Roberta Merolli e Giovanni Solofra

Two years set apart the couple of which so much has been said in the fine dining industry in 2021-22. Giovanni Solofra (cook born in 1982 in Salerno) and Roberta Merolli (pastry chef born in Abruzzo in 1984) have launched their project in 2019. It's restaurant Tre Olivi, inside the Savoy Beach Hotel in Paestum (Salerno), of which everyone talked about after it made a huge leap in the Michelin Italia guide, from zero to 2 stars in one shot.

Not a sudden leap because before the glory from the Red Guide arrived for the restaurants of their dreams, the two acquired lots of experience. While Solofra has in his CV names like Quique Dacosta in Spain and Ciccio Sultano in Ragusa Ibla, in Sicily; Merolli, during her studies in architecture in Rome had started to learn about baking with Gabriele Bonci, Ronaldo Morandin and Ezio Marinato. And then she acquired an even stronger style with Anthony Genovese (Il Pagliaccio) and Heinz Beck in London at Apsleys, in Hyde Park.

The German chef has been a teacher for both, and a cupid too, given that they are now together as partners and in work: the two met at La Pergola in Rome, and that's where they started to dream together. They accepted to direct the kitchen of St George by Heinz Beck in Taormina (Messina) together, where they got the first star. In 2019, as we mentioned, the adventure in the province where he comes from, in Paestum, the homeland of the Mediterranean diet, and the huge success that arrived soon after that.

«With Solofra as director», Paolo Marchi wrote, «and Merolli opening with the bread and closing with desserts, they are always sharing new performances, depending on the script. Every dish is a story, a sheet of emotions that envelops each bite». In March 2022, Merolli was pastry-chef of the year for the Guida ai Ristoranti di Identità Golose.