Davide Pulejo is not a chef who likes to dress things up. In a new interview with Vanity Fair Italia, published on 9 November 2026, the 38-year-old Roman spoke frankly about fine dining, young cooks and why serious cooking still takes serious commitment. “High-end cooking is hard work,” he says, and there is no point pretending otherwise.
From Rome to Copenhagen and back
Pulejo’s path reads like a tour of modern European gastronomy. He started at 21 in the kitchen of Angelo Troiani’s Il Convivio in Rome, then moved abroad, spending time in London and a year at Noma in Copenhagen, an experience he calls decisive for his career. Back in Italy he ran the kitchen at L’Alchimia in Milan, which won its first Michelin star under his leadership.
In March 2022 he came home to open his own restaurant, Pulejo, in the elegant Prati district of Rome. The name is a tribute to his family, and the restaurant’s own website says memory is at the heart of the cooking. The Michelin Guide awarded it a star in November 2022, making Pulejo one of very few chefs to have earned that honour in both Milan and Rome. The Guide praises its precise, creative dishes that weave the flavours of Lazio together with ideas gathered along the way, all served in a softly lit, romantic dining room.
Plain talk about fine dining
Many people now claim that fine dining is in decline. Pulejo admits it is going through a difficult time, but he blames the economy and a shortage of skilled kitchen and front-of-house staff rather than the format itself, and he has no plans to change his style. To young people entering the trade he offers simple advice: invest in yourself and do not expect everything at once. Fair working conditions matter, he stresses, but a demanding job will never become a light one.
He also sees Rome changing fast, with new hotels and big international names arriving, though he notes that diners in the capital remain more traditional than in Milan. Alongside his starred restaurant he co-founded Isotta, a relaxed trattoria serving Roman classics such as carbonara and tripe, which he says has taught him a different, equally difficult kind of cooking.
That mix of precision and warmth is a good guide for dressing for a special dinner, too. A fine gemstone ring, delicate earrings or a slim necklace catch the candlelight beautifully, while a compact crossbody bag or a smart men’s clutch keeps the essentials close at the table.
Sources: Vanity Fair Italia (Maurizio Bertera, 9 November 2026); MICHELIN Guide (Pulejo, Rome); Pulejo restaurant website (pulejo.it).
