Ferdinando Bernardi

The Path

Ferdinando Bernardi built his practice by moving through roles that each demanded control of a different part of the kitchen: first taking responsibility for the pizzeria at La Tramontana in Rimini, then working as chef at Embassy restaurant in Rimini and Hotel Executive in Cesenatico. He later took that work to Thailand as nutritional educator at Lamsai Pathumthani school, before becoming second chef at Dolomieu (DV Chalet) in Madonna di Campiglio (from 2008), and then chef at Julie’s in London. The next stage shifted from production into instruction and outside consultation. At Institut Paul Bocuse, School of Management, Hospitality and Culinary Arts in Lyon, he worked as educator / collaborator; in the United States he served as consultant at Pane Caldo in Chicago and Moonshadows in Malibu, Los Angeles. He then handled the opening as director at Oliver’s Osteria in Laguna Beach, before taking the post of Chef de cocina at Orobianco in Calpe (2015–2021). Since 2021, Ferdinando has been chef of Casa Bernardi.

The Work Today

At Casa Bernardi in Benissa, the cooking is framed as fine dining Italian cuisine on Spain’s eastern shore. The register is disciplined rather than decorative: Italian tradition stays central, while Mediterranean produce and local ingredients of Alicante shape the menu’s expression, so the plates hold both lineage and place. That approach is consistent with the way Ferdinando Bernardi describes the work himself: continuation, not reinvention. The family line stays present in the cooking, and the service side matters just as much as the plate.

In Their Words “I wanted to continue with the culinary tradition of my family, since my passion is cooking and treating customers.”

Acclaim

Ferdinando Bernardi has received Michelin Guide, Michelin Star (2024). Ferdinando's honors include Michelin Star (2024), Michelin Star, and Sol Repsol (2020).