Chef
Antonino Cannavacciuolo
Chef Patron & Owner, Villa Crespi
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Orta San Giulio, Italy
Known for
- Three Michelin-starred restaurant Villa Crespi on Lake Orta
- Pan-Italian cuisine blending Campanian and Piedmontese traditions
- Judge on MasterChef Italia since 2015-2016 season
- Host of Italian Kitchen Nightmares (2013)
i. Biography
“Cooking, for me, is about feeling the lure of the places I grew up in. Welcoming people is having them discover places they've never been to.”
The Climb
A formal Italian hotel-school base and Alsatian kitchen exposure frame the technical line in Antonino Cannavacciuolo’s work: I.S.I.S. “F. De Gennaro” (1993), internships at Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern, Alsace, France, and Buerehiesel in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, followed by cooking at Grand Hotel Quisisana in Capri, Italy. The public-facing work expanded without separating from restaurant practice: host at Cucine da incubo (2013–2015), restaurateur at Cannavacciuolo Café & Bistrot in Novara, Italy (from 2015), host at Ci pensa Antonino (2017–2017), judge at Celebrity MasterChef Italia (2017–2018), judge at MasterChef All Stars Italia (2018–2019), host at I menù di Cannavacciuolo (2019–2019), and television personality at Family Food Fight (2019–2019). The current platform combines restaurant ownership, service leadership, and broadcast judging. Antonino is chef patron and manager of Villa Crespi (since 1999), judge of MasterChef Italia (since 2015), host of Cucine da incubo (since 2016), host of 'O mare mio (since 2017), restaurateur of Cannavacciuolo Bistrot (since 2017), and host of Antonino Chef Academy (since 2019).
At Work Now
“The roots of my cuisine lie in the land where I was born.” Place remains the stated anchor of the cooking: the cuisine is described through the land of birth rather than through abstraction. For a working kitchen, that locates memory, sourcing, and hospitality inside the same frame. “I learned everything I know about pigeons in France, and the best, nicest ones always come from there.” The pigeon work is tied directly to French training and French supply. Antonino Cannavacciuolo names France as both the place of learning and the preferred source for the bird.
Signature
Signature dishes include “Buon Viaggio, Plin with gorgonzola and mussel cream, and Pigeon.
Recognition
Villa Crespi’s Michelin record marks the restaurant’s progression over time: First Michelin star for Villa Crespi (2003), Second Michelin star for Villa Crespi (2006), and Third Michelin star for Villa Crespi (2022). Antonino Cannavacciuolo’s honors are recorded through that house.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Antonino
What is Antonino Cannavacciuolo's current position?
Antonino Cannavacciuolo is chef at Villa Crespi — Modern Italian, Creative.
Where did Antonino Cannavacciuolo train or study?
Antonino Cannavacciuolo trained at I.S.I.S. “F. De Gennaro”.
What recognition has Antonino Cannavacciuolo received?
Third Michelin star for Villa Crespi (2022).
