Denis Lovatel

The Path

Lovatel’s early professional life unfolded at Pizzeria Da Ezio in Alano di Piave (Belluno), Veneto, Italy, where he worked as pizzaiolo and pizza chef and laid the foundations of a career defined by precision, patience and an attentive respect for craft. That beginning matters in the way first chapters often do: as a place where technique and temperament were quietly shaped together, before his own language of pizza found its fuller voice. Today, Denis is pizza chef of Denis – Pizza di Montagna (since 2020) and pizza chef of Albany Resort (since 2024), roles that extend his mountain-minded approach into different settings while keeping the same core sensibility intact.

The Work Today

Across his current work, the defining note remains mountain pizza. The phrase is not ornamental; it is exact, carrying with it a sense of place, climate and intention. Lovatel’s approach is built around dough that feels light rather than heavy, and around ingredients that seem to hold the clean, spare character of the landscape itself. In his own words, it becomes "A light pizza that respects the mountain’s breath." That line captures what his cooking seems to pursue: not excess, but resonance. The pizza does not crowd the palate; it opens space, allowing texture, aroma and a quiet sense of altitude to come forward. There is discipline in this lightness, but also a kind of tenderness, as though each element has been considered for the room it leaves around the others.

Signature

Denis's signature dishes include Rose Scent, Wild Flavors, Winter Forest, Dolomiti, and Pizza in Malga. Each name suggests a distinct register within the same mountain vocabulary—floral, herbal, wintry, geological, pastoral—hinting at a repertoire that moves through the terrain rather than merely referencing it.

In Their Words “It was nice to combine these two parts in a single dish, creating a slightly different pizza than the crispy one I offer in my restaurant. In this case, I wanted to introduce a little softness.” “The foundations on which my idea of pizza is based are twofold: identity... And then sustainability... Concrete actions in this sense would have a powerful impact.”

Acclaim

Denis Lovatel has received San Pellegrino, Innovation and Sustainability Prize. Denis's honors include Green Oven award and Innovation & Sustainability Prize. Together, they reflect the clarity of a chef whose work is anchored not only in flavor and form, but in a broader ethic of care, continuity and thoughtful making.