A Campanian chef, Luigi Tramontano blends elegance and precision with a deep sense of belonging. Today, he leads O me o il Mare in Gragnano with one Michelin star— a heartfelt tribute to his father Antonio and to the family’s lifelong passion for cooking.
Born and raised on the Sorrentine Coast, Luigi Tramontano comes from a family where cooking is part of life itself. His father Antonio, a chef who once worked on cruise ships around the world, eventually chose love and family over the sea — a story that inspired the name of Luigi’s own restaurant, O me o il Mare (“Me or the Sea”), a personal homage to his first mentor.
Tramontano’s career spans prestigious hotels and fine dining restaurants across Italy and abroad. After his early years at the Grand Hotel Quisisana in Capri, he continued at Hotel De Russie in Rome, Don Alfonso 1890 in Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi, and Relais Blu in Massa Lubrense. Each step refined his palate and strengthened his Mediterranean style — elegant, balanced, and open to the world.
Training experiences in Spain, Japan, and the United States expanded his horizons and technique. In 2010, he was appointed Executive Chef at Hotel Villa Cimbrone in Ravello, where his restaurant Il Flauto di Pan earned a Michelin star. Three years later, in 2013, he took over the kitchen of the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento: the restaurant Terrazza Bosquet was also immediately awarded a Michelin star, confirming his maturity and consistency as a chef.
In 2017, he moved to Hotel Le Agavi in Positano, where his work was again recognized with a Michelin star, making him one of the few Italian chefs to have achieved the accolade in three different kitchens.
In 2024, together with Vincenzo Tramontano and Nicoletta Gargiulo, he fulfilled a family dream: the opening of O me o il Mare in Sorrento. The restaurant combines refinement, warmth, and creativity — a place where dining becomes a complete experience, framed by the beauty of the Amalfi Coast. On November 5, 2024, the Michelin Guide awarded O me o il Mare its first star, a recognition that seals a career built on dedication, family values, and love for the art of cooking.
