Chef‑entrepreneur between Milan and Venice, Alessandro Borghese brings his idea of “the luxury of simplicity” from the stoves of his two eponymous restaurants to TV formats 4 Ristoranti and Kitchen Sound, reworking Neapolitan and Roman roots in a contemporary key.
Born on 19 November 1976 in San Francisco and raised in Rome, Borghese graduated from the American Overseas School of Rome before choosing the sea as his first training ground: after high school he signed on with Princess Cruises, learning brigade management and the numbers of large‑scale catering. Stints in restaurants in New York, London and Paris broadened his technical repertoire, while in Milan he founded the consulting company AB Normal in 2009, the prelude to the Il Lusso della Semplicità concept that has occupied a loft in Viale Belisario since 2017, followed in 2022 by a twin venue looking onto Venice’s Cannaregio canals.
Borghese’s philosophy revolves around dishes of domestic memory – from the famous “Cacio & Pepe” to variations on ragù and Campanian fritti – interpreted with modern cooking techniques, strict seasonality and a creative line that allows scenic flourishes without conceptual over‑layers. The Milan tasting menu alternates seven courses that become nine bites, a progression designed to lead the guest from a vegetable opening through slow‑cooked meats to playful desserts, maintaining a television‑style rhythm in presentation.
Since 2015 he has hosted Sky’s “4 Ristoranti”, a competitive journey through Italy’s trattorias and bistros, and “Kitchen Sound”, daily recipe clips set to original soundtracks: two formats that cement his image as a pop populariser, capable of combining technical skill and direct language. Other appearances include “Junior MasterChef Italia”, “Cuochi d’Italia” and the spin‑off “Celebrity Chef”, reinforcing the bond between entertainment and culinary profession.
Beyond television, Borghese publishes books such as “Cacio & Pepe. My Life in 50 Recipes” (2018), curates gastronomic playlists on Spotify and stages brand‑experience events from live cooking to banqueting; in 2025 he signed an eight‑course four‑hands dinner with Dominique Lory in Monte‑Carlo, proof of a cuisine open to Mediterranean contamination without losing recognisability.
He personally manages social media to interact with more than two million followers, calling himself a “social chef” before the term culinary influencer existed; the ability to narrate the backstage – from recipe trials to padel matches – fuels a brand identity built on accessibility and entertainment.
