Ten years of Da Vittorio in Sankt Moritz: how to make Italian cuisine and hospitality great, even abroad

This writer's baptism with the Cerea family's stellar cuisine coincided with the gala dinner for the first 10 years of Da Vittorio inside the prestigious Carlton Hotel in St. Moritz. Opened in 2012 in the exclusive location at 1,800 metres in the Upper Engadine, this restaurant is the first sign outside Italy to be 'switched on' by the Da Vittorio Group, which then went on to a strategic market such as Asia, first opening the fine dining restaurant in Shanghai and then in Saigon. Da Vittorio St. Moritz took very little time to conquer Switzerland: it received its first star in 2014, followed in 2018 by 18 out of 20 points in the Gault Millau guide until it achieved its second Michelin star in 2020, reinforcing a history of success, entrepreneurship but above all love.

A story that goes back a long way and that has never betrayed its origins, marked in 1966 with the opening of the first restaurant in Bergamo by Vittorio Cerea and his wife Bruna. Around the historic restaurant, today immersed in the green Cantalupa hillside in Brusaporto (awarded 3 Michelin stars since 2010), the bond of a family has been forged that has not only created a 'style' in the kitchen, but has also embellished it with humanity, typical of those who choose the authenticity of being over the vacuity of appearances.

You feel this immediately even if you are in an exclusive location, inside a historic 5-star hotel like the Carlton Hotel, 60 refined suites, a spa on 3 levels, a spectacular view of the lake and snow-capped peaks. And you realise this when you meet Francesco Cerea. Of Vittorio and Bruna's 5 children he’s the one responsible for the wine cellar and external catering offering: his handshake is strong and friendly, his smile reassuring. You feel at home, even if you are in the realm of the stars. This is the first sensation that tastes good, reinforced by a phrase that encapsulates the Cerea philosophy: 'We like to work, to put ourselves on the line by bringing Italian cuisine and a sense of hospitality wherever we go'. And that is exactly how it is, even on Swiss soil. Nothing slick, 'forced' or rhetorical, but smiles everywhere, the simple gestures of taking your jacket and elegantly accompanying you to the table by moving your chair. And then those fresh tulips on the table, so that if you look out of the large windows you see snow but inside there’s spring exploding with its beautiful colours. Everything is so natural that you immediately sense and trust that you have found the family everyone has told you about.

And it is no coincidence that Da Vittorio's Swiss location has remained the same since 2012 because at the Carlton, Francesco explained, 'there is everything that is beautiful. I like it so much that I love coming here even on holiday'. And, on the other hand, Michael Lehnort, general manager of the hotel, also says he is honoured to be able to 'host the best Italian restaurant in Switzerland'.

For the Cerea family, the concept of family is not a commercial but a pillar on which to build certainties, and so at the gala dinner executive chef Paolo Rota and his team are joined by Luca Mancini, who was at the helm of the kitchen at Da Vittorio St. Moritz from its opening in 2012 to the passing of the baton, but remains a valuable figure for the Cerea family.

Paolo Rota, in charge of the kitchen since the winter of 2019, is a choice of solidity and continuity: together with Chicco and Bobo Cerea (he’s also their brother-in-law, having married their sister Rossella), he is the creative engine that studies and elaborates the new recipes for the menu. In 1990, when he was only 24, Paolo won Vittorio over thanks to his curiosity and passion and it was the patron who sent him abroad to train in international brigades (at Lasarte, in Barcelona, with the multi-starred Martin Berasategui, and in England with Michel Roux). When he returned to Italy, he was ready to become executive chef at Da Vittorio, in an equal role with Chicco and Bobo, Vittorio's sons. In St. Moritz, Rota brought the entire baggage (better: heritage) of the Cerea brand to St. Moritz: attention to research and use of the best seasonal raw materials, flair and originality in the creation of dishes, rigour and talent in the execution. Flying high, while remaining humble. It's not for everyone, but it is for Cerea. Staying true to one's DNA, daring but always following in the footsteps of tradition and excellence.

Not taking shortcuts, crossing unknown boundaries. So when, jokingly but not too much, we ask Rota what he thinks of all the talk about cricket flour, he looks at me and replies seriously: 'I get the shivers just hearing about it. It doesn't belong to us, it doesn't represent us, it has no connection with our cooking'. He says this without arrogance, but with the humility of someone who has always chosen a different path. So even in St. Moritz, you learn that that path is much loved by a geography of international palates. For a couple of years, they felt the pandemic and the lockdowns here too, but now the flow of tourists has resumed and, despite the pitfalls of war, even a piece of Russia, which has always been at home here, is beginning to appear. They can seat around 45 people and the young Italian brigade pampers you under the precise and attentive leadership of Nicolas Russo. No waiting time, detailed explanations, thoughtful requests on the type of water to pour, bread matched to each course. Impeccable service, one spontaneously wonders why Da Vittorio is possible and not elsewhere. But, clearly, it is the concept of family that, even behind the scenes, wins out.

It was a gala dinner for a milestone reached that had the refined elegance of not presenting itself as a self-celebration but rather as a moment 'to be lived,' explained the Cereas, 'in our style, which is convivial and fraternal. Paolo Rota has done an exceptional job since his arrival here as executive chef, and the second star is proof of that'.

The chef explains his path with ease: "I tried to summarise in a few dishes a love story that has been going on since 2012. On the menu, we have brought both iconic dishes and those that best tell the identity and vision of Da Vittorio, a solid but constantly evolving reality. The mountains are a wonderful setting to enjoy our dishes, and we hope that this evening is only the first of more decades to be celebrated'. A few words, the right ones. And even a few surprises that anticipate the 'official' courses. It is precisely from those little big 'off-plans' that you realise how his cooking is a wonderfully imaginative art: you are fascinated by the play of colours and textures in the Cuttlefish Chips with red prawn tartare and lemon gel. The same thing happens with Sasso di patate e caviale d'aringa, so small and so geometrically perfect. And it amazes how he came up with a Sweet Potato and Smoked Eel Cornetto: yes, the sweet and the smoky together, a stark contrast that becomes harmony. And finally, you are amused when they serve you the most original of the... improbable martinis: a mock olive made from the classic casoncello dough with a hazelnut instead of a kernel and a green olive gel to soak it all in.

A menu where taste and sight satisfy each other, telling a story of land and sea, but always profoundly Italian. In a culinary baptism, as it was for this writer, you go a little blind and, therefore, it is not certain that you will like everything, but really everything. The opposite happened to us: we liked everything, but really everything. And we thought about what (tv host, ed.) Gerry Scotti told us a few hours earlier at lunch: 'At Da Vittorio's I spent my first earnings and I hope it will be the same for the last ones. An unmissable appointment, the quality and freshness of the raw material is unmatched. Like his seafood dishes'.

The most difficult challenge then is with seafood cuisine, but not for the Cerea family who have been revisiting it with a contemporary eye for over 55 years. It starts with Amberjack taco, with leaf and flower salad and citrus dressing, followed by the lobster you wouldn't expect: with green apple and kohlrabi. This is followed by Langoustine tail with cannellini cream and ginger meat sauce. The courses are all accompanied by a selection of the finest Ferrari labels, owned by the Lunelli family, which is linked to Cerea by an affection that goes beyond the profession. And even in this case the concept of family counts, a lot. We work together and respect each other, a team game aimed at achieving the best result for the guest. In short, it is clear that the words separation and divorce do not exist in the Cerea dictionary.

So here's a toast to this marriage and the arrival of Quel cavolo di risotto with broccoli, red prawns and anchovies with a glass of Ferrari Riserva Lunelli 2015 that reconfirms one of the must-haves on the menu at Da Vittorio St. Moritz, Gnocco with black truffle fondue. And to promote the chef's great skill also with meat, there is Bourguignonne of tender veal cheek, caramelised onion and mustard. Here too, the play of contrasts is an extra sprint to enhance each ingredient, whose flavour is distinct and clearly recognisable. And to finish, a taste (ours was a double) of Gioconda, the iconic leavened cake dedicated to Bruna Cerea, and the unfailing cannoncini filled live to each guest’s liking, as one does with fine tailoring.

More smiles, more handshakes, more warmth and love. And one certainty: we enjoyed ourselves.

Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso