Massimo Bottura facts for kids
Bottura at the World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards in 2012
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| Born | 30 September 1962 Modena, Italy |
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| Cooking style | Italian |
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Current restaurant(s)
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Massimo Bottura, born on September 30, 1962, is a famous Italian chef and business owner. He is known for his creative cooking and for running one of the best restaurants in the world. His main restaurant, Osteria Francescana, is in his hometown of Modena, Italy. It has earned three Michelin stars, which is a very high honor in the cooking world. It also has a green Michelin star for being sustainable.
Osteria Francescana has been named the best restaurant in the world twice, in 2016 and 2018, by The World's 50 Best Restaurants. Massimo Bottura also won the White Guide Global Gastronomy Award in 2014. This award celebrates people who have made amazing contributions to the world of food.
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Early Life and Learning
Massimo Bottura grew up in Modena, Italy. He became interested in cooking at a young age. He loved watching his mother, grandmother, and aunt prepare meals. This early experience sparked his passion for food.
After finishing high school, he started studying law at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. However, in 1986, he decided to follow his dream of cooking instead. He left law school to join his family's business.
Becoming a Chef
Early Training and First Steps
In 1986, Massimo Bottura took over a restaurant called Trattoria del Campazzo. It was near Nonantola. There, he learned about traditional Emilian cuisine from Lidia Cristoni, a local cooking expert. He also studied French cooking with Georges Coigny. This training gave him a strong foundation in both Italian and French cooking styles.
In 1993, he moved to New York and worked in an Italian café. There, he met Lara Gilmore, who later became his wife. After nine months, he returned to Modena. In 1994, he trained with the famous chef Alain Ducasse at his restaurant Le Louis XV in Monte Carlo.
Opening Osteria Francescana
Massimo Bottura returned to Modena and opened his own restaurant, Osteria Francescana, on March 19, 1995. It was a traditional Italian restaurant in the heart of the city. In 2000, another famous chef, Ferran Adrià, invited Bottura to work in his kitchen at El Bulli in Spain. There, Bottura learned about molecular cuisine, which uses science to create new food textures and flavors.
Osteria Francescana has earned many awards. It received its first Michelin star in 2002, a second in 2006, and a third in 2012. It has kept its three Michelin stars since then. The restaurant was ranked first in The World's 50 Best Restaurants list in both 2016 and 2018. Since 2019, it has been part of the "Best of the Best" list. This means it's so good it's no longer eligible for future voting.
In 2020, Osteria Francescana also received a Michelin Green Star. This award recognizes its efforts to fight food waste and promote a fair and sustainable food system.
Expanding His Culinary World
In 2011, Massimo Bottura opened another restaurant in Modena called Franceschetta58. This restaurant offers a more relaxed dining experience. It serves local ingredients in a friendly setting.
He also became one of the directors of the Basque Culinary Center, a training center for chefs. In 2015, he was featured in the first episode of the Netflix documentary series Chef's Table. This show highlights top chefs from around the world.
Massimo Bottura has opened several Gucci Osteria restaurants around the world. The first one opened in Florence in 2018 and earned a Michelin Star in 2019. More locations followed in Beverly Hills, California (2020), Tokyo (2021), and Seoul (2022). He also opened Torno Subito restaurants in Singapore (2024) and Miami (2024).
In 2019, Time magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential People. In May 2019, he and his wife, Lara Gilmore, opened Casa Maria Luigia. This is a guest house in an 18th-century property in the Italian countryside. In 2024, Casa Maria Luigia received three Michelin Keys, recognizing its excellent hospitality.
In June 2021, Bottura reopened the restaurant Cavallino. He worked with Ferrari and designer India Mahdavi on this project.
Beyond Restaurants: Making a Difference
Massimo Bottura does more than just run restaurants. Since 1995, he has produced high-quality balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil under his Villa Manodori brand. He is always looking for the best ingredients.
He is also a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). He was appointed in September 2020 to raise awareness about food loss and waste. Since September 2024, he has been an ambassador for the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In September 2025, he created the menu for the G7 Agriculture meeting.
Food for Soul: Fighting Waste and Isolation
In 2015, Massimo Bottura started a project called Refettorio Ambrosiano in Milan. He worked with Caritas Ambrosiana. This project aimed to use food that would otherwise be wasted to feed people in need.
In 2015, Bottura and his wife founded Food for Soul. This is a non-profit organization that works to fight food waste and social isolation. They do this by creating "Refettorios" around the world. These are community spaces where people can connect over a meal made from surplus food.
To spread awareness, Massimo Bottura published the book Bread is Gold in 2017. This book shares recipes and ideas from chefs who cooked at the Refettorio Ambrosiano. It encourages readers to look at the food in their homes with new eyes.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Food for Soul's Refettorios continued to help those in need. They recovered over 35 tons of food surplus in one month. They also delivered more than 100,000 meals to vulnerable people and healthcare workers.
New Refettorios opened in Mérida and Lima in 2020. Refettorio Harlem opened in New York, and Refettorio San Francisco opened in California. In 2021, Refettorio OzHarvest opened in Sydney, and Refettorio Geneva opened in Switzerland. The Refettorio Modena reopened in 2024.
Kitchen Quarantine: Cooking at Home
In March 2020, when Osteria Francescana temporarily closed due to the first COVID-19 lockdown, Massimo Bottura and his daughter Alexa started "Kitchen Quarantine." This was a series of live broadcasts on Instagram. The Bottura family cooked together every night during the quarantine. The project aimed to connect with families worldwide, cook together, and share ideas on how to reduce food waste at home. It brought smiles to many during a difficult time.
The 24th annual Webby Awards honored Massimo Bottura with a 2020 Webby Special Achievement Award as Chef of the Year for his Kitchen Quarantine series.
Books by Massimo Bottura
Massimo Bottura has written several books about his cooking and ideas:
- Aceto balsamico, 2005.
- Pro. Attraverso tradizione e innovazione (with Cicco Sultano), 2006.
- Parmigiano Reggiano, 2006.
- Vieni in Italia con me, 2014. This book shares twenty years of his cooking journey and the story of Osteria Francescana.
- Il Pane è Oro - ingredienti ordinari per piatti straordinari, 2017. This book, also known as Bread is Gold, helps people use everyday ingredients to create amazing dishes and reduce waste.
- Slow Food Fast Cars, 2023. This book is about Casa Maria Luigia, his guest house.
Some of his books have been translated into other languages:
- (EN) Never trust a skinny Italian chef, 2014
- (FR) '"Ne jamais faire confiance à un chef italien trop mince, 2015
- (EN) Bread is Gold, 2017
Awards and Honors
Massimo Bottura has received many awards throughout his career. Here are some of the most important ones:
- 2002: One Michelin Star for Osteria Francescana.
- 2006: Two Michelin Stars for Osteria Francescana.
- 2007: Three Forks from the Gambero Rosso guide.
- 2009: Osteria Francescana ranked 13th Best Restaurant in the World.
- 2010: Osteria Francescana ranked 6th Best Restaurant in the World and Best Italian Restaurant.
- 2011: Chef's Choice Award from The World's 50 Best Restaurants.
- 2012: Three Michelin Stars for Osteria Francescana.
- 2013: Osteria Francescana ranked 3rd Best Restaurant in the World.
- 2015: Osteria Francescana ranked 2nd Best Restaurant in the World.
- 2016: Osteria Francescana ranked 1st Best Restaurant in the World.
- 2017: Honorary degree in business management from University of Bologna.
- 2018: Osteria Francescana ranked 1st Best Restaurant in the World again.
- 2019: Gucci Osteria Firenze received one Michelin Star.
- 2020: Osteria Francescana received a Michelin Green Star. Massimo Bottura was named Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). He also received a Webby Special Achievement Award for his Kitchen Quarantine series.
- 2021: Gucci Osteria Los Angeles received one Michelin Star.
- 2022: Gucci Osteria Tokyo received one Michelin Star.
- 2023: Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore received the Cultural Diplomacy Award.
- 2024: Casa Maria Luigia received three Michelin Keys. Al Gatto Verde received one Michelin Star and a Michelin Green Star.
- 2025: He received the Maestro dell'Arte della Cucina Italiana award.
See also
In Spanish: Massimo Bottura para niños
