Three Michelin stars to Antonino Cannavacciuolo, the top restaurants rise to 12

Antonino Cannavacciuolo enters the Olympus of three-star Michelin restaurants, thus defining the magnificent dozen of Italian cuisine.

All eleven three-star restaurants have also been confirmed in the Michelin Italia 2023 guide.

"It's a magical moment, - commented Antonino warmly - today is also the wedding anniversary and my wife forgave me for this distant celebration. Ours is a project that started 20 years ago, there will be other openings - he announced the entrepreneur - and this huge, new emotion is the fuel to go on ".

Celebration for the Michelin star awarded to the Villa Crespi restaurant in Orta San Giulio, in Piedmont.

"Every time I get a Michelin award, something good happens in the family: - says Antonino Cannavacciuolo - the first Michelin star in 2003 coincides with my marriage, the second came in 2006 when my daughter was born, today I celebrate the anniversary of the wedding and both my parents and in-laws are celebrating their 50th anniversary. I am excited, I link this professional recognition to the beauty of my life. "This is a goal - underlined the chef-entrepreneur - but those who know me well know that I am already thinking to other projects.

I will continue to Masterchef but also the other television programs.

And I am pleased to be here at the 68th edition of Michelin Italia in the awareness that the only revolution in life is cooking well, history is made with good food ".

The entrepreneurial spirit with record-breaking chefs was also very rewarded: Enrico Bartolini has a total of 12 Michelin stars and receives the Chef Mentore 2023 award, Antonino Cannavacciuolo has 7 Michelin stars in his various bars and bistros in Piedmont, Tuscany and Campania, while the group of Heinz Beck has 4 Michelin stars in Italy and has nine restaurants around the world.

"These guys - he says excitedly talking about the Villa Crespi team - are giving me a lot, we managed to make a really nice group, a group that I have to send away from the kitchen in the evening to send them home. I can't ask for anything better. This star are they".

The number of starred restaurants led by the chef in Italy rises to 5, who promises: "This is just the beginning, Villa Crespi is the mother, but it is a project that continues and that we have strengthened today. There will be other openings, we hope. This one. recognition is a unique emotion ". 

The Villa Crespi restaurant in Orta San Giulio, led by Chef Antonino Cannavacciuolo, wins 3 Michelin stars and enters the Gotha of world catering.

In the setting of Lake Orta, inside the historic Moorish-style residence immersed in a centuries-old park, the path to this success began in 2003 with the assignment of the first Michelin star, followed by the assignment of the second in 2006. Sixteen years later, the chef from Campania wins 3 Michelin stars, an award reserved for less than 140 restaurants in the world. 

Through the confirmation of all the 3-star restaurants of the last edition, the 68th edition of the Michelin Guide brings to 12 the number of restaurants that are "worth the trip" in Italy: Villa Crespi Orta San Giulio (NO) new entry, Piazza Duomo at Alba (CN), From Vittorio to Brusaporto (BG), St. Hubertus, in San Cassiano (BZ), Le Calandre in Rubano (PD), Dal Pescatore in Canneto Sull'Oglio (MN), Osteria Francescana in Modena, Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence, La Pergola in Rome, Reale in Castel di Sangro (AQ), Mauro Uliassi in Senigallia (AN) and Enrico Bartolini at MUDEC in Milan. 

During the ceremony, 38 new stars were presented that involved 13 regions of which 4 new entries in the 2-star category: Acquolina - Rome 2 stars - chef Daniele Lippi - Enoteca La Torre - Rome 2 stars - chef Domenico Stile - St. George by Heinz Beck - Taormina 2 stars - chef Salvatore Iuliano - Locanda Sant'Uffizio Enrico Bartolini - Penango 2 stars - chef Gabriele Boffa.

In the Michelin Guide Italy 2023 there are 33 new 1 star.

Among these, the 1 star award to Cannavacciuolo Vineyard, a restaurant in Casanova di Terricciola in the province of Pisa, led by the young chef Marco Suriano.

In addition, the star was awarded to a vegetarian restaurant, I Tenerumi, a restaurant on the island of Vulcano, which was also awarded the green star for its commitment to more sustainable cuisine.

Among the 38 novelties, there are 20 chefs aged 35 or under, 6 of whom aged the same or under 30. One thing to underline: all the chefs of the new 2-star restaurants are under the age of 35. 

The most dynamic regions of this edition are Lombardy with 7 novelties, followed by Tuscany and Sicily with 5 novelties, with the latter rising to 20 starred restaurants.