Trattoria "Terra Madre" — Restaurant in Alberobello

OK. Deep breath. We arrived for our 8pm booking, and were seated at 8.01. By 8.03 the waiter was asking what we wanted to order. We ordered the vegetable degustation for two, with one having a main (rabbit). A total of 60 Euro. Ordered the wine. Close to the cheapest was 32 Euro, but as it turned out, the best part of the meal by far. By 8.05, 5 (FIVE!) cold dishes arrived, all at once, stacked two high on the table. This included, as an example, sliced raw capsicum drizzled in olive oil, with no seasoning of any sort. No pride, no care, no love for the obviously fresh ingredients. All other dishes were similarly underwhelming and unseasoned. We had finished 3 of these cold dishes, when the next 4 (FOUR!!!) warm (not hot) entrees arrived, and were similarly stacked on the table. It was now 8.15. The warm entrees included, as an example, poblano peppers which had been sweated (not blistered), and were again totally unseasoned. The contrast between this and a Spanish tapa could not have been more stark. By 8.30, they had cleared these "entrees", which was apparently the end of my wife's 25 Euro "degustation", and served the rabbit. This was advertised as "baked", with chicory and capocollo farci and a salad of spinach and apple. What arrived was a cold roulade, obviously cooked hours before, with no chicory anywhere to be seen, and no apple (raw zucchini had been drafted in without mention). By 9pm, we were out the door, 101 Euro the poorer for our experience, after trying to explain our disappointment to the wait staff (who argued the toss at every turn, claiming that the fact it was organic trumped every concern we may have had that the kitchen showed no skill or love), and then the denouement: An Insight Tours rep, standing in the lobby, tried to shove me out the door, saying that I had had my say so "p off". Nice. Be sure NOT to ever take an Insight Tour, be sure NOT to dine at Terra Madre, and be sure TO dine at La Cantina in Alberobello for an experience that really will make...

Our family of 3 (2 adults, 1 child) was there for lunch today. The place is beautiful - it is very nice to walk around the garden where they grow their vegetables. There was, however, a situation regarding the sampling vegetable menu which made our experience a bit frustrating. We ordered the sampling menu for 2. The table in front of us, which had 4 people, asked the waiter if they could order a sampling menu for 1 just to get a little taste of the homegrown veggies. The waiter (condescendently) said he did not recommend that as it would be too little food for 4 people. However, a few minutes later, the table behind us (also 4 people) ordered the sampling menu for 1 as well. Not only did the waiter took their order, but they were served a 2 person sized portion - same amount of food as ours but for half the price. Granted, these were 2 different waiters, but the restaurant had 2 tables with the same amount of people order the same thing within minutes from each other and get treated very differently. Plus our family left feeling badly, since we paid double the price for an order the same size as the table behind us. It makes no sense to have different prices for sampling menus if the amount of food is based on how many people there are on the table and not on the menu size you ordered. Again, this is a nice place but they'd do better setting a standard for portion sizes to avoid treating...

We had lunch at Trattoria Terra Madre in Alberobello, and it completely surprised us in the best way.

When we first arrived, I was feeling overheated and a bit worn out from all the rich meals on our trip. Although the restaurant looked just as charming and rustic as it did online, set in a quaint little garden. I honestly didn’t think I had it in me to eat a full meal. I told myself this would be the perfect moment to take a break and just enjoy a cold glass of wine.

The menu is simple but unique, offering two options: A 7-course vegetarian tasting The same 7 courses plus a main dish from their small list of locally inspired mains

I initially passed on the food, opting for a crisp local white wine that was absolutely phenomenal. Bright, dry, and refreshing-I’ll be seeking out that bottle again.

But once my husband’s meal started arriving, I quickly realized I’d made a huge mistake. Everything looked (and smelled) incredible. I caved, asked to join in- and I’m so glad I did.

What they manage to do with vegetables alone is pure magic. Each course was so thoughtful: perfectly balanced textures, bold and surprising flavors, and beautifully plated. I truly underestimated this place. It ended up being one of the most memorable meals of our entire trip which is saying a lot on a trip to Italy.

Highly, highly recommend—whether you’re a...