Viviana Varese

The Climb

The work advanced through roles that widened the scope of responsibility without leaving the line behind. Viviana Varese began in 1987 as pizzaiolo at parents' restaurant in Milan, where the essentials of dough, fire, timing, and repetition set the terms of the job. From there, she moved into the role of chef in charge at small restaurant and pub, then became owner and chef at Il Girasole in Orio Litta (from 1999), taking on both kitchen control and ownership. Milan became the central frame for a long stretch of the career. In 2007, Viviana Varese co-founded Alice Ristorante in Milan and served as chef there until 2019, a twelve-year run that reflects continuity in a changing restaurant market. She also worked as chef ambassador at Expo Milano 2015 in Milan (2015), then moved into the role of chef at VIVA Viviana Varese in Milan (from 2019), keeping her own name attached to the kitchen’s identity. The line of work then extended beyond Milan into different formats and settings. Viviana Varese served as chef at W Villadorata Country Restaurant at Villadorata Country House in Noto, Sicily (from 2021), and from 2022 became founder at Io sono VIVA Dolci e Gelati in Milan. The span between those roles shows range across restaurant cooking and sweets, with the same emphasis on control, structure, and serviceable craft. Today, Viviana is Chef di casa of Passalacqua, a title that suggests stewardship as much as output. In parallel, her consulting chef role at Otto & Pepe in Miami carries that work into another market, showing a career built on adaptation without losing the habits formed in the kitchen.

Today

Today, she is Chef di casa at Passalacqua. She describes the role this way: “My role is that of a gastronomic curator.” The phrase fits a method built on selection, order, and coordination, not just production. It also matches the way she describes kitchen culture, with emphasis on the value of each person in the room: “Each person has their own value and together we create a team that is more cohesive, more fun and more creative.”

Signature

Signature dishes include Profiteroles. The dish points to a style that values familiarity without looseness: a classic form handled with attention to balance, finish, and restraint.

In Their Words “Each person has their own value and together we create a team that is more cohesive, more fun and more creative.” “My role is that of a gastronomic curator.”

Recognition

Viviana's honors include Michelin Guide, 1 star and Champions of Change. Those recognitions sit alongside a career that has moved through Milan, Lake Como, Sicily, and Miami, and through roles that range from family pizza-making to the Chef di casa position at Passalacqua.