Chef Roberto Bottero leads the kitchen of Clinica Gastronomica Arnaldo in Rubiera, preserving the culinary identity of Emilia through emblematic dishes such as cappelletti in broth and boiled meats. His work carries forward a family heritage that has shaped the restaurant’s reputation for decades.
Born in Modena, Roberto Bottero is the culinary pillar of Clinica Gastronomica Arnaldo, a historic dining institution located in Rubiera, Emilia-Romagna. He is the grandson of Arnaldo Degoli, who founded the restaurant in 1936 inside the Aquila d’Oro hotel, laying the foundations for what would become one of Italy’s most emblematic addresses for regional cooking.
After completing his studies with a degree in Economics and Business, Bottero chose to commit fully to the family restaurant. His culinary education did not follow the conventional path of professional cooking schools but was shaped instead by daily practice alongside older generations of cooks and rezdore, from whom he learned the discipline of long cooking times, the precision of handmade pasta, and the management of a traditional kitchen brigade.
Over the years, he has consolidated the restaurant’s gastronomic identity, centered on a cuisine deeply rooted in local culture. Fresh pasta, structured broths, boiled meats, roasts and the celebrated spugnolata define a menu that has remained faithful to the original recipes and gestures passed down through generations. Under his guidance, the restaurant has continued to serve a historical menu that resists reinterpretation, focusing instead on consistency, memory and execution.
The solidity of this approach came under public scrutiny in 2025, when Clinica Gastronomica Arnaldo lost its Michelin star after more than sixty-five consecutive years in the Michelin Guide. Bottero addressed the moment with clarity, attributing the decision to changing evaluation criteria rather than a decline in culinary standards. Despite the loss of the star, the restaurant continues to enjoy the loyalty of a long-standing clientele and remains a reference point for those seeking the gastronomic memory of Emilia.
Beyond the daily work of the kitchen, Bottero advocates a vision of cuisine as a cultural and artistic heritage to be preserved and transmitted. His philosophy places great emphasis on carefully selected raw materials and on techniques inherited from the past, applied with discipline and respect, ensuring continuity rather than reinterpretation.
