Fratelli De Palo Bakery, Matera
Fratelli De Palo bakery is one of my regular stops whenever I come to Matera. The bakery is located quite far from the center, which somewhat disqualifies it from frequent visits. However, if you come to Matera by bus (for example, directly from the airport in Bari), be sure to stop by.
Italian bakeries are different from Czech ones, as you won't find just bread and other basic pastries. Italian bakeries offer an incredible range of ready-made dishes. They prepare various pizzas, rice arancini, focaccia barese, freshly baked croissants, and other delicacies. Fratelli De Palo bakery has enough seating, which is often not the case, and they will gladly heat your food for you.
During my last visit to Matera in February 2023, I enjoyed freshly fried panzerotto coated in breadcrumbs and a large rice arancino filled with ragù bolognese on the spot.
I then took away a slice of pizza with friarielli vegetables, sausage, and dried pepper, a slice of pizza with tomato sauce and olives, and a slice of focaccia barese. The whole purchase cost me 10 Euros, and everything tasted excellent. They don't speak English at the bakery, but the staff is incredibly kind and helpful and happy to serve foreigners. As in other establishments, you pay after the purchase at the central cash register. And as a gift, you might get a small loaf of Matera bread, like I did.
Bon appetit!
Panificio Fratelli De Palo
