Ristorante Francesca — Restaurant in Matera

I don’t write reviews ever but this was such a terrible experience that I feel a sense of guilt if I don’t warn others. Unfortunately, our hotel made reservations after asking our front desk for a good restaurant recommendation, I am unsure if they sent us here because they make commission but it was truly a HORRIBLE dining experience. Shame on our hotel for the recommendation.

Where do I begin? Perhaps most of our issues occurred because my husband and I don’t speak Italian and could not properly communicate. When we arrived, we waited outside at the host station for our reservation-many wait staff walked right passed us and did not acknowledge us. I thought, “no problem, we will go inside and let them know.” When we walked inside, the same thing occurred. Finally, my husband walked up to someone, I am assuming he was the manager since he was dressed differently, and let him know we had a reservation. We were seated at 8:35, no problem since our reservation was 8:30. We waited until about 8:55-9 to put in our order, once again, several wait staff walked passed us and went to other tables. Again, I found this odd but nothing too crazy. I’ve personally never waited more than 5 minutes to put in at least drinks so this was a definitely a first for me. The entrees came out at exactly 9:56 (more than one hour since we ordered). I ordered pasta with bacon, and of course my pasta was missing the main ingredient-bacon. It was under seasoned and completely lack luster. I was very hungry but only finished about 1/3 of it since it was genuinely not tasty at all. Bill in total came out to about $85. My husband and I always tip, even abroad, at least 20 percent, but in good conscience we couldn’t here.

Seriously, if you’re used to semi-good service and delicious food, heed my warning and DO...

Ristorante Francesca offers fine dining with a view and atmosphere to match. Located right on Via Bruno Buozzi with views of the Sassi, the terrace is breathtaking at sunset. The menu is refined but rooted in local tradition. I had the cavatelli with dried crusco peppers and ricotta – a perfect mix of creamy and smoky – while my partner chose the lamb chops with a balsamic glaze and wild herbs. Presentation was beautiful, and service was polished but never stiff. The sommelier was happy to guide us through local wines and even gave us a tasting flight. Dessert – a ricotta and pear cake – was delicate and perfectly sweet. Expect to spend a bit more here (€50–€60 per person), but the experience is worth it. Perfect for a romantic...

This place has potential. The wait staff in general was lovely, the service was quick and the food was not bad. We had a few issues with our food and the portion sizes as they were not in proportion per person, and instead of dealing with the issue or apologizing they just took off 8 euros from the bill.

Really not a big deal but the whole meal was us joking about how they dealt with customers and leaving half of us hungry to order more food, it was an easy conversation or a quick fix.

This place wants to be great and charge for it, in my opinion you can find great food else where that makes you feel welcome and at home at a...