“Guida Michelin Italia”, new surprise: with Michelangelo Mammoliti, three-star restaurants are 15

Today Italian cuisine is the most awarded ever with chef Michelangelo Mammoliti earning 3 Michelin Stars for the restaurant La Rei Natura in Serralunga d’Alba, at Il Boscareto Resort owned by the Dogliani family, who also runs the Batasiolo winery in the heart of the Langhe del Barolo. This achievement brings the number of three-star restaurants in Italy to 15, confirming an “Olympus” which ranges from Casa Perbellini 12 Apostoli by chef Giancarlo Perbellini in Verona to Villa Crespi in Orta San Giulio by chef Antonino Cannavacciuolo; from Le Calandre in Rubano by the Alajmo brothers to Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence by Giorgio Pinchiorri and Annie Féolde with chef Riccardo Monco; from Uliassi in Senigallia by chef Mauro Uliassi to Piazza Duomo in Alba by chef Enrico Crippa and the Ceretto family, giving the Langhe region two three-star restaurants; from Dal Pescatore in Canneto sull’Oglio by the Santini family to La Pergola at Rome Cavalieri in Rome by chef Heinz Beck, named “Chef Mentor” 2026 for discovering and training young talents across Italy; from Da Vittorio in Brusaporto by the Cerea brothers to Osteria Francescana in Modena by chef Massimo Bottura; from Reale in Castel di Sangro by chef Niko Romito to Atelier Moessmer in Brunico by chef Norbert Niederkofler; from Quattro Passi in Nerano by chef Fabrizio Mellino to Enrico Bartolini at Mudec in Milan by Enrico Bartolini, who confirms Italy most Michelin-starred chef, second in Europe only to Alain Ducasse, with a “universe” of 14 stars. This is the verdict of the “Michelin Italy” 2026 Guide, revealed today during the ceremony of edition No. 71 of the prestigious and feared “Red Guide” - celebrating 120 years of history in Italy since 1906, and where the company stands out as the biggest employer, and main national producer for productive capacity in the sector (and starting a celebration with many events with chefs) - headed by Giorgia Surina at Teatro Regio in Parma, the capital of Italy “Food Valley” confirmming Emilia-Romagna as the stage, with 25 new starred restaurants (one new three-star, two new 2-star, and 22 new 1-star, including 5 Stelle Verdi - Green Stars for a total of 72) across 14 regions - with Lombardy, Campania, and Tuscany leading at the top - bringing the total to 394 starred restaurants in Italy (one more than in 2025, with 15 three-star, 38 two-star, 342 one-star, and 255 Bib Gourmand, for nearly 2,000 recommended restaurants - making it the second most Michelin-starred guide in the world (and, on which WineNews is interviewing the chefs in our soon online interviews, ed).
With a real “shower” of stars, still another time, for Italy, starting with chef Mammoliti, who earned two stars while working at La Madernassa, in Guarene and, since 2022, has showcased his “neurogastronomy,” which evokes memories and emotions through the senses, at La Rei Natura, where he earned his third Michelin star. And who, “immersed in the enchanting setting of the gentle Langhe vineyards - one can read in the motivation for the third Michelin star - offers a gastronomic experience of pure precision and poetry. Every dish, crafted with millimetric rigor, tells a story celebrating raw ingredients, enhanced by bold and harmonious pairings. The host and the product are the beating heart of a journey which envelops the senses completely. His cuisine doesn’t merely satisfy the palate: it elevates it, transforming every taste into an unforgettable emotional journey”. “A new starting point, because one more star is something that motivates you even more to cook with your heart”, said chef Mammoliti. But also a new surprise for Italian cuisine - for which the wait of the verdict of Unesco Intangible Heritage candidacy grows - after chef Perbellini three-star triumph in 2024. Italian cuisine today is the most awarded ever, and not only thanks to the record of 15 three-star restaurants. As a matter of fact, two new restaurants earned two Michelin stars: Famiglia Rana in Oppeano, in Verona, by chef Francesco Sodano, whose cuisine “among artworks and antique objects which enchant, in uniquely charming settings, tells the story of unity. From the garden to the workshop, every detail is the result of research and passion, culminating in Mediterranean seafood, a protagonist of a table celebrating harmony and authenticity. An experience intertwining nature, technique, and creativity, leaving an indelible mark”; and I Tenerumi on Vulcano Island in Sicily, by chef Davide Guidara, “custodian of a dream pursued with ethics, experience, study, and vision to elevate the plant world as the absolute protagonist. Refined technique, lightness, and creativity merge into a journey that surprises and captivates. In an idyllic corner of the island, every dish becomes an experience that stays in the heart”.
These restaurants are headed by young chefs - among the 22 new one-star entries, eight chefs are 35 or younger, 2 of them under 30 - trained by Italy best chefs. The new special award of the “Michelin Italy Guide” 2026, the “Opening Of The Year Award”, given for the first time in the Italian edition to a restaurant which impressed from the start, goes to young chef Gian Marco Bianchi, born in 1985, of Al Madrigale - Nuova Cucina Rurale in Tivoli, opened just eight months ago and already earning its first Michelin star. “Historic Tivoli - says the award motivation - opens its doors to a new fine dining restaurant where chef Bianchi and his team transform every experience into a journey through the region gastronomic traditions. Not just any journey, but a personalized path where authentic flavors blend with a contemporary vision, wrapped in impeccable service and the elegance of a historic setting”. As, the “Young Chef Award” 2026 goes to Mattia Pecis, 29, chef at Cracco Portofino by chef Carlo Cracco, “that I thank - said the chef - to have given me the freedom to express myself and to have believed in me”. “From zero to two thousand - one can read in the motivation of the Award - is the young but already intense trajectory of Mattia Pecis, capable of absorbing the best from undisputed masters of Italian cuisine and returning it with an authentic and brilliant voice. His cuisine moves naturally between alpine peaks and marine coasts, always with deep respect for the territory, enhancing its agricultural excellence with sensitivity and intelligence. Spontaneous, joyful, personal: his cuisine reflects his character and captivates for its ability to turn pleasure into experience”.
Credit also goes to the so-called “Chef Mentors” with the 2026 award going to Heinz Beck, who has always discovered and trained young talents across Italy in a cuisine of lightness, balance, and well-being, combining taste and health and helping elevate global gastronomic culture: “a great master is nothing without strong students, to whom I dedicate this award because you will never stop dreaming”, he said.
Among the “Chef Mentors” (in 2022, ed), Enrico Bartolini remains Italy most Michelin-starred chef, second in Europe only to Alain Ducasse, with 14 stars plus one Green Star, three at Enrico Bartolini al Mudec in Milan, two at Glam in Venice (chef Donato Ascani), one at Locanda del Sant’Uffizio in Cioccaro di Penango (chef Gabriele Boffa), one at Villa Elena in Bergamo Alta (chef Marco Galtarossa), and one each at Anima Ristorante of Hotel Una Verticale-Una Esperienze, always in Milan (chef Michele Cobuzzi), Il Fuoco Sacro of Petra Segreta Resort & Spa a San Pantaleo in Sardinia (chefs Luigi Bergeretto and Alessandro Menditto), Poggio Rosso di Borgo San Felice Relais & Chateaux of Allianz Group in Castelnuovo Berardenga in Tuscany (chef Juan Camilo Quintero, Green Star for sustainability), Trattoria Enrico Bartolini of Andana Resort of Terra Moretti Group in Castiglione della Pescaia (chef Bruno De Moura Cossio), and Bluh Furore by the Irollo family on the Amalfi Coast (chef Vincenzo Russo).
The region with the most new entries is Lombardy, with 4 new 1-star restaurants. Lazio ranks second with 2 new wntries with 1 star, followed by even 6 regions with 2 new entries each (Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, Campania). Among these, Veneto adds one new 1-star and one new 2-star restaurant. In the regional ranking, Lombardy maintains its leadership with 64 starred restaurants (3 three-star, 6 two-star, 55 one-star), Campania is second with 48 (1 three-star, 7 two-star, 40 one-star), and Tuscany third with 45 (1 three-star, 5 two-star, 39 one-star). Fourth position confirmed for Piedmont with 34 (3 three-star, 2 two-star, 29 one-star), and Veneto is fifth with 34 (2 three-star, 4 two-star, 28 one-star). In the classification of provinces, among the Top 5, two cities of Campania confirm: Naples tops the list with 27 starred restaurants (1 three-star, 6 two-star, 20 one-star) and Salerno, in position No. 5 with 16 (all one-star); Rome is No. 2 with 26 starred restaurants (1 three-star, 3 two-star, 22 one-star), followed by Bolzano with 21 (1 three-star, 2 two-star, 18 one-star); in position No. 4, Milan with 20 starred restaurants (1 three-star, 4 two-star, 15 one-star).
All this against the backdrop of Parma, which hosted the ceremony from 2016 to 2028 and “represents the excellence and authenticity that make Italian cuisine so admired worldwide. Italy is a true pillar of the “Michelin Guide”, the second most Michelin-starred guide in the world. Also “Bib Gourmand” category continues to grow, reflecting the exceptional quality of simple, authentic, generous cuisine across the country. Italy gastronomic scene is so dynamic it never stops improving. In 2025, our inspectors explored and added new restaurants to the guide every month, discovering passionate chefs who interpret Italian cuisine in fresh ways”, said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide, while Josephine Di Chiara, Michelin new communication responsible, reiterated “the central role of Italian gastronomy at an international level”.
“Cuisine and the food sector play a primary role in our city - where 30% of the population works in the industry - linked to its culture, and everything becomes a convivial occasion thanks to our excellence. We also supported the candidacy of Italian cuisine for Unesco - said Parma mayor Michele Guerra - even if this is not the first time we host Michelin, welcoming it again is always a great occasion and an honor to reaffirm the value of our cuisine”. “With Michelin, we share three values: food as cultural heritage, as well as economic, seen that Italian agri-food is worth 500 billion euros, and 35 billion euros in our region - added Alessio Mammi, Agriculture coucillor Regione Emilia Romagna - which expressed in the love for creating quality products passed down through generations; it is sufficient to enter into a cheese factory of Parmigiano Reggiano to understand that; innovation, stemming from the ability to improve on who preceded us, and which stimulates us to do increasingly better”, and food as sharing and meeting, of which the extraordinary community of Michelin-starred chefs is ambassador for Italy worldwide”.
And while the ceremony dishes featured the excellence of Italian Food Valley (whose PDO products are worth 11.5 billion euros, 5% of entire Italy agri-food sector), the official Michelin toast was with Franciacorta sparkling wine, with the Consortium as “Sparkling Wine Partner” (both for Italy and the USA, ed) and supporter of the “Michelin Sommelier Award”, presented in the 2026 edition by president Emanuele Rabotti to Ivana Capraro, sommelier at Castel fine dining, a two-star Michelin restaurant in Hotel Castel in Tirolo, headed by chef Gerhard Wieser among the vineyards of South Tyrol. “Ivana is a reference point for those seeking pure emotions in the glass - it is the Award motivation - with competence and sensitivity interpreting the tastes of guests and creating perfect pairings, valorizing small producers, and elegantly representing great fine wines. Her advice is a journey through vineyards, told with enthusiasm and passion, turning every experience into an unforgettable moment”. “We must be empathetic - she said, dedicating the award to young colleague Mara Severin, who passed away prematurely - and maintain balance like the chef dishes arriving at the table, where wine is an essential part of the emotion the guest wants to experience”.