During Milan Fashion Week, we spent an evening at Il Ristorante Niko Romito, set within Bvlgari Hotel Milano, where the experience extends beyond the plate into a carefully structured environment of design, service, and rhythm. Romito’s approach to Italian cuisine reveals itself through clarity and control, where each dish holds a defined purpose and nothing feels excessive. His work centers on precision, whether through technique, ingredient selection, or the balance between intensity and restraint.
RESTAURANTS
In this conversation, Romito reflects on the evolution of his practice, from his late entry into cooking to building a global restaurant concept grounded in a clear culinary framework. He speaks about refining classic Italian dishes without losing their identity, developing a language of subtraction, and shaping menus that consider both taste and physical well-being. The discussion moves between personal history and technical process, offering insight into how his kitchens maintain consistency across locations while remaining responsive to place.
Before Michelin stars and global restaurants, what was the moment when you personally fell in love with cooking, and do you still recognize that feeling in your work today? – I discovered my passion for cooking relatively late. I was 25, studying Economics at Sapienza University in Rome, when my father fell ill. He had just transformed the family pastry shop into a trattoria, so I returned to our small hometown of Rivisondoli, in Abruzzo, to manage it, just long enough to find a buyer, I thought. But that was when I unexpectedly fell in love with cooking and decided to take over the restaurant myself.
After 25 years, my passion remains as strong as ever. Over time, I have developed different projects and explored various expressions of the same values and philosophy, which continue to push me to learn, experiment, and grow. It is an incredibly exciting profession, and that original feeling is still very much alive today.
Imagining a contemporary yet classic Italian cuisine feels natural to me.
You’ve often spoken about creating a contemporary canon of Italian cuisine. How do you keep that framework alive and responsive, while remaining faithful to its core principles? – Italy has an extraordinarily rich culinary heritage, recently recognized by UNESCO. Sometimes tradition is seen as something fixed, to be preserved unchanged. But our culinary history shows that evolution, exchange, and adaptation have always been part of the story.
Imagining a contemporary yet classic Italian cuisine feels natural to me. Our regional tradition is so vast and diverse that I am constantly discovering recipes that inspire new creations, allowing me to remain faithful to our roots while expressing them in a modern way. I respect the essence of tradition, but I approach each ingredient with my own vision, using innovative techniques and new knowledge, not to impress, but always in service of taste, lightness, elegance, and precision.
Your reinterpretations of dishes like lasagna, veal Milanese, and tiramisù feel both familiar and rigorously precise. How do you decide which elements of a classic are essential, and which can be rethought? – I always consider what can be improved without losing the essence of a dish. Take the cotoletta, for example: it was one of the first dishes I envisioned for this project. I studied all the best versions in Milan, asking myself what worked and what didn’t. That led me to a recipe that is structurally different, yet still captures the soul of the dish.
In my version, I first steam the veal to ensure it remains juicy, tender, and evenly cooked. Then I lightly brush it with butter, coat it in egg white and panko, and quickly deep-fry it in vegetable oil. This creates a crisp crust while keeping the interior succulent. In the traditional preparation, frying directly in butter often makes the meat heavy or unevenly cooked. My method is lighter and precise, but always preserves the “soul” of the cotoletta.
I respect the essence of tradition, but I approach each ingredient with my own vision.
Many of your dishes are built through subtraction rather than addition. How did restraint become such a central part of your culinary language? – It was a natural process. I began my career without formal culinary education, experimenting and learning through practice. Being self-taught made the path harder, but it also allowed me to find my personal expression faster.
When I transform raw materials, I try to remove everything that could mask the true taste of an ingredient. Technique becomes a way to reveal unknown facets, whether flavors, aromas, or textures. It’s about reaching the essence of the product by eliminating the unnecessary.
You often speak about lightness not only in terms of technique, but as a physical and emotional experience. How does that idea shape the way you design a menu? – The quest for taste naturally led me to lightness, and I soon realized how important it is, not only for perceiving flavors, but also for the well-being of the body. Health is often seen as being in opposition to taste, but for me, they are complementary.
This philosophy now guides the way I design menus: each dish balances intensity and purity, creating an experience that is both flavorful and physically and emotionally satisfying. Today, I am also pursuing research projects to better understand how cooking processes affect the nutritional properties of a dish, with the goal of making healthy and tasty food accessible to as many people as possible, starting with hospital and school canteens.
I always consider what can be improved without losing the essence of a dish.
Il Ristorante operates across very different cultural contexts, yet the kitchens follow a shared philosophy. How do you maintain integrity and consistency while allowing each location its own rhythm? – The heart of this project is codification. By establishing a clear “protocol” for taste, we ensure integrity and consistency across every Il Ristorante. But consistency isn’t a cage, it’s a foundation. Once the technical framework is in place, each kitchen can find its own rhythm, working with local ingredients and letting them guide how each dish is transformed. We don’t simply export recipes; we export a way of thinking.
Over the years, the project has grown significantly. Today, we have eight locations worldwide, each in a different country with its own seasonal products and local flavors. While the menus remain consistent and our recipes are never altered, authenticity is essential, they also embrace diversity, allowing each kitchen to make the most of both local and Italian ingredients.
Your roots in Abruzzo remain a quiet but constant presence in your cooking. In what ways does your personal history continue to guide your decisions as a chef? – My personal history has shaped my professional path. I grew up in a family where the quality of ingredients was always paramount. Abruzzo cuisine is built on simple yet nourishing products, and beyond the recipes or local ingredients I use, it has given me an approach: a respect for purity, authenticity, and the essence of each ingredient. This philosophy continues to guide every decision I make as a chef.
We don’t simply export recipes; we export a way of thinking.
When you are not in the kitchen professionally, what do you actually enjoy eating? – I love simple food and good products: vegetables, soups, a simple pasta dish, or excellent bread with a few slices of prosciutto crudo or anchovies. Working with Bvlgari has allowed me to travel extensively, discovering different gastronomic cultures that I enjoy experiencing.
Of course, I also appreciate important, creative gastronomic experiences, but only when they are meaningful. I don’t enjoy the “in-between,” pretentious food without substance.
Are there ingredients (humble or luxurious) that you feel particularly close to, and that you find yourself working with repeatedly across different menus? – Vegetables are especially important in my cuisine. Creatively and technically, they are challenging, yet working with them has allowed me to explore new paths, reveal unexpected facets, and develop a deeper understanding of each ingredient. They are naturally more complex than animal proteins, containing multiple flavors, acidity, sapidity, bitterness, sweetness, that can be emphasized through transformation. Texture is equally important, and precision is essential: a few seconds or a few degrees can completely change the result.
I have always enjoyed transforming common ingredients, products considered “ordinary,” like a simple tomato, into something new, elevating them to an unexpected dimension. Encountering a familiar ingredient in a dish, yet discovering hidden facets of taste or texture, can also evoke strong emotions.
I want my cuisine to evoke memory and emotion.
When guests leave Il Ristorante – Niko Romito, what do you hope stays with them? – I want my cuisine to evoke memory and emotion, so that guests leave feeling they’ve spent a few hours in Italy, either discovering something new or reconnecting with a personal memory stirred by a dish. I focus on pure, intense flavors and light, balanced dishes, so guests feel good after the meal and can easily remember the tastes.
Being a hotel restaurant, we have to represent both a gastronomic destination and a place of comfort. The experience must speak to gourmets while also welcoming those seeking warmth and familiarity. Il Ristorante Niko Romito is more than just the food, it’s a complete experience, from the beauty of the design and tableware to the attentive, professional service, creating moments that stay with guests long after they leave.
Il Ristorante – Niko Romito – Milan
Bulgari Hotel Milano, Via Privata Fratelli Gabba, 7b, 20121 Milano MI, Italy
+39 02 8058 05230
bulgarihotels.com
