Taberna dei Proci, Paestum

Taberna dei Proci is the finest restaurant in the area surrounding the Greek temples of Paestum, serving the Sele plain's most extraordinary product — mozzarella di bufala Campana DOP — alongside the traditional southern Campanian dishes of the Cilento and Sele valley. The restaurant name references the Proci, the suitors from Homer's Odyssey, in a playful nod to the ancient Greek heritage of the surrounding landscape, which was once the Greek colony of Poseidonia before the Romans renamed it Paestum. The buffalo mozzarella served here is sourced from the farms of the Sele plain just kilometres away — the heartland of Campania's buffalo mozzarella production, where the animals graze on the flat fertile land between the mountains and the sea. Buffalo mozzarella produced this close to the source, eaten within hours of production, has a freshness and milky intensity that differs fundamentally from the product sold in supermarkets. A plateful of local mozzarella with good bread and local olive oil is the single best starting point for any meal here. The kitchen also prepares the classic dishes of the southern Campanian tradition: paccheri con sugo di agnello (large ridged pasta tubes with a slow-braised lamb sauce), grilled meats using local breeds, and seasonal vegetables from the plain. The wine list includes Campanian DOC wines from both the coast and the Cilento hills.