Dattilo

The story

Dattilo | Michelin-Starred Country Cooking in Strongoli, Calabria

Dattilo

On the Ceraudo family estate in Strongoli, Dattilo is a restaurant that grows out of the land around it. The property, which also operates as an agriturismo with six rooms, is an active winery and producer of olive oil and honey. Here, the youngest daughter of the Ceraudo family leads the kitchen, crafting a menu that draws deeply from the organic vineyards, ancient olive groves, and citrus trees that surround the dining room.

The setting is intimate. Guests may find themselves seated on a deck under the stars, looking out over the garden and the vines. The atmosphere is romantic, unhurried, and decidedly tied to the rhythms of the Calabrian countryside. The restaurant’s Michelin one-star recognition—for high-quality cooking—reflects the precision and care brought to every plate.

The cooking is best described as refined country cooking, a cuisine that honors local ingredients without fuss. A tasting menu, such as the Dattilo menu, allows for a progression of small courses, often paired with the estate’s own wines. The white wines from the Ceraudo vineyard are noted for their exceptional quality, while the reds are biodynamic and expressive of the terroir. Dishes lean toward seafood and fish—cod, anchovies in a reduction of chartreuse—all prepared with a lightness that lets the ingredient speak.

Service is knowledgeable and warm, and the experience is very much a family affair. Roberto Ceraudo himself has been known to take guests on a tour of the vineyard by tractor, weaving through olive trees that have stood for over a thousand years. The restaurant is open for dinner, and reservations are essential, especially for the tasting menus.