i. Biography
Giovanni Ricciardella has been chef of Cascina Vittoria in Rognano since 2012, when he took over the family restaurant and began shaping its present identity with a steady hand and a distinctly personal sense of direction. His current work centers on the restaurant and on a Wagyu program he created, a body of work that gives the kitchen both a clear signature and a sense of evolving focus.
The Path
Ricciardella trained at Istituto alberghiero di Pavia, laying the foundation for a career built on technique, discipline, and the quiet confidence that comes from learning the grammar of a kitchen early. The arc of his path is straightforward, but it carries the weight of years spent observing, refining, and absorbing the habits of seasoned professionals before returning to the family restaurant he would eventually lead. Today, Giovanni is chef of Cascina Vittoria (since 2012), where that training now meets the continuity of place.
The Work Today
The current work is centered on the kitchen he has led since 2012, a setting where the familiar and the exacting coexist. Rather than treating the menu as a fixed statement, Ricciardella has built around it a theme that gives the restaurant a particular rhythm: the Wagyu Experience, a menu Ricciardella created for the restaurant. It anchors the present moment at Cascina Vittoria with a focus that is both elegant and unmistakable, inviting attention not through noise but through precision. A named dish from that work is the Wagyū katsu sando with sansho pepper mayonnaise, teriyaki sauce, and gold leaf. Its composition tells the story of the kitchen in concentrated form: Japanese beef, exact condiments, and a decorative finish stated without excess. The result is a dish that reads as deliberate and polished, a composition where each element has a role and nothing feels accidental. In that sense, the menu’s identity is built not only on luxury ingredients, but on the controlled clarity with which they are presented.
Signature
Giovanni's signature dishes include Wagyu Experience, Wagyū katsu sando, Caviar Experience, and Serata Degustazione Risotto. Taken together, these names sketch the contours of his style: focused, structured, and attentive to the drama that can emerge when ingredients are handled with restraint. They also reflect the way his cooking at Cascina Vittoria has come to be understood—through a few memorable expressions that stand as the clearest markers of his work, and that define the restaurant’s current voice with economy and poise.
Recognition
Giovanni Ricciardella has received Camera di Commercio di Pavia — Chef Ambassador of the Pavese Cuisine in the World (2019).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Giovanni
Where did Giovanni Ricciardella train or study?
Giovanni Ricciardella trained at Istituto alberghiero di Pavia.
What recognition has Giovanni Ricciardella received?
Chef Ambassador of the Pavese Cuisine in the World (2019).
