Chef
Franco Cimini
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- San Giovanni in Persiceto, Italy
i. Biography
Franco Cimini is the chef and owner of Antica Osteria del Mirasole in San Giovanni in Persiceto, Italy, and the work is defined by continuity rather than range. In the Bologna area, that kind of fixed address matters: one restaurant, one role, one long working relationship with the same kitchen. Over time, Franco Cimini’s name has become attached to a house style built from repetition, service, and the steady accumulation of practice.
The Path
Franco Cimini has held the role of chef and owner at Osteria del Mirasole since 1989. That year marks the start of a long period of custodianship, with the restaurant serving as both workplace and responsibility. The value of that continuity is practical: years of service, repeating seasons, and the daily discipline of keeping a kitchen’s voice intact. At Antica Osteria del Mirasole, the task has never been only to cook, but to maintain a form of work that was established in place and carried forward over time.
The Work Today
At Antica Osteria del Mirasole, Cimini still works in the combined role of chef and owner. The position is unchanged from the one that has defined his public profile: chef of the restaurant in San Giovanni in Persiceto, Italy. That pairing of duties shapes the whole operation, joining craft to stewardship and making the kitchen the center of the house. The present work is built on consistency and attention, with the restaurant continuing as an extension of the same culinary identity that has anchored Cimini for decades.
Signature
Franco's signature dishes include Cipolla dorata al forno ripiena di fegati di coniglio, Tagliatelle al ragù di cortile, and Collo reale di vacca vecchia. Taken together, they point to a kitchen that works with depth, restraint, and a clear attachment to tradition. The dishes read as part of a larger practice at Antica Osteria del Mirasole: precise in intent, rooted in place, and shaped by a cook who has spent decades refining the same vocabulary. In that context, the signatures are less stand-alone items than evidence of a durable working style.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Franco
How did Franco Cimini get started?
His named career arc places him at Osteria del Mirasole in San Giovanni in Persiceto (BO).
What is Franco Cimini best known for today?
He is best known today as chef and owner of Antica Osteria del Mirasole in San Giovanni in Persiceto, Italy.
Where is Antica Osteria del Mirasole based?
San Giovanni in Persiceto, Italy.
