Chef
Nadia Santini
Chef, Dal Pescatore Santini
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Runate, Italy
Known for
- Three Michelin stars since 1996 at Dal Pescatore Santini
- Tortelli di zucca al burro e Parmigiano
- Terrina di astice con caviale
- First Italian female chef with three Michelin stars
i. Biography
Italian restaurant craft in Lombardy is carried through continuity: study, family restaurant work, and the repeated correction of dishes until they can hold both regional memory and present-day service. In the case of Nadia Santini, that continuity is tied to Dal Pescatore, where Italian tradition is treated as a working discipline rather than a theme.
The Making
Gastronomic training gives structure to instinct, and Nadia Santini’s education at the Universita degli Studi di Milano sits behind a practice built on Italian cuisine as a technical and cultural field. In 1974, the work moved into the kitchen at Dal Pescatore, where the Head Chef role required not only cooking but stewardship: maintaining a restaurant language, refining it over time, and keeping tradition useful rather than decorative.
The Work Today
The kitchen at Dal Pescatore continues to be defined by persistence, equilibrium, and honesty, with Nadia Santini leading a style that prizes balance over display. Dishes such as Risotto alla Milanese with Artichokes and Tortelli di zucca with butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano show the register clearly: recognizable Italian forms, handled with restraint, and built to carry flavor, texture, and proportion without excess.
Credentials
Recognition in this register measures consistency as much as reputation. Nadia Santini received the Veuve Clicquot World's Best Female Chef award in 2013, and Dal Pescatore has held Three Michelin Stars since 1996. Together, those facts point to a kitchen whose standards have been maintained over decades, with craft discipline strong enough to remain legible under sustained scrutiny.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Nadia
Who is Nadia Santini?
Nadia Santini is chef at Dal Pescatore.
Where did Nadia Santini train or study?
Nadia Santini trained at Universita degli Studi di Milano.
What recognition has Nadia Santini received?
Veuve Clicquot World's Best Female Chef (2013).
