A small trattoria in the old town, a short walk from Piazza Pitagora, where the cooking is unambiguously Calabrian. The pasta is handmade — look for fileja with 'nduja and tomato, or lagane e cicciari (flat pasta with chickpeas), an ancient dish in this part of Italy. The secondi are mostly meat: roast kid, grilled lamb chops, and the local sausage, cooked simply and served with seasonal vegetables.
Prices are modest, the owner speaks minimal English but communicates effectively with a pointing menu and good will, and the neighbourhood cats wait patiently outside. Arrive hungry.