Nadia Santini, the chef who made Dal Pescatore one of the most admired restaurants in the world, died on 2 November 2026. Her family shared the news on the restaurant’s social media, saying she had passed away peacefully, surrounded by those closest to her, and thanking her for teaching them sensitivity, empathy, a strong work ethic and simplicity. She leaves her husband Antonio and their sons Giovanni and Alberto.
From family trattoria to three Michelin stars
Born in San Pietro Mussolino, in the province of Vicenza, Santini met Antonio while both were studying political science in Milan. They married in 1974 and, still in their early twenties, left university to take over his parents’ trattoria in Runate, a tiny riverside hamlet of around thirty people near Canneto sull’Oglio, in the province of Mantua. She had no formal chef training. Instead she learnt at the stove beside her mother-in-law, Bruna, and slowly developed a style of her own.
Recognition came step by step: a first Michelin star in 1982, a second in 1988 and a third in 1996, which made her the first Italian woman to reach the guide’s highest rating. Dal Pescatore has held those three stars ever since, the longest unbroken run of any restaurant in Italy. In 2013 she was named the World’s Best Female Chef by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. True to character, she said the award belonged to the whole Dal Pescatore family.
A quiet, humane kind of luxury
Santini preferred to call herself a cook rather than a chef, and described her food as “humanistic”, rooted in the history of her land and in personal ties. Dishes such as pumpkin tortelli sat alongside small gestures of care for guests. Antonio ran the dining room while she led the kitchen, and today the restaurant is carried forward by their sons, with Giovanni in the kitchen and Alberto managing the house.
Speaking to Corriere della Sera, as reported by Vanity Fair Italia, Antonio said that after 52 years together he does not feel alone, because the two of them were so used to thinking as a pair. She had lived with illness for many years, a fact she chose to keep private so that others would not carry her worries. Leading Italian women chefs, among them Antonia Klugmann and Viviana Varese, have paid tribute to her as the person who showed them that the top of fine dining was within reach.
Her legacy is a reminder that true elegance is understated and made to last, much like a timeless piece of jewellery. If her story inspires a gift for someone who cooks with love, our pendant necklaces, women’s rings, earrings and jewellery sets offer quiet, lasting style, while our women’s handbags pair practicality with grace.
Sources: Vanity Fair Italia, Vanity Fair Italia (tributes), ANSA, Corriere della Sera, Sky TG24.
