At La Villa in Melfi, Vito Sonnessa leads a cuisine rooted in the family farm and shaped by precise, contemporary technique. Pastry remains central to the experience: in 2025 he received the MICHELIN “Passion Dessert” distinction during the presentation of the MICHELIN Guide Italy 2026.
Born in Melfi on 18 September 1991, he grew up inside a family project that started in 1999, when his parents opened La Villa—an agriturismo set in a villa that still doubles as their home. The restaurant’s identity is tied to the countryside around the Vulture area: according to the family’s own narrative, the farm produces part of its raw materials (including olive oil and vegetables from the garden), while the rest comes from small local suppliers.
From childhood, both sons took on small roles in the dining room and kitchen. He began front-of-house alongside his mother, while his brother gravitated to the stove next to their father, starting with simple snacks and service mise en place. He later enrolled at the hospitality school in Melfi and chose the kitchen track, gradually increasing his presence on the line during weekends and evening services. A post-graduation plan to continue at ALMA—he recounts—was abandoned after the loss of his mother, a turning point that pushed him to stay in his hometown and commit fully to the family restaurant. (This personal account comes from his own notes provided in your brief.)
His professional growth has been largely “on site”, with short training stages abroad arranged through school (Spain and the Czech Republic, as he reports). He describes himself as largely self-taught: studying independently, testing solutions in service, and using the agriturismo as a daily training ground—an approach that matches the restaurant’s evolution, documented in industry coverage as a family-run dining room that tightened its identity over time.
For several years, pastry was his main focus, with an emphasis on spoon desserts and the sweet side of the menu. In 2017, he took the lead of the kitchen, shifting from a dedicated pastry role to building the full culinary offer. After the pandemic, the restaurant—together with his brother—rethought its format, moving away from a large “carrello” approach toward a more clearly structured selection of plated starters, aiming for a more defined, contemporary expression of local cuisine. (Details from his account in your brief.)
Bread-making and small baked goods became part of that signature: house bread, focaccia, grissini—gestures that reinforce hospitality while keeping the kitchen’s voice consistent from the opening bites to the closing sweets. The restaurant is listed by the MICHELIN Guide as a Bib Gourmand address in Melfi, highlighting good quality and good value cooking.
The most emotional milestone arrives on 19 November 2025, at the Teatro Regio in Parma, during the presentation of the MICHELIN Guide Italy 2026: Sonnessa is among the recipients of the “Passion Dessert” distinction, created to spotlight outstanding sweet experiences (including pastry and leavened goods).
In his own words (from your notes), the recognition validates years of work carried out far from major cities: a small-town agriturismo using disciplined craft—especially in pastry—to leave a clear imprint on guests.
