Head Chef of Al Madrigale* in Tivoli, Gian Marco Bianchi shapes a new rural cuisine that revisits farming memory through contemporary technique. After years at Il Convivio, the experience at Acquolina** and several stages in elite international kitchens, he now leads one of the most closely watched projects in Lazio.
Born in Rome in 1985 and raised between the capital and the countryside of Cave, Gian Marco Bianchi reached the kitchen through a path that was anything but linear. After scientific high school and an initial attempt at law school, he embraced the awareness that his real place was behind the stove rather than in a university lecture hall.
His entry into the kitchen of Il Convivio marked the beginning of an intense apprenticeship: he spent seven years within the Troiani family’s brigade, absorbing technical precision, team discipline and an idea of haute cuisine deeply rooted in ingredients. During that time, he also met Daniele Lippi—then sous chef to Angelo Troiani—a figure who would later become central to his professional journey.
Driven by a need to grow and measure himself against the highest level of fine dining, Bianchi embarked on a series of “incursions” into some of the world’s most influential kitchens. He passed through Maaemo in Oslo, Alinea in Chicago, Schloss Schauenstein under Andreas Caminada in Switzerland, and then again in the United States at Eleven Madison Park with Daniel Humm, concluding with a period at Atelier Moessmer with Norbert Niederkofler. These experiences—each in different years associated with the highest Michelin distinctions—exposed him to tasting menus built around research, purity of flavor, and carefully calibrated progression.
His return to Italy brought him back to Rome. In 2022 he joined Acquolina**, the two-Michelin-star creative restaurant of The First Roma, taking on the role of Executive Sous Chef under Daniele Lippi. Here he contributed to a culinary vision centered on the Mediterranean, interpreted through conceptual frameworks, technical clarity, and a refined relationship with the sea.
A new chapter opened in 2025. Restaurateur Andrea La Caita entrusted Bianchi with the direction of Al Madrigale, a restaurant overlooking Tivoli and conceived as a laboratory of “new rural cuisine,” with the supervision of Daniele Lippi and restaurant manager Benito Cascone, both pillars of Acquolina. Officially inaugurated on 24 January 2025, the restaurant stems from a deep study of the region’s farming culture, transforming recipes, gestures, and ingredients of the agro-pastoral world into a contemporary fine-dining narrative.
Bianchi’s philosophy takes shape precisely here: a rural cuisine anchored in memory and clarity, where flavor remains the primary horizon. His approach highlights humble cuts, vegetables, legumes, cereals, and preparations tied to the agricultural cycle, while lightening cooking methods and extractions. Long processes, stocks, broths, and sauces are calibrated to deliver depth without excess; technique becomes a tool to respect ingredients rather than overpower them.
The dining room at Al Madrigale—intimate, with few tables and a private room—is designed to support a precise service and a constant dialogue between kitchen and guests. Very quickly, the project caught the attention of leading Italian food media, which praised its connection with Acquolina and its ability to express a refined yet unpretentious sense of rurality, aligned with a broader national trend in which agricultural cuisine is emerging as a new frontier of fine dining.
Recognition came swiftly. In the 2026 Michelin Guide, Al Madrigale received its first star, confirming its place among Italy’s most compelling restaurants. It also earned the special prize for Best Opening / Opening of the Year, established by the Michelin Guide to highlight the most noteworthy new restaurants. Outlets such as Corriere della Sera – Cook described it as the “revelation restaurant of the year,” noting the strength and clarity of the identity crafted by Bianchi in record time.
