Originally from the Marche region, Stefano Ciotti balances land and sea in his cuisine. A Michelin-starred chef since 2010, he now leads projects in Italy and abroad while maintaining a distinctive territorial identity.
Stefano Ciotti was born in 1973 in Rimini and grew up in Montefiore Conca, in a rural setting between the Marche and Romagna regions. In his early years, he dreamed of becoming a great chef, inspired by his mother’s authentic home cooking.
After graduating from the Riccione Hospitality School, he refined his training in the kitchens of renowned chefs such as Gino Angelini and Vincenzo Cammerucci, then at Taverna Righi with Luigi Sartini (1992–1995), and in prestigious restaurants including Don Alfonso in Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi, the Armani Café in Paris, and the Ristorante Diana in Riccione.
In 2004, he became Executive Chef at Carducci 76/Vicolo Santa Lucia in Cattolica, where he earned his first Michelin star in 2010. In 2009, he also received the “Best Emerging Chef in Northern Italy” award.
In 2012, he took over as head of Urbino dei Laghi – Restaurant and Naturally Pizza within the Tenuta Santi Giacomo e Filippo near Urbino. Here, with his cuisine and the work of pastry chef Thomas Morazzini, he earned Tre Spicchi from the Gambero Rosso guide in 2013.
In 2015, he opened his own restaurant Nostrano in Pesaro, on the Adriatic coast, with partner Giorgia Stocchi. The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 2017. Reporter Gourmet describes it as a place that blends memory, irony, and local identity with contemporary elegance and lightness.
Stefano has expanded internationally: in 2019, he opened the Veritas restaurant inside the Al Messila – A Luxury Collection Resort & Spa in Doha.
In 2024, he was invited as Michelin-starred chef for BRAVA by Stefano Ciotti at The Bodrum EDITION (Marriott) in Turkey, where he offers refined Italian cuisine enhanced by local ingredients and Mediterranean influences.
His culinary philosophy reflects the identity of the Adriatic coast: a rooted local approach that fuses land and sea, with harmonious, well-balanced dishes created with simplicity and elegance. His work highlights regional ingredients through modern techniques, respect for the supply chain, and accessible sophistication.
