quite impressive even though I would expected to be more dynamic. Drop by the vineyard next to it to get a bottle of wine with the pictures inside the cave. That wine is almost divine.

Very crowded inside but a beautiful panorama of the city.

Superb interior, well worth the €3.50 cover charge. Beautifully kept. Well worth a visit

Very ornate with several very well kept paintings. Do not miss the ceiling! Very old, but the paintings very clear and photograph well. Also, hidden to side of High Altar is a very large and ornate nativity scene. Very Large and detailed. In front of the main doors, do not miss the Vista off the ledge-portico. Early morning and late night photograph s very well.

Beautiful cathedral, definitely worth visiting + a nice shelter during the heat. !!! Be aware of the ticket lady trying to scam you by making you to pay for two people instead of one !!! I was alone and she made me to pay 7 EUR, after me there were 4 people entering and they paid only 14 EUR. When I asked her why is it so, she said: oh, I’m sorry I thought you said two and not one. Heck yeah, I’m standing alone in front of you and buy tickets for two, seriously?!

Beautiful church, if you enjoying the art ad architecture you will enjoy this church. There are also some great views outside, just mind the beggars and vendors (that will follow you).

Worth the walking and the 1 Euro per person to visit the beautiful ornated interior. The history is full of significance of the role the church had among the people.

Matera: world UNESCO HERITAGE No words needed: live it

Elaborately decorated Catholic Church. You have to pay €3.50 for entry.

This Duomo is incredible The inside design and all the drawings are impressive. The view from the view point in front of the Cathedral is also stunning

The church is spectacular from the outside. However, inside is not well preserved and very small... It costs €3.50 for a visit of a few minutes. I recommend visiting the square and seeing the view, but unless you have a particular interest not going inside- the best part of the church is its exterior.

An interesting church although I found the charge a little unnecessarily high with no discounts for students. Will take around 10 minutes to the inside which has some beautiful frescos.

It's an amazing historical space but what little information there is, is in Italian. The lack of information really limited the experience. You'll have to do your homework ahead of time to really enjoy it. Or you can buy a publication at the site.

Small but very beautiful. Impressive history and artwork.

We didn't go in so not sure what it's like inside. However, you get great views of Matera and the surrounding valley on the walk up to the Church and from the Church itself.

Church of Saint Mary of Idris is located in Matera , inside the Sassi - a rock church (carved into the rock). The location offers a unique view of the city. The church of dates back to the fifteenth century and is part of a rock complex that also includes the oldest crypt, dedicated to San Giovanni in Monterrone. We enjoyed our time here 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

a spectacular place, I recommend it

Church of Saint Mary of Idris was built between the 14th and 15th centuries. The facade, made of tuff in the 15th century, was rebuilt following a collapse occurred in the same century. It is a rock church, the name Idris derives from the Greek Odigitria , the one who shows the way. In Constantinople the Virgin Mary was so called and venerated, whose cult was introduced in southern Italy by the Byzantine monks. Taking photo inside is forbidden, and I will never forget those Orthodox frescoes with similar faith as rock churches in Cappadocia that were turned into museums or hotels...

The church overlooks the ancient village of Matera. The Sunday morning church bells are blessed… magnificent town to visit…

nice view from the area around the outside of the church. inside (ticket required) is nothing special as most of the fresco's have been removed or are damaged to the point where a photo is required to discern what's depicted. notable fresco's include a byzantine black jesus and st nicholas (yes, that st. nicholas).it is a cool respite in the heat, otherwise unremarkable compared to other churches in the area.

The curch in itself is fascinating and next to it there is an amazing belvedre. You do have to buy a ticket but if you buy a ticket for all 3 churches the orice is only 8 euros. It is quite small but like i said interesting. Definitely nothing like a church you are used to seeing.

Fantastic meal in beautiful Matera! We had a great experience, the staff was very lovely and the food delicious. The menu is full of local products and everything we ate was delicious. The chili chocolate cake was really good.

Beautiful location, authentic flavors and really good service. Met the owner Mrs Angela who suggested amazing fishes and wine. An experience not to be missed.

We read about this place entirely by accident. The website is in Italian, of course, and we didn’t see a way to make a reservation and calling wasn’t an option as they were closed between service. We arrived after they opened and still sat us before they filled up. Service was AMAZING. Of course, we are eating out many times a day as we are traveling and hitting many cities, this is the first time anyones explained the antipasti! Actually TWO people explained it. The Salumi and Formaggio were the best we’ve had yet. They even cure their own Longza. The Burrata was so fresh it spilled the most delicious cream when cut into, the Ricotta was so fresh it was quite literally butter. None of it wasn’t made locally. Their house wine of course was amazing, this area is known for its Basilicata and Aglianico and I recommend you order one of each. Her Ravioli was on point. Thin, Al Dente, filled with pancetta and smoked ricotta and finished in a squash sauce. I had the mixed meats which included some pancetta wrapped and grilled offal and it was a real delight to have! We were so full we couldn’t fit the dessert we ordered into our stomachs. We wish we had more days in Matera so we could come back and try more. Absolutely perfect. Thank you for squeezing us in.

We stayed 5 days in Matera and tried several different restaurants. This one is the only one that I would give a 5 star. Amazing pasta and meat dishes.

Really good. You need to have the crispy chilli pasta dishes here for what the area is famous for. Everything we had was just pure home cooked goodness. The strozzapreti was a highlight.

Bit disappointed with this one. Food was generally mediocre. We shared an uninspired caprese salad, then stracinate con comi di r…, and pork skewers from the specials (this last dish was tasty, but it came with onion jam only so wasn’t much of a main). For dessert, we had a set cream with marmalade, flaked almonds & orange zest which was nice. House white wine decent

Attentive service. Delicious food- the ricotta cake was especially delicious. Friendly atmosphere. Would come back!

Fantastic food, wine and service. We loved every single dish.

The taste of the pasta was good but too strong. After a few, I felt that I could not eat anymore. I am not used to so oily food.

I was there at the luncheon time. Just spontanous have a look at their menu & give a try. Food: was really delicous, fresh and nice decoration. Pasta is really fresh Service: very nice, charming and paid good attention to our table Location: in old town, on the famous restaurant street

Delicious antipasti platter which was practically enough on its own. Followed by two different fresh pasta dishes which were also very tasty. We have had much better housewine (red) in other parts if Puglia than was offered here. The tall, thin waiter was not too happy to answer our questions. He actually verged on the arrogant. He might have been having a bad day as he gradually became friendlier. That is why the 4 star. Nevertheless, this place is definitely worth a try.

We had high hopes for this restaurant as it was recommended by some locals we met. Having travelled for the last 6 months this restaurant ties for first place with our most uninspiring / tasteless meals. Entrees 1. The Cavatelli entree tasted like glue. There was absolutely no flavour to it but left a bitter aftertaste in your mouth. 2. The potato ravioli just tasted like cheesy pasta with tomato sauce. Fine, edible, but no better than making it yourself. Mains 1. Beef Tagliata was over cooked and heavily reliant on poor quality fatty cut and olive oil for flavour. 2. The black pork special was the worst dish we have tasted since being away. Minority (dry) pork, majority stuffing, and some weird thick sticky gravy to drown it out. Sides 1. Potatoes - thank goodness, these were good. Just needed a pinch of salt 2. Plate of vegetables - no effort at cooking or plating. We watched a number of tables struggle for service. You are in an area where you have so much tourist exposure, why wouldn’t you make the effort to create a perfect setting and meal. Whilst our waitress couldn’t have been more kind she could not make up for the poor food and experience. Based on the experience this restaurant should NOT rate near a 4 out of 5

Fantastic food for a great price. The ravioli's tomato pesto sauce bursts with flavor while the cavatelli meat ragu's more subtle taste blends perfectly with the pasta. Fantastic, earnestly friendly service in a delightful setting. Highly recommended.

Really lovely place, with very nice and helpful staff and really reasonable prices. Sirloin steak was simply amazing!!

5 stars doesn't do this place justice! We had the best food of our whole trip in Puglia here, and the price was extremely fair. The locally sourced T-bone was easily the best steak I've ever had. Waiters were very friendly and attentive and ambience was perfect. We were so tempted to come back for our last meal and we wish we did! But we will be back next time we visit Matera.

The service was great, the also let us with our dog in. The food was very tasty. We had the Sirloin with potatoes and the raviolis which were very good!

AMAZING!! Highly recommend this restaurant, the potato ravioli were incredible, the tagliata was to die for and the pannacota is a must. 10/10 on everything! Shout out to Bogdan who served us our meal and gave us the best recommendations ever!

We had an amazing lunch at this beautiful place! The food was so fresh and tasty! The atmosphere was so warming thanks to the lovely staff! Thanks again 🧡

Recommended to come here by my bnb host and was not disappointed. Bogdan our server was gracious to offer us a seat on the second floor (meaning more climbing for him). He jokingly offered to pay for our dessert if his recommendation did not satisfy our taste. Panna Cotta with orange infused olive oil was delicious as promised

You need to try the main with lamb stew!!! That’s one of the best dishes Ive tried! Pizza was extremely good and delicious. 0.5l house wine for €5. Recommend getting for dinner between 19:45-20:00. Otherwise need to wait a line to get a table. No seafood, but omg, their meat is amazing.

Wow! Even if it was in July, i had to get this lamb soup could under the most delicious pizza Bread cap. Customer service was also excellent as the owner came by and explained the history of the pignata dish. Worth walking outside of history matera to try this meal!!

Great food, friendly service and economical prices. La Pignata is a must have local Matera dish. It is basically stew lamb with potatoes, red onions, cheese and topped with a pita bread.

Ate here over Easter, best meal we had on our trip. Excellent food, friendly staff, good value. English friendly. Get the peppers starter.

If you are in Matera, don’t miss this one! Possibly the only place where you can have a taste of the pignata, an authentic traditional Matera food, which is stewed lamb in a bread bowl. Also not to be missed is their appetizer platter, very creative, the local cheese is so delicious! However, what needs to be improved is their service...

Delicious traditional food. The staff was extremely efficient and friendly, happy to recommend half/shared portions so we could order a variety of dishes without overeating. The pepperoni cruschi and of course the pignata are a must. The orecchiette alla Pugliese were also sublime as was the dessert of mille foglie with cream. Topped off with a cheap but more than appropriate red table wine è via! Italian husband was more then satisfied so 5 stars warranted.

Researched and asked around but only found this place to be selling traditional lamb dishes. Ordered one of each - Pignata at 18 euros and Pignatella at 15 euros. Half a litre red wine, 5 euros. Including 10% service, its 42 euros, ok for a nice lunch in a great & clean environment - highly recommended if you are into lamb.

The dinner was outstanding. We had pachero with pistachio, cheese and something else and it was good. The BEST was the Pignata, excellent meat and funny experience to have with the family, it’s a biiiig portion. Tiramisu and the pastry of the house were both also really good. Also the waitresses were really amicable.

The full Matera experience through a long list of typical dishes cooked not with the flame and the pans but with the heart of sweet and nice people who try their best to make you feel at home when far away. Best restaurant around, enjoy food, enjoy wine, enjoy people. 10/10

A great place for lunch, busy but not with international tourists. Wonderful atmosphere and very nice menu. The ferricelli was wonderful and the dark chocolate soufflé amazing. Perfect way to get energized for an afternoon of climbing and descending around Matera.

This was a very disappointing dinner. Firstly, the service is not very good. One gets the feeling that the staff is disinterested in being there. No smiles. Curt. More importantly, however, the food was just not good. My pasta dish and my wife’s pork dish were both bland and unmemorable. There are many much better choices in Matera to have dinner.

Great spot, the service was friendly, the food was good, and the location and atmosphere was fantastic. The zucchini salad was tremendous, I liked the wild boar, the cheesecake was forgettable. The wine was good but not mind blowing. Overall I’d say it’s worth a visit, but I won’t be returning.

Beautiful place, delicious meal, everything was really good ! (Need to be there at the opening or remember to make a reservation before) You definitely need to try the antipasti to discover the local dishes

We were on a Roadtrip in Italy and it was, by far, our best meal in 10 days. The Cialledda Materana was amazing. So good!!

Typical restaurant in Matera with the possibility to have your dinne inside the cave "grotta". Recipes and plates are from the tradition but with a glamour touch or sophisticated changes. Price are good and aligned with the expectation and the quality of the offer. The service is good, except for some junior waitresses/waiters, maybe too young to interact easily with foreign clients (ie. no idea about how to explain a plate)

Unfortunately a huge disappointment - the place was recommended to us and we read a lot of good reviews. Indeed, the place is very nice with the cellar, but the food was just below average. We had two different pastas, none had an equilibrated taste. The first had just some pistaccios, no salt, a sauce without taste. In the menu was mentioned porcini mushrooms, I found two very small ones on the plate. The other pasta was with peperoncini, no salt at all, my wife did not even eat it. The lamb was ok, but nothing really outstanding. A friendly girls took the orders, but then we had three different waiters. For the payment I had to go to the desk because nobody showed up for 15 minutes.

We had our Christmas dinner for 20 people in this beautiful restaurant. We had the perfect room to ourselves to celebrate this. The food was exquisite and the staff were very helpful. I asked them to change the menu slightly and they did it perfectly and I don't think that they charged us more. Everyone loved it and it was a memorable night. Grazie.

Three beloved members of my family were born in this room so that certainly colors my feelings about it, but even for the more disinterested guest Oi Marì promises a truly magical experience. It's hard to imagine a more beautiful and respectful modernization of the cave, the owners and staff are paragons of southern-Italian warmth and hospitality, and most importantly the food is sensational. In 2020, I threw a family reunion there, 40 people whom the restaurant comfortably accommodated, and I return every time I'm in Matera. I always recommend it to friends who visit the city and they are uniformly grateful for the tip.

It was an unforgettable experience! My mind was blown with every plate I tasted. They have a wide range of wine cellars. I will definitely come back.

Wow, italian tastes and experience to the fullest, staff were great and friendly and all spoke English, the food authentic and everything was ao fresh and exquisite, a must try!

This was one of the best meals we had in Puglia!! The staff offered amazing service and recommendations, the atmosphere (in a cave) was stunning, and the food was unparalleled. The lamb was to die for, the tiramisu on Matera bread was so unique, ans the olive oil tasting was so cool! Don’t miss this spot!

Very tasty dishes, great wine. Perfect service and some live music in a wonderful location. Recommend osme wine

Good food (pizza). Amazing location! If you go by night the walk there from the city center is mesmerizing. A bit on the pricier side, but ok for the area. The personnel could have been friendlier.

Really cool location in a cave, fantastic food, and decent prices. Our waiter Davide was fantastic! They have an EXTENSIVE wine and spirits collection and the wine we had was great! The steak was done deliciously and the sauce for it was amazing. The carpaccio was fantastic - the crunchy peppers were especially tasty. The Asian pasta with ginger was great and light. The grappa was great! I highly recommend it! Overall expensive but worth the money. A note however - one of the diners is allergic to lactose and it is possible that even though we double checked with the server and they seemed to be vigilant, they were sick the next day. We are not sure if it was this restaurant or where we had lunch.