A culinary workshop almost always arises from a need, from a concrete challenge, from something that forces one to shift perspective and improve. In Pasquale D’Ambrosio’s case, that moment carries the weight of a forty-kilogram grouper and a newly opened kitchen—still struggling to turn a profit, far from the Michelin star it had just earned. Capogiro Lab is the new addition for the summer season at his restaurant, located within the 7Pines Baia Sardinia complex.
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Il Capogiro Lab
The project has all the makings of moving beyond the concept of a technical backstage area and transforming into a center for gastronomic development, designed to influence the way Sardinia can be described, studied, and interpreted. “When you work with local catch, you can’t decide what comes in. The fisherman calls you and says: ‘I have this today.’ And you have to take it. But then you also have to know how to handle it,” says the chef with a clarity that has little to do with theories and much to do with daily work. For him, Sardinia has never presented itself as a neutral canvas onto which to project ideas, but as a living, complex entity capable of testing every certainty. “At first, I served fewer covers and received enormous quantities. I didn’t want to freeze it; I didn’t want to alter the product. I had to find a way to respect it.”
Capogiro Lab takes shape precisely at this point of tension: between abundance and necessity, between respect and transformation. It did not begin as a technological exercise, but as a concrete response to a real problem. “We started with simple, almost homemade solutions. The first ripening processes in beeswax, the first attempts at preservation. Then it became clear that we needed a dedicated space, with controlled conditions, precise tools, and a structure designed to really delve deep into the work.” From an operational intuition, the lab quickly evolved into a complex system, capable of supporting and expanding Capogiro’s culinary vision. Today it represents the heart of a project that does not merely transform ingredients, but studies them, explores them, and accompanies them over time. Technologies such as ultrasound and Gastrovac are combined with processes of maturation, fermentation, and extraction with a clear objective: to preserve the product’s identity while exploring new possibilities.
“We don’t want to change the product just to impress; we want to understand it better,” D’Ambrosio emphasizes. This statement captures the deepest meaning of Capogiro Lab, conceived as a place where raw ingredients are never forced but guided toward greater expressiveness. Aging, for example, allows us to work on textures and aromatic depth, making cuts or ingredients accessible that would be more difficult to highlight using traditional techniques. The lab thus also becomes a decisive tool in managing the variability of the local area. When large quantities of produce arrive—such as in the case of significant catches or meat processing—Capogiro Lab allows us to turn a challenge into an opportunity, extending the shelf life without compromising quality or identity. “It’s a way to bring continuity to what nature offers in a discontinuous manner.”
At the same time, the work extends to the comprehensive utilization of ingredients. Each element is explored in its entirety, without a rigid distinction between primary and secondary parts. “We end up using practically everything. Even what was once considered waste becomes the basis for extracts, powders, and concentrates”. An approach that translates into concrete sustainability built through knowledge and technique. Capogiro Lab is also a place where time expands and layers. Herbs harvested during the winter months are processed and preserved to last until the summer season while maintaining their characteristics intact: “This way, we can serve a product that respects its seasonality, even when it is no longer available.”
The Future: A Cross-Cutting Project
This ongoing research effort transforms the lab into something that extends beyond the restaurant itself. It is not merely a technical support system, but an evolving entity, destined to gradually open up. “For now, it’s an internal space, dedicated to the team. But the idea is to turn it into a place for exchange, where we can invite other chefs, work together, and study products that may not yet be fully understood.” A project that clearly aims to become a point of reference for the region, a center for gastronomic development capable of fostering exchange and growth. The connection to Sardinia, in this journey, is never superficial. The chef’s decision to move to the island stems from a personal motivation; his partner is, in fact, deeply connected to this land. “When she told me about Sardinia, I saw something in her eyes. She told me it was a special place, one that deserves respect, that needed to be experienced authentically.” From that moment on, the decision took a clear direction: not to merely pass through the region, but to make it home.
“I realized I had to experience it all year round. I couldn’t limit myself to just the season. If you really want to understand a place, you have to be a part of it.” A decision that radically changed his way of working, leading D’Ambrosio to build direct relationships with producers, fishermen, and artisans, and to grapple daily with the island’s logistical and cultural complexities. The restaurant’s reopening following the Michelin star fits into this context as a delicate transition, fraught with responsibility. The recognition is experienced as a moment of awareness, rather than celebration. “When the star arrived, it was an incredibly powerful emotion. But the next day I told the team: now the hardest part begins.” The kitchen thus becomes a fundamental ally in sustaining this new level of attention, allowing for work with greater precision and depth.
The Menu and Service: What’s New, From Vegetables to Dining Room Interaction
The new menu features items born from the work carried out at the Capogiro Lab over the winter. Five brand-new dishes will be added to the menu, developed based on research into ingredients and techniques. “The Lab allows us to achieve results that were previously difficult to manage. It gives us time, control, and possibilities.” Among the most evident themes of the new season is a different focus on vegetables: “They become the starting point; the other elements accompany them.” A shift in perspective that further strengthens the dialogue with the local area, bringing it toward an even clearer definition.
At the same time, the way we present our work is also changing. Some dishes leave the kitchen to be finished in front of the guest, transforming the act of preparation into a shared experience. “We want people to see what’s happening, to sense the work, the steps, the hands.” A direct narrative that restores a more human and accessible dimension to the kitchen. In this context, Capogiro Lab emerges as the true driving force behind this evolution. Not merely a laboratory, but a place where a vision is forged, whereSardinia is observed, interpreted, and reimagined in culinary form with respect and depth. A project that has laid the groundwork to become increasingly central not only to the restaurant but to an entire region that, through this kind of exploration, discovers new avenues of expression.
7Pines Resort Sardinia
Loc. Li, Via Mucchi Bianchi, 07021 Baja Sardinia OT
Phone: 0789 177 5000
