Born in San Giuseppe Vesuviano in 1983, Francesco Sposito turned family-run Taverna Estia (Brusciano) into a national beacon: first Michelin star 2006, second in 2014 at just 31—and Tre Forchette Gambero Rosso 2025.
Raised on the slopes of Vesuvius, Francesco Sposito joined his father Armando in the tavern’s kitchen as a teenager. After classical school he trained with Alain Passard in Paris, Igles Corelli at Locanda della Tamerice and in Japan, absorbing vegetable minimalism, fermentation and knife discipline that now define his style.
Taking the helm of Taverna Estia in 2006, he captured a first Michelin star the same year; eight years later he earned the second star, becoming Italy’s youngest two-star chef at 31. Together with his brother Mario Sposito—sommelier and maître—he marries family warmth with cutting-edge technique.
Menus pivot on garden herbs and Vesuvian produce. Signatures such as calamari tagliolini with dehydrated ink powder and lemon-vanilla risotto with purple prawn and Bronte pistachio translate childhood memories into multi-layered, contemporary flavours, each dish refined by smoking, legume miso and clear broths that echo his Japanese stint.
A strict sustainability ethos bans single-use plastic, turns kitchen waste into compost and favours under-loved Tyrrhenian fish—earning case-study status from JRE-Jeunes Restaurateurs for circular fine dining.
In November 2024 the Gambero Rosso “Restaurants of Italy 2025” Guide awarded Tre Forchette (96/100), placing Taverna Estia among the nation’s 52 elite tables.
Beyond the pass, Sposito mentors young Campanian cooks through stages and San Marzano tomato masterclasses, repeating that “tenacity, passion and love are the only recipes that never fail.”
