March 28 marks the beginning of a new season for Villa della Pergola Relais & Châteaux and its Nove Restaurant, which reopen their doors with a significant change at the helm of their starred cuisine: Antonio Romano, born in 1993, already appreciated in kitchens of world famous, is the new Executive Chef.

The Starry Path by Antonio Romano

At just 31 years old, he brings with him a wealth of experience gained in some of the most prestigious gastronomic temples on the international scene. From Heston Blumenthal's two-starred kitchen in London, he returns to Italy in Rome in Heinz Beck's three-starred restaurant La Pergola.

He remained with his teacher and mentor for six years, including experiences at Attimi in Milan as sous chef and in Tuscany at Castello di Fighine, where with the role of Executive Chef he led the restaurant to obtain its first Michelin star at the age just 26 years old. His long experience with Beck has allowed him to refine his culinary art, his technique and his philosophy. In 2022 he moved to Turin to the starred Spazio7 restaurant where he signed the gastronomic proposal for two years.

Vision and Innovation: The New Course of Villa della Pergola

“I am extremely happy about meeting Antonio”. Says Francesca Ricci, Restaurant Manager of Villa della Pergola. “When we spoke to each other for the first time, I felt like I had known him for a long time, there was immediately a sense of familiarity dictated by a strong awareness of what we were both looking for. I was convinced by his human vision and the added value that he would bring to Villa della Pergola. From Nove con Antonio you can expect a more interactive, more fun service for the customer. Our dining team, proudly under 25, will accompany guests in an immersion between tradition and contemporaneity".

Antonio Romano says “Villa della Pergola and Alassio were immediately familiar to me, especially because I also grew up in a seaside town. We are in a wonderful context, and the contrast between the setting of a contemporary art museum, where I come from, and this of a prestigious and famous historic residence is incredibly stimulating."

The Ingredients of a Culinary Revolution

The collaboration with the "L'Orto Rampante" agricultural company, the use of citrus fruits from the gardens of Villa della Pergola and the collaboration with local suppliers and producers enrich its proposal with first choice ingredients, opening new paths in the kingdom of flavors to build an experience for all five senses.

“The Gardens and the naturalistic context are an added value and will be a continuous stimulus. - Antonio says again - The Orto Rampante is a fascinating project: the close daily relationship with those who give life to and take care of the raw materials that will make up my dishes is a rare opportunity". Romano aims to reinterpret local raw materials, keeping in mind the sustainability and story that accompany each dish. “My innovation aims to be a new tradition. Today, being a chef in a starred restaurant does not simply mean knowing how to cook well but also being good at managing everything that revolves around the kitchen at 360°. I am very attentive to regional raw materials, which I use with curiosity, interpreting them. It is very important to create connections and human relationships with suppliers and producers, to be carried out responsibly. They are fundamental daily activities. The research part is the real work, creating is almost fun." Says Chef Romano.

Antonio Romano - Biography

Born in Rome in 1993, after studying in Anzio he moved to London where he worked at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, 2 Michelin stars. He subsequently returned to Italy to land at the court of the three-starred Heinz Beck at the Pergola in Rome. A journey, the one with his mentor and teacher, which lasts 6 years, including experiences at Attimi in Milan as sous chef and in Tuscany at Castello di Fighine, where with the role of Executive Chef he obtained his first Michelin star at the age 26 years old. In 2019, Antonio was a finalist for Italy and South Eastern Europe of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Award, dedicated to young talents in the kitchen, where he won the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award. In 2022 he continues his career at Spazio7 in Turin, reconfirming the prestigious Michelin star.

Since March 2024 he has been Executive Chef of the Nove restaurant in Villa della Pergola Alassio.