Forentum

The story

Forentum in Lavello: Bib Gourmand Country Cooking and Pizza in Basilicata

In the medieval hilltop town of Lavello, Antica Cantina Forentum is the project of the Di Noia family, a story that began in 1986 with a neighborhood bar. Today, it is a restaurant, pizzeria, and boutique hotel centred on a philosophy of sincere, territory-driven cooking. The name itself – “Forentum,” the ancient Roman name for Lavello – sets the tone: a return to origins.

Chef Savino Di Noia, who refined his skills at ALMA and alongside Antonino Cannavacciuolo, works alongside his mother Lucia in the kitchen. Their menu is grounded in the products of Basilicata: organic vegetables from the family garden, local Slow Food presidia such as pezzente sausage from the Matera mountains, caciocavallo podolico cheese, and the signature Aglianico del Vulture wines that dominate a carefully curated list of around 100 labels. The cooking is described as “popular creativity” – a simple, honest tradition updated with precision.

The atmosphere adds to the experience. The restaurant occupies a historic building on Piazza Plebiscito, with a dining room carved from a 16th-century cave – the “grotta de i Munacidd,” where local legend speaks of an ancient goblin. Upstairs, stone vaults and warm wood create a comfortable, rustic setting.

Alongside the trattoria-style dishes, Forentum makes a true Neapolitan-style pizza according to the AVPN guidelines, with a soft, digestible crust and toppings that draw heavily on regional ingredients. This blend of country cooking and quality pizza has earned the restaurant recognition from multiple guides, including a Michelin Bib Gourmand for 2026, which rewards good-quality, good-value cooking. Forentum’s work is a direct expression of its place: a family kitchen that respects the land and serves it, plate by plate.