International Pizza Day falls on February 9th every year. And where else to celebrate it than in a pizzeria directly in Italy? The 400 Gradi restaurant in the Italian town of Matera focuses on Neapolitan-style pizza. The dough for this pizza matures for up to 48 hours, making it easier to digest. It has a significantly higher, puffy edge (up to 1 or 2 cm in height) adorned with black, charred dots (known as “leopardo” in Italy).
I chose a pizza with salsiccia sausage, mushrooms, and cheese, which cost 10 euros. It was excellent. The middle of the dough was paper-thin, the filling was rich, and the edges were beautifully puffy. I washed it down with an Italian craft beer from the Volpina Amacord brewery, specifically a double malt red ale, which has 6.5% alcohol, 0.4 liters costs 5.5 euros here.
The pizzeria’s work area with the oven is separated from the tables only by a counter, so customers can easily watch the concert that takes place during the preparation of their dishes. Although the pizzeria was fully packed with guests, the team worked together seamlessly, and we only had to wait a few minutes for our pizza. You can also taste excellent fried pizza Montanara here.
Best Neapolitan-style pizza in Matera
The restaurant is relatively new, but it is already very popular among locals, with some even calling it the best Neapolitan-style pizzeria in town. Advance reservation is necessary, and be prepared to pay a coperto of 2 euros per person. Card payment is available.
Bon appetit!
More information can be obtained by clicking on the map link:
Accommodation in Matera
I recommend trying out the accommodation in a traditional Sassi cave style. You will be right in the historic center, everything is new and clean, it's pleasantly cool here in the summer and the spaces are heated for the winter months. It's possible that you'll be hosted by a talkative bartender from a nearby establishment, who prepared mixed drinks directly for James Bond. The last time I stayed here was in January 2022 and I would love to return again.
