The Top 9 Michelin 3-star restaurants in Italy according to the Michelin Guide 2018

Italy, the second country in the world in terms of the number of Michelin-starred restaurants

Italy has once again been confirmed the second country in the world in terms of the total number of starred restaurants as per the Michelin Guide 2018, which is now at its 63rd edition. Italy boasts an impressive 356 starred restaurants, of which 306 are singled-starred, 41 are two starred, and 9 of which are Michelin 3-starred restaurants, for a total of 415 stars.

We briefly outline the history of the 9 Italian restaurants which are 3-star Michelin rated. They are ordered by distance from Milan, some of which are more easily reachable, some of which less. Vip Limousine, luxury car rental agency, which provides a personal chauffeur from Milan, organizes personalized tours which allow guests not only to enjoy an exclusive lunch or dinner in gourmet restaurants, but also to enrich the journey with additional points of interest, whether they be gastronomic sites, cultural points of interests, or prime shopping areas.

"Da Vittorio" Restaurant in Brusaporto (Lombardy, Italy)
Chefs: Enrico and Roberto Cerea

The “Da Vittorio” restaurant was founded in 1966 by Vittorio Cerea and his wife, Bruna: together they managed to create, initially in the heart of Bergamo, one of the first and best fish restaurants, always selecting the best ingredients of gourmet quality, and never once compromising this quality during the long life of the restaurant. After Vittorio passed away in 2005, Bruna and the children continued the family tradition and moved the restaurant to Brusaporto, a magnificent village surrounded by greenery, which later led them to be included in the renowned Relais & Châteaux, an online reference guide and collection of the best hotels and picturesque restaurants from around the world.

The chefs of the restaurant are now Vittorio’s two sons, Enrico and Roberto Cerea, which managed to obtain the third Michelin star in 2006, and which they have kept since then alongside their other siblings, Francesco Cerea, who oversees the wine cellar as the maître and sommelier of the restaurant, and alongside sister, Rossella Cerea, who is the hospitality manager. Apart from the exquisite kitchen, which is recognized as one of the best in Italy and in the world, what all guests agree on is the superb welcome which puts every guest at ease; the exceptional hospitality truly allows guests to fully enjoy the splendid atmosphere to the utmost degree, rendering the dining experience at “Da Vittorio” that much more satisfying.

For a quick look at a vast variety of the plates offered, please consult AltissimoCeto. The official website for Da Vittorio is also visitable through this link.

Vip Limousine Milan can take you to a unforgettable dining experience at Da Vittorio in less than one hour (56 Km). The tour departs from Piazza Gae Aulenti, situated in the center of the modern down-town area of Milan, worthy of a visit in and of itself.

"Dal Pescatore" Restaurant (Fisherman’s Restaurant) in Canneto Sull'Oglio (Mantova)
Chefs: Nadia Santini and Giovanni Santini

The “Dal Pescatore” restaurant, or Fisherman’s Restaurant, founded in 1925 when Antonion Santini, a fisherman on the Oglio river, decided with his wife, Teresa Mazzi to open a small tavern among the muddy riverbeds of the surrounding area, completely unaware that their restaurant would one day become one of the best restaurants in the world. Today, the fourth generation of Santinis, together with the third generation, take care of the restaurant: Giovanni Santini, a chef holding a degree in Food Sciences supports mother, Nadia Santini in the kitchen along with his wife, Valentina. His brother, Alberto who graduated with a degree in economics, manages the dining room along with their father, Antonio Santini, name bearer of the original founder and grandfather.

The original husband and wife team, starting from the 70s, truly found the key to combining a proper mix of tradition and innovation, of incorporating the surrounding landscape with a dash of creative inspiration. Today, the three-starred kitchen is founded on the words “warm welcome,” giving its guests a sense of being taken care of and almost welcomed as family, between courses of pumpkin ravioli and a certain rabbit dish that some critics have defined as a plate “to fall head over heels for.” At Dal Pescatore, you will find the classic  Italian cooking of excellence, which we Italians hold in great esteem, and of which the world is generally quite envious. The Dal Pescatore restaurant also offers the possibility to stay in its “countryside cabins,” which are included in the shortlist of the 550 best hotels and restaurants in the world according to
 Relais & Châteaux.

Photo credits © Lucio Elio

An article about the Santini family that is well-worth the read is available on the Mangiare Da Dio site. The official website for Dal Pescatore Restaurant is also available through this link.

Vip Limousine Milan is able to take you to the timeless restaurant in under two hours from Milan (130 Km). The tour departs from Piazza Gae Aulenti, situated in the center of the modern down-town area of Milan, worthy of a visit in and of itself.

Piazza Duomo Restaurant in Alba (Piedmont, Italy)
Chef: Enrico Crippa

The Piazza Duomo Restaurant is once again back within the lineup of the 50 best restaurants in the world, ranking 15th in the Australian edition of “World's 50 Best Restaurants 2017”.

Piazza Duomo Restaurant is the restaurant of chef Enrico Crippa, the famous “Samurai cook” from the Langhe region who venerates fresh produce in his cooking, to the extent that all produce used in his kitchen comes directly from gardens of the Ceretto family. Chef Enrico Crippa is known for bringing to life the smells and flavours of Japan and France where he worked and lived for many years and has even coined the expression: “Everything is better when it is made with passion and energy.” And how can we doubt it?

It is without a doubt what occurs in each and every one of his plates, from the numerous small and intriguing hors d’oeuvres, to meats, and finally to his incredible desserts, all as original and unique as he is, such as for example, his vegetable-based cannoli.

Citing Andrea Solari (an interesting review of Crippa’s cooking is on his website, Passione Gourmet), “(Crippa’s kitchen is) one of the most lively in Italy, so visibly touched by an angel.” The website of the restaurant (very beautifully-made) is visitable by this link.

Vip Limousine Milan is able to take you to Piazza Duomo Restaurant in Alba, Italy within several hours (160 Km). The tour departs from Piazza Gae Aulenti, situated in the center of the modern down-town area of Milan, and worthy of a visit in and of itself.

Fransciscan Tavern in Modena (Emilgia-Romana, Italy)
Chef: Massimo Bottura

The Fransciscan Tavern of chef Massimo Bottura is one of the most famous restaurants in the world.

Until 2016, it held the ranking of the number 1 restaurant in the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants,” while in the Melbourne 2017 edition of the same, it was placed second.

The Franciscan Tavern, with its 12 tables, is located in Modena, the birthplace of the chef himself, Massimo Bottura, who in 2016, founded a non-profit which combats food waste while promoting social inclusion and which is called Food for Soul.

Bottura’s kitchen is simultaneously modern and respectful of tradition, with a mystic and cozy atmosphere that allows one to feel as if they had somehow landed in a parallel universe (one of food excellence, perhaps?).

At the Franciscan Tavern, it is possible to select among many tasting menus or order à la carte. Sometimes it is even the chef himself who will come to your table, sit down with guests, and explain his plates and how the idea for each was born.

A very nice article with beautiful images can be found at Dissapore. The official website of the Franciscan Tavern can also be found by visiting this link.

Vip Limousine Milan is able to take you to the Franciscan Tavern in Modena, Italy  in just over two hours (180 Km). The tour departs from Piazza Gae Aulenti, situated in the center of the modern down-town area of Milan, worthy of a visit in and of itself.

Le Calandre Restaurant in Rubano (Veneto, Italy)
Chef: Max Alajmo

Le Calandren Restaurant, in Padova, was founded in 1981 from the talent of Erminio Alajmo and his wife, Rita Chimetto, the chef to whom the first star is owed, and which was awarded in 1992. The three children of the Alajmo family oversee the restaurant and bakery, specifically managed by Laura Alajmo. Her brother, Raffaele, or “Raf” for short, is the CEO and maître des lieux of the Alajmo group, while the third brother, Massimilano, or “Max” for short, is the chef of Le Calandre. Thanks to him, the restaurant was awarded its third Michelin star in 2002, making Massimiliano Alajmo the youngest chef in the world, at 28 years of age, to obtain a recognition of such stature.

The Le Calandre Restaurant is ranked 29th in the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants of 2017”, and has been ranked as such since 2003. Apart from the possibility to select à la carte plates, at Le Calandre restasurant, you may also opt for one of the three menus proposed as a staged gastronomic experience: “Max” is the chef’s menu and it is characterized by light and refined plates, “Raf” is the menu created by Raffaele, with more distinctive smells and tastes, and the “Classic Menu,” is dedicated to the historical roots of the restaurant, and includes plates like saffron and licorice risotto.

A wonderful review of Le Calandre Restaurant is written by Caterina Vianello, and is available here. The official website of the Alajmo group, in which the most prestigious of the localities are described in detail, is visitable through this link.

Vip Limousine Milan is able to take you to Le Calandre Restaurant in Rubano, Italy in less than three hours from Milan (220 Km).

Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence (Tuscany, Italy)
Chefs: Anne Féolde and Riccardo Monco

Giorgio Pinchiorri and Anne Féolde, of French origin, are the owners of this renowned restaurant, famous throughout the world and particularly in Europe: at the beginning, their idea was to open a wine bar where guests could taste special wines by the glass (a novelty at the time) accompanied by appetizers designed and prepared by chef Anne.

In 1980, the first Michelin star was awarded, while the third star was awarded in 2004 and has since been a permanent fixture of the restaurant.

Today, Chef Féolde is supported in the kitchen by executive chef Riccardo Monco and chef Alessandro Della Tommasina, while the patissier Luca Lacalamita oversees all desserts.

It is a refined atmosphere, lined with fine linens, intense plates for the palette, and topped with the natural elegant touches of Giorgio Pinchiorri and his unparalleled culture of wine which renders every bite unforgettable. 

At the Pinchiorri Enoteca (winebar), it is possible to choose between two tasting menus of 6 or 8 rounds of wine. It is also possible to order à la carte from a menu that is continually evolving, the fruit of years of studies and a love for Italian and French cuisine that spans a lifetime, and which meet in a single spot in the world. The Pinchiorri Enoteca is also renowned in regards to the restaurants of the Relais & Châteaux group.

A “neo-classical” review of the bar, written by Luciano Pignataro, is available on Pignataro’s webpage. You may also visit the official website of the 
Enoteca Pinchiorri by visiting this link.

Vip Limousine Milan is able to take you to the Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence, Italy in approximately three and a half hours (300 Km), departing from Milan.

St. Hubertus Restaurant in San Cassiano (Italian Alps)
Chef: Norbert Niederkofler

The adventure of the St. Hubertus Restaurant began in 1996 when the Pizzinini family decided to dedicate a part of their then-pizzeria to the kitchen of chef Norbert Niederkofler, with the objective of becoming eligible to enter, with its Rosa Alpina Hotel, into the list of luxury hotels of Relais & Châteaux.

The first Michelin star was awarded in 2000, the second in 2007, and the third finally in 2018. The restaurant, with only 11 tables, one of which is specifically reserved as the chef’s table, with a view onlooking the kitchen, is famous throughout the world.

The dining experience at the chef’s table is well-described on the Il Mangione site in an amateur review by Paola64.

Chef Norbert Neiderkofler, born in the Southtirol region, says, in regards to his cooking, “Variety is in mixing simplicity. The best product is a rearrangement of the basics. My culinary goal is inevitably tied to the product and the art of valorizing the product, using the proper cooking method. The result must be “visible” both in taste and aesthetics; delicate, simple, but surprising. The lightness is visible and palpable”.

The web site for the Rosa Alpina Hotel, which hosts the St. Hubertus Restaurant is available through this link.

Departing from Piazza Gae Aulenti in Milan, Vip Limousine Milan can take you to St. Hubertus Restaurant in San Cassiano, in the Italian Alps in little more than four hours (370 Km).

La Pergola Restaurant in Rome, Italy
Chef: Heinz Beck

The Pergola Restaurant of chef Heinz Beck, is one of the furthest restaurants from Milan making the list as one of the three-starred Italian restaurants from the 2018 Michelin guide, but it is worth covering the 600 kilometers of distance in order to experience the exquisite cuisine of chef Heinz Beck, who since 1994, and thus for over 20 years, has worked in Rome at La Pergola Restaurant.

He is truly the star of the show, and the beating heart of the restaurant. German-born, he fell in love with Italy and with a wife from Palermo (Sicily). After having worked in Munich, Freiburg, Mallorca, and Berlin, he finally settled in Rome where he obtained, one after the other, the second and third Michelin star for La Pergola Restaurant. His cuisine is entirely Italian, based on prime Italian ingredients, and the presentation of his plates are pure works of art which win over the senses, so much so that one has even defined his cuisine, in a very modern and contemporary fashion, as “Italian food porn” (dedicated article here).

A funny, but exhaustive review of a gourmet dinner at La Pergola has been written by Lorenza Fumelli and is available on this page on the Disappore site. The Resort Rome Cavalieri website, which hosts La Pergola, is instead available through this link.

Departing from Gae Aulenti, in Milan, Vip Limousine NCC Milano will happily accompany you to dinner at La Pergola Restaurant in Rome, within approximately 6 hours (570 Km).

Reale Restaurant in Castel di Sangro (Abruzzo, Italy)
Chef: Niko Romito

Since 2000, chef Kiko Romito and sister Cristiana Romito have managed the Reale Restaurant in Castel di Sangro, in the Abruzzo region of Italy and have so far obtained three Michelin stars within only seven years (the first in 2007, the second in 2009, and the third in 2011). The Reale Restaurant, translating to Restaurant of the Royals, is ranked number 43rd among the 50 best restaurants in the world and its cuisine is described as “complexity, but not complicated,” according to the chef himself. On the Romito site, the short films which demonstrate, step-by-step some of the chef’s processes in creating his one-of-a-kind recipes are a must-see: at certain points they can perhaps be a bit unsettling (shrimp that are still alive and moving after having been placed on the chef’s cutting board can be sensitive material for some people), but the short films are certainly very, very interesting.

And they without a doubt reflect the passion of Romito for new culinary discoveries, which, more than anything else, have made him famous world-wide. Indeed, for Romito, his kitchen is akin to a “laboratory” in which ideas are born.

Photo credits © Abruzzo Web, Giampiero Prozzo e Alberto Zanetti

An interesting review by Guido Ferraro about the chef and his family is available on Scatti di Gusto by clicking here.

From Gae Aulenti in Milan, Vip Limousine NCC Milano is happy to transport you to an unforgettable dining experience at Reale Restaurant in Castel di Sangro in under 7 hours (700 Km).

The 73 Lombard Stars

A final consideration: Milan and the region of Lombardy (in which Milan is situated) attract a growing influx of tourists every year. Statistics say that Milan has continually grown in importance among European destinations, and it certainly does not disappoint those who select it for its luxury gastronomic delights.

For a recap of the Michelin-starred restaurants of Milan:

Two-starred Michelin Restaurants in Milan

• Enrico Bartolini at the Mudec;
• Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia;
• Seta by Antonio Guida;
• Vun (an up-and-coming restaurant of 2018).

One-star Michelin Restaurants in Milan

• Alice-Eataly Milano Smeraldo
• Armani
• Berton
• Contraste (Another up-and-comer of 2018)
• Cracco
• Essenza
• Felix Lo Basso
• Innocenti evasioni
• Iyo
• Joia
• Lume
• Trussardi Restaurant alla Scala (2018 new entrant)
• Sadler
• Tano Passami l’Olio
• Tokuyoshi
• D’O, a Cornaredo (Milan)

Details about these specific restaurants will be saved for another article! :)

Book your Tour with Vip Limousine

Vip Limousine car rental service of Milan, with its offices open 24/7, is at your disposable to create personalized tours that you have always dreamed of, starting from the Michelin starred restaurant of your choice. Indeed, Vip Limousine creates an ad hoc itinerary based on the client’s needs and wishes which may include stops in particular shopping areas, visits to outlets, cultural or architectural sites, art exhibitions, or other particular events: all the client has to do is express these wishes and our professional trip-planners will organize every aspect of your luxury tour so that not a minute is wasted. For more information, we invite you to visit the Vip Limousine services page, For personalized quotes, we kindly refer you to our contacts page.