i. Biography
Her work reads as continuity made visible: the San Remo dishes that first shaped Ornella Contin’s voice still register in the later cooking, carrying a coastal register of lightness and salt into Da Vittorio. The throughline is not a dramatic break, but a steady refinement of the same kitchen language.
Coming Up
A career built inside one house can show its discipline plainly, and Ornella Contin’s does. She began as chef at Da Vittorio Sanremo in San Remo, Italy, where she remained until 2020. That early post established the frame: a specific place, a fixed house style, and a repertoire that asked for precision over display. Today, Ornella is Executive Chef of Da Vittorio, and the move reads as a change in responsibility within the same lineage rather than a departure from it. The force of that progression lies in how little it had to be explained. The San Remo years functioned as working ground, where local ingredients, exact technique, and the cadence of a kitchen committed to continuity set the terms. The later role carries those terms forward, shifting the scope from individual dishes to the stewardship of the whole operation.
Where They Are Now
The present role at Da Vittorio sits directly on top of the earlier one at Da Vittorio Sanremo, and that proximity matters. In Ornella Contin’s case, the work is legible as part of a single house rather than a scatter of unrelated stops. The same discipline that shaped the earlier repertoire remains visible in the current post, where each decision reflects the accumulated practice of the kitchen before it. That kind of progression is often the mark of a clear trade. The hand is trained in one context, the palate learns one set of standards, and the responsibilities widen without losing the house’s identity. Ornella Contin’s path follows that pattern closely, with the Executive Chef role extending rather than replacing what came before.
Signature
Ornella's signature dishes include borage dumplings, spaghetti with a tuna ragout, rabbit stewed with olives and pine nuts, and raviolini piccoli. The range shows a kitchen working across different registers without losing control of balance or restraint. Borage brings a green, delicate note; tuna ragout and rabbit with olives and pine nuts move into firmer, more grounded territory; raviolini piccoli points back to precision in scale and form. Taken together, the dishes suggest a hand attentive to contrast, clarity, and measured composition.
Honors
Ornella's honors include Michelin three stars (2024). As a marker, it places her work within one of the most exacting standards in contemporary dining, a clear point of recognition for the cooking under her name.
Profile updated August 2026
FAQ
Asked of Ornella
What is Ornella Contin's current role?
Ornella Contin is Executive Chef.
Where did Ornella Contin work before?
Earlier in their career, Ornella Contin worked at Da Vittorio Sanremo.
What recognition has Ornella Contin received?
Michelin three stars (2024).
