From Venice’s lagoon to the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, Minor Hotels is spotlighting Italian cuisine as living cultural heritage.
Italian cuisine has officially been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity – a designation that affirms what travelers have always known. In Italy, food isn’t just sustenance. It’s history, ritual, geography, and family memory, shaped by regional ingredients and centuries of tradition.
Across Italy, Minor Hotels is marking the moment by spotlighting six restaurants that interpret this heritage through a contemporary lens. The result is a north-to-south tasting trail through Venice, Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast – each stop offering a distinct expression of what makes Italian cuisine so enduring.
Here’s where to book your table.
Venice: Fine Dining in a 17th-Century Palace
In Venice, where culinary tradition moves to the quiet rhythm of the lagoon, Da Lorenzo – Al Giardino Segreto offers an intimate counterpoint to the city’s tourist bustle. Tucked inside the NH Collection Venezia Grand Hotel Palazzo dei Dogi, the restaurant overlooks one of Venice’s oldest private gardens, a serene backdrop that feels almost cinematic.
Michelin-starred chef Paulo Airaudo brings a modern sensibility to Venetian classics, presenting tasting menus that reinterpret local traditions with precision and creativity. Seasonality anchors the experience, while subtle international influences keep the cuisine forward-looking. It’s refined, restrained, and deeply rooted in place.
Florence: Pasta as Philosophy
Florence’s Terrae Restaurant, housed within Tivoli Palazzo Gaddi Firenze Hotel, channels Tuscany’s culinary identity through craftsmanship and seasonality. Led by Michelin-starred Chef Patron Iside De Cesare alongside Resident Chef Salvatore Canargiu, the kitchen treats fresh pasta as both art form and cultural thread.
Signature dishes such as cartellata with rabbit and preserved peppers, handmade ravioli scented with garlic, extra virgin olive oil and chili, and traditional fish soup showcase an approach grounded in local ingredients. The menu evolves monthly, reflecting the rhythms of the region and reinforcing Tuscany’s enduring connection between land and table.
Rome: Contemporary Cuisine with Global Nuance
In Rome’s Piazza della Repubblica, INEO Restaurant at Anantara Palazzo Naiadi offers a more contemporary interpretation of Italian haute cuisine. Awarded one Michelin star, the 22-seat dining room feels intimate and intentional.
Executive Chef Heros De Agostinis describes his philosophy as a “creative métissage” – a dialogue between Italian tradition and global influences shaped by his international career. The result is thoughtful, technique-driven cuisine delivered through tasting menus and à la carte options. Even the bread program is elevated here, turning a staple of Italian dining into a focal point of craft.
For a different Roman perspective, Oro Bistrot at NH Collection Roma Fori Imperiali pairs elevated Italian cooking with sweeping rooftop views of the Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II and the Roman Forum. Sicilian chef Natale Giunta reinterprets classic flavors with a contemporary edge, spotlighting premium seasonal ingredients in a setting that feels both glamorous and distinctly Roman.
Meanwhile, in the Prati district, Antéla Restaurant at NH Collection Roma Centro offers a more urban garden escape. Also led by Giunta, the menu ranges from refined raw seafood to inventive dishes such as spaghetti with coconut milk and olive crumble. A carefully curated wine list balances iconic labels with independent producers, while a cocktail program inspired by Latin maxims adds a narrative twist to the evening.
Amalfi Coast: Cliffside Elegance
The journey culminates along the Amalfi Coast at Dei Cappuccini, located within Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel. Set inside a restored 13th-century Capuchin convent suspended between sky and sea, the restaurant blends monastic heritage with contemporary elegance.
Here, traditional Amalfitan recipes are reimagined with modern finesse, showcasing the finest local ingredients against sweeping views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Sunset aperitivi give way to intimate dinners framed by cliffside panoramas – a setting that amplifies the emotional pull of southern Italian cuisine.