When Il Ristorante – Niko Romito Shanghai announced its one Michelin star for the eighth consecutive year, it wasn’t just a win for the Bulgari Hotel; it was a testament to a culinary philosophy that has redefined modern Italian dining. High above the city on the 47th floor, the restaurant’s spring menu serves as a vibrant reminder of why its namesake is considered one of the world’s most influential chefs.
Who is Niko Romito?
Niko Romito is often called the “philosopher chef” of Italy. A native of the rugged Abruzzo region, his path to the culinary stratosphere was far from conventional.
- The Self-Taught Visionary: Romito was originally an Economics student in Rome. He only stepped into the kitchen in 2000 to help his sister, Cristiana, run the family’s modest pastry-shop-turned-trattoria, Reale, after their father fell ill.
- The Minimalist Maestro: Without formal culinary schooling, Romito developed a unique, hyper-disciplined style. His cooking isn’t about complexity; it’s about reduction. He spends years researching a single ingredient like a head of cabbage or a piece of bread—to extract its absolute most intense, purest essence.
- The Global Consultant: In 2017, he partnered with Bulgari Hotels & Resorts to create a “new canon” of Italian cooking that could be replicated at the highest level in global hubs like Dubai, Tokyo, Milan, and, of course, Shanghai.
A Star-Studded Timeline
Romito’s rise is one of the most meteoric in Michelin history. He didn’t just earn stars; he maintained a grip on them that few can match.
- 2007: Earned his first Michelin star for Reale just seven years after starting his journey.
- 2009: Awarded a second Michelin star.
- 2014 – Present: Reale was awarded the coveted third Michelin star, a status it has held for over a decade, firmly placing Romito in the global elite.
- 2019 – 2026 (Shanghai): Since its inception, Il Ristorante – Niko Romito Shanghai has been awarded one Michelin star every single year, reaching its eighth consecutive star this season.
Spring at the Table: The 2026 Vision
For the Spring 2026 season in Shanghai, Romito’s influence is seen in a “vibrant palette” that mirrors the awakening of the Abruzzese landscape. The menu focuses on:
- Textural Precision: Using innovative techniques to make spring vegetables taste “more like themselves” than the raw ingredients ever could.
- The Signature Bread: At any Romito restaurant, the bread is treated as a standalone course the result of a “maniacal” study of fermentation and ancient grains.
- Vibrancy through Simplicity: Expect dishes that use only three or four components, but orchestrated with such “ascetic precision” that they provide more sensory depth than a twenty-ingredient plate. View more.
The Niko Romito “Star” Count at a Glance
| Location | Current Standing | Consecutive Years |
| Reale (Abruzzo) | 3 Michelin Stars | 12 Years |
| Il Ristorante (Shanghai) | 1 Michelin Star | 8 Years |
| Il Ristorante (Beijing) | 1 Michelin Star | 7 Years |
| Il Ristorante (Dubai) | 2 Michelin Stars | 5 Years |
“My goal is not to create a ‘nice’ dish. My goal is to create a dish that is the absolute truth of the ingredient.” — Niko Romito
As the Shanghai skyline glitters outside the 47th-floor windows, the food on the table remains grounded in the soil of Italy a perfect, eight-year-long conversation between Abruzzo and the Bund.
