Luigi Ciciriello

The Climb

Monte Faito hotel school gave Luigi Ciciriello the formal base for a career that moved from study to service without detour. In Brussels, Belgium, work as chef at Cravache d'Or preceded his long tenure at La Truffe Noire, where he has served as owner and chef since 1988. The line is clear: training, kitchen experience, then one address long enough to define a body of work. That kind of continuity matters in a restaurant built on control, memory, and consistency.

Today

At La Truffe Noire, the kitchen is still organized around truffles, and Luigi Ciciriello speaks about them without ornament. “I didn't decide for the truffles; the truffle decided.” The line describes a specialist’s relationship to a single ingredient: the work does not chase novelty so much as submit to what the product demands. On quality, his standard is equally direct: “The best way to check the quality of a truffle is the obvious way: the smell.” It is practical guidance from someone who has spent years relying on the senses that matter most in the room.

Signature

Ravioli stuffed with slices of black truffle is among Luigi's signature dishes. The preparation keeps the focus where his kitchen has long kept it: on aroma, texture, and the weight of the central ingredient. In a dish like this, the truffle does not sit on top of the plate as decoration; it carries the dish from within.

In Their Words “The best way to check the quality of a truffle is the obvious way: the smell.”

Recognition

Best sommelier of Belgium is part of Luigi Ciciriello's record. The honor points to a palate trained beyond a single station, one attentive to pairing, balance, and the broader discipline of taste.