i. Biography
Chef of Sustanza in Naples is the current frame for Marco Ambrosino, gathering a route through Italian cooking that runs from Milan back toward the south. The work beneath that title is tight, lucid and Mediterranean in register, with each plate handling place as structure rather than decoration. Tagliolino with leek, candied lemon and powdered capers, or ricotta with pollen gelato, citrus fruit ash and mullet bottarga, shows a kitchen that keeps local reference clear without leaning on nostalgia.
The Path
Early work at Il Melograno in Ischia and then 28 Posti in Milan (2014–2021) gave Marco Ambrosino a line of practice marked by precision and forward motion. Island and city matter here: the move from the south’s salt and sun to Milan’s more disciplined pace is visible in a cooking style that balances clarity with a controlled level of complexity. Today, Marco Ambrosino is founder of Collettivo Mediterraneo (since 2019) and chef of Sustanza (since 2023). The timeline points to a practice that has expanded in two directions at once: collective thinking on one side, a singular restaurant identity on the other.
The Work Today
At Sustanza, where he has been chef since 2022, Ambrosino calls the cooking "contemporary Mediterranean cuisine." The phrase is exact enough for the plates on offer, which do not treat coastal and southern references as fixed inheritance. Instead, they are recalibrated into sharper contrasts and cleaner textures. Tagliolino arrives with leek, candied lemon and powdered capers, a combination that moves from softness to brightness with a briny edge. Pork belly is set with cauliflower, mint and winegarum, using richness, freshness and acidity in measured sequence. Ricotta meets pollen gelato, citrus fruit ash and mullet bottarga, a plate that works across dairy, bitterness, citrus and sea without closing the distance between them. His own line gives the work its frame: "Cucina is a discovery of new things, of forgotten things." That logic runs through the menu language—powdered capers, bottarga with ricotta, winegarum with pork belly—where memory is not repeated as heritage but brought back into readable form.
Signature
Marco's signature dishes include La Chiajozza, Tagliolino, leek, candied lemon, powdered capers, Pork belly, cauliflower, mint, winegarum, Ricotta, pollen gelato, citrus fruit ash, and mullet bottarga. Taken together, they show a Mediterranean vocabulary handled with restraint, where each plate sets familiarity against a sharper edge.
In Their Words “The cuisine we do here at Sustanza is what I like to call contemporary Mediterranean cuisine.” “Cucina is a discovery of new things, of forgotten things.”
Acclaim
The present-tense title that carries the weight here is chef of Sustanza in Naples. It gathers the earlier line of work into one place, after Milan and into the current kitchen. The cooking is best understood through its dishes rather than any broad claim for them. Tagliolino with leek, candied lemon and capers; pork belly with cauliflower, mint and winegarum; ricotta with pollen gelato, ash and bottarga: together they define the standard more clearly than praise would.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Marco
What is Marco Ambrosino's current role?
As of 2026, Marco Ambrosino is Chef.
Where did Marco Ambrosino work before?
Marco Ambrosino's earlier career included Il Melograno and 28 Posti.
