Evo Ristorante

The story

Evo Ristorante in Alberobello – Contemporary Puglian Cuisine by Chef Gianvito Matarrese

A Contemporary Table in the Trulli Capital

Evo Ristorante opened in Alberobello in 2015 with a clear purpose: to offer an experience far from the clichés of mass tourism. The name itself carries a double meaning – it nods to evolution, the forward-looking philosophy chef Gianvito Matarrese brings to his cooking, and to extra virgin olive oil, the cornerstone of Puglian tradition. The result is a restaurant that bridges past and present, honouring the region’s culinary roots while experimenting with new techniques and flavours.

This approach has earned Evo a place in the Michelin Guide since 2023, and its recommendation for 2026 confirms the steady quality of Matarrese’s work.

Chef Gianvito Matarrese

Matarrese’s path to the kitchen was not a straight line. After a degree in Education Sciences, he followed his passion for cooking, earning a diploma from a hotel school and training in starred restaurants in Italy and abroad. Since 2022, he has served on the national council of the Italian Association of Ambassadors of Taste. His cooking is driven by a restless curiosity: “Every day is a new day of creation,” he says. “I want a menu reimagined in every season, that puts on a show, where tradition is visible and where innovation can open up, always in perfect harmony.”

An Intimate, Season-Led Experience

The dining room seats just sixteen, with a small, welcoming garden for warmer months. The atmosphere is elegant and intimate – a setting that lets the food speak. Matarrese works with researched ingredients, tracing each one back to its source: the garden behind the house, the cheesemaker, the farmer, the fisherman.

The menus change with the seasons. The Classic, “U Vuccàun” (€60), opens with an appetiser, bread selection and olive oil tasting, followed by dishes such as hand-made XXL orecchiette with pistachio, capocollo from Martina Franca, seasonal vegetables and Cacioricotta cheese from Alberobello. The “Catalogo 2026” (€80) is a seven-course blind tasting menu, described as “a journey that accompanies the guest through the story of our restaurant and our territory.” There is also a vegetarian option, “U Colacurn” (€60), and wine pairings are available from a carefully curated carta vini.

Diners are invited to book a table and experience a cuisine that is both grounded and inventive – contemporary Puglian cooking that respects its past while looking firmly ahead.