Nadia Santini, head chef at the Dal Pescatore restaurant in Runate, Italy, near Mantua, has died at the age of 72. She was the first Italian woman to be awarded the Michelin Guide’s highest accolade – three stars. The restaurant, which she and her husband Antonio transformed from a family trattoria into one of Europe’s most renowned gastronomic destinations, has maintained this rating continuously since 1996.
Her family announced her death via the restaurant’s social media channels on 2 November 2026. According to the statement, she passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loved ones. She had been battling illness for the past twelve years.
From a family trattoria to the world’s gastronomic elite
Nadia Santini, née Cavaliere, came from the Vicenza area. She met her future husband, Antonio, while studying in Milan. After their wedding in 1974, she joined his family business, Dal Pescatore, in the village of Runate in the province of Mantua.
She learned the art of cooking primarily from her mother-in-law, Bruna, and other family members. Without any formal culinary training or apprenticeships, she gradually developed her own style, based on respect for ingredients, tradition and, above all, hospitality.
The restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star in 1982, its second in 1988 and its third in 1996. Dal Pescatore has retained this top rating to this day, making it one of the longest-running three-star restaurants in Italy.
Cooking as an expression of hospitality
For Santini, gastronomy was not merely a matter of technique and the perfect preparation of ingredients. She described her approach as humanistic. At the heart of her cooking was the individual: their needs and the experience they took away from the table.
Her signature dishes included pumpkin tortelli, traditional agnoli pasta served in broth, and risottos inspired by the regional cuisine of the Mantua area. It was precisely this ability to blend local gastronomic traditions with precise culinary craftsmanship that formed the foundation of her success.
In 2013, she was named Veuve Clicquot World’s Best Female Chef at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. In 2022, the Michelin Guide also awarded her the Chef Mentor title in recognition of her contribution and her commitment to passing on her expertise to future generations.
The family legacy continues
Dal Pescatore has always been a family business. Alongside Nadia Santini, her husband Antonio played a vital role, looking after guests and overseeing the running of the restaurant. Their sons gradually became involved in the business too. Giovanni now runs the kitchen, while Alberto oversees operations and service.
Nadia Santini leaves behind not only an extraordinary gastronomic legacy, but also the example of a chef who succeeded in building world-class gastronomy on the foundations of regional tradition, family values and genuine care for her guests.
