Restaurant in Alberobello, Italy
25,000 bottles. Book for the wine.
Il Poeta Contadino holds a 3-Star World of Fine Wine accreditation and a 25,000-bottle inventory — the most serious wine list in Alberobello by a clear margin. Food pricing sits at $$ (two courses around $40–$65), but wine pricing is $$$, so come with a budget that reflects both. Book for dinner rather than lunch to get the most from the experience.
The single most telling number here is 25,000 — that is the bottle inventory at Il Poeta Contadino, a figure that puts this Alberobello restaurant in company usually reserved for major city dining rooms. For a first-timer arriving in a UNESCO-listed village better known for its conical stone trulli than for serious wine cellars, that number is a genuine signal. The World of Fine Wine has accredited the list with 3 Stars, its formal recognition of depth and quality across 2,800 selections. If Italian and Bordeaux bottles are your priority, the list skews heavily toward both. Wine pricing sits at $$$, meaning many bottles exceed $100, so factor that in when you budget the evening.
Il Poeta Contadino is an Italian restaurant serving lunch and dinner, with cuisine pricing at $$, which translates to a typical two-course meal in the $40–$65 range before drinks. For a first visit, that gap between food pricing and wine pricing is worth understanding upfront: you can eat here without committing to the deep list, but the wine program is the reason serious diners make the trip to Via Indipendenza, 25. The kitchen is led by Chef Leonardo Marco, with Cosmo Marco as Wine Director — a family-run operation where the wine side of the house carries clear professional weight. General Manager Medea Emma Marco completes the team, which means service is built around people who have ownership stakes in the experience going well.
Alberobello draws visitors primarily in spring and summer, when the Valle d'Itria is at its most photogenic and the town's narrow streets fill with day-trippers. If you are visiting in the current season, book a dinner rather than lunch , the room is quieter once the afternoon tour groups have left, and the wine list rewards an unhurried evening. A Google rating of 4.1 across 461 reviews suggests consistent delivery rather than occasional brilliance, which is a useful expectation to carry in.
A 3-Star accreditation from the World of Fine Wine is a verifiable credential , not many restaurants outside Rome, Milan, or Florence hold it in Italy, and holding it in a small Puglia town is a meaningful differentiator. The list has 2,800 selections backed by a 25,000-bottle inventory, which means depth across vintages, not just breadth across producers. Italian coverage is the core strength, with Bordeaux as a notable secondary anchor. If you are planning a wine-focused meal, this is the most serious option currently available in Alberobello. For a broader look at what else the area offers, see our full Alberobello wineries guide.
The $$$ wine pricing means a bottle-driven dinner will push your total well above the $40–$65 food benchmark. Budget accordingly. If you want Italian fine dining with a serious list but at lower overall spend, you will need to look outside Alberobello , options like Quattro Passi in Marina del Cantone or Reale in Castel di Sangro offer comparable seriousness in different southern Italian contexts.
Reservations: Easy to book , no extended lead time required, though dinner slots in peak summer season (June–August) fill faster than shoulder months. Budget: $$ for food (approx. $40–$65 for two courses), $$$ for wine (many bottles above $100); a full wine-paired dinner will comfortably exceed €100 per head. Meals served: Lunch and Dinner. Address: Via Indipendenza, 25, Alberobello. Dress: No dress code is listed in our data, but the 3-Star wine accreditation and dinner setting suggest smart-casual is appropriate. Booking difficulty: Easy.
For dining options at different price points in the town, Evo Ristorante offers a creative approach to local Pugliese ingredients, while Terra Madre is a practical choice for more casual regional cooking. Il Poeta Contadino is the right call when the wine list is the priority; for food-first dining in the trulli district, those alternatives deserve consideration. See our full Alberobello restaurants guide for the complete picture, and if you are planning a broader trip, our Alberobello hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide cover the rest.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Il Poeta Contadino | — | |
| Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler | €€€€ | — |
| Dal Pescatore | €€€€ | — |
| Enoteca Pinchiorri | €€€€ | — |
| Enrico Bartolini | €€€€ | — |
| Le Calandre | €€€€ | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Il Poeta Contadino and alternatives.
Yes, and the wine list is the reason to come alone. With 2,800 selections and a 3-Star World of Fine Wine accreditation, solo diners who want to work through a serious list without group compromise will find this a practical choice. At $$ for cuisine, the spend is manageable even with a wine-forward approach. Ask Wine Director Cosmo Marco for guidance on Puglian producers.
Groups are workable here, especially for a wine-focused dinner where the 25,000-bottle inventory gives a large table real range to explore. Cuisine pricing sits at $$ (a two-course meal of $40–$65), so group costs stay reasonable on the food side. For larger parties in peak summer (June–August), book ahead — dinner slots fill faster during that period.
Specific menu items are not listed in available records, but the restaurant serves Italian cuisine at lunch and dinner. The wine list — 3-Star accredited by the World of Fine Wine, with 2,800 selections skewing toward Italy and Bordeaux — is the centrepiece of any meal here. Wine Director Cosmo Marco is on-site, so asking for a pairing recommendation is the practical move.
For a different price point or approach in Alberobello, Evo Ristorante takes a more creative angle on local Pugliese ingredients, while Terra Madre offers another local option. Neither carries a comparable wine accreditation — Il Poeta Contadino's 3-Star World of Fine Wine status is the differentiator in this town if the wine program is your priority.
It works well for occasions where wine is central to the celebration. A 3-Star World of Fine Wine accreditation, a 25,000-bottle cellar, and on-site Wine Director Cosmo Marco give you the infrastructure for a serious bottle without flying to a major city. At $$ cuisine pricing, you can allocate real budget to the wine without the meal itself becoming prohibitive.
No extended lead time is required for most of the year. During peak summer season (June–August), dinner slots fill faster, so booking a week or two out is sensible then. Outside those months, shorter notice is generally fine. Contact details are not listed publicly — check the restaurant directly or via a booking platform for current availability.
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