On the rooftop of the Executive Spa Hotel in Fiorano Modenese, the ALTO restaurant is unveiled, led by young chef Mattia Trabetti, who brings you a culinary offering based on the Modena area and the rediscovery of its products, interpreted with a personal, experimental, fresh, and light touch.
THE RESTAURANT AND THE CHEF
Right on the roof of the Executive Spa Hotel, in the Modena province of Fiorano, there is a modern place that seems to be projected towards the surrounding hills. It is ALTO, a restaurant with a young and welcoming soul, at the same time elegant and refined, which speaks through the flavors of the territory but with an international flair. At the helm is Chef Mattia Trabetti, who has brought a personal concept of cuisine shaped by local raw materials, with a vision that starts from his Emilian roots and pushes towards contemporary and experimental horizons.
His story in the kitchen began early, as a child. “I used to go to my aunt, the family cook, and watch her make cakes and focaccia. The ritual of transforming dough has always fascinated me. When it came time to choose a high school, I immediately opted for the hotel management school in Verona.” This was a starting point, laying the foundations, followed by specialization at Alma and various experiences in important establishments such as the Antica Corona Reale, then Heinz Beck in London, F12 in Sweden (the first Swedish Michelin-starred restaurant), and with Leonardo Marongiu at the Zilte restaurant in Antwerp. Each stage was another piece that he took with him. “All my experiences have left me with something: living abroad and away from home leave their mark because they allow you to approach new cultures as well as learn additional skills at work.” Then came 2021. ALTO arrived. A new challenge, a place where he could fully express himself. And ALTO grew and matured with him, earning a Michelin star in the 2025 Italy Guide.
THE PHILOSOPHY
ALTO is not just a restaurant, but a place to experiment. The idea is to enhance flavor through constant research and creative intuition. A style that maintains freshness and lightness, while interpreting the culinary trend of Emilia, because Mattia has the goal, and above all the ability, to “lighten” traditional dishes without losing any of their flavor or substance. Mattia describes himself as methodical, but with a tendency to improvise: “I am very inspired. Often a dish changes even when it is already on the menu, evolving according to our feelings and moods.” He always uses the plural when talking about his work in the kitchen and dining room, which is clearly evident in everything he says. Because, he is keen to emphasize, the credit for the results is not his alone: “Without the team, nothing could be done. Everyone contributes according to their abilities.” His greatest satisfaction? “Making customers feel good, creating an enjoyable experience. People no longer come to a restaurant just to eat, but we must always remember that the focus remains on the quality of the food.”
THE CUISINE, THE MENUS
The territory is thus visited, revealed, and illustrated through its many facets, with the pleasure of a narrative that opens up to dialogue with producers and unlimited exploration, driven by the desire to celebrate a land and its culinary riches. There are two tasting menus on offer, both linked not only to Modena but also to the Apennines, the rivers, and nature. Modena Safari is literally a “journey through our province passing through fields, woods, streams and mountains”. A succession of courses designed to bring to the table the flavours and shapes of local history, memories of beautiful seasons spent in the Modena countryside and hills, playing with instinct and somewhat forgotten memories. “It took time to create this menu,” explains the chef, "because we shared ideas and hypotheses based on memories of these lands through the local people, their restaurants, their culinary habits, and the culinary habits of their ancestors. There was a real research phase: arriving in 2021 in a new area, for me and for those of us who are not from Modena, may seem like a disadvantage; in reality, thanks to the novelty it represented for me, it was a bit of a discovery and a bit of a rediscovery for those who had to act as ‘guide’.
The urge to taste, to search for dishes, to look for recipes or variations on them, was the spark that naturally ignited the idea of Modena Safari. It's a potentially endless task: lately, for example, we've gone even further in our search for ideas by recovering old recipes from Modenese families and we're gathering input here too. We certainly don't get bored!" So everything starts with the welcome, with “Street food from Emilia” offerings, where you can find reworked local specialities such as Calzagatti, cotechino with green sauce for dipping, and a thin pasta sheet called Borlengo stuffed with mountain cunza.
Then there are dishes such as the delicate Trota, rabarbaro e alchermes (trout, rhubarb and alchermes liqueur); Coniglio alla cacciatora (rabbit cacciatore) presented in two variations, as a delicious fried bite and almost raw, lightly seared in an aromatic broth (a fun dish to prepare at the table); the intense and full-bodied Coppa di testa, also served in two ways with a crispy pasta sheet of pork rind to enjoy as a final taste; or the balanced and interesting Lumachine, Lumache e ortiche, a first course of pasta that recalls the earth.
But Emilia is also Vegetable in the second tasting menu. Here you are immersed in creativity that follows the seasons and their influences. It is a way to rediscover "the cuisine of the vegetable garden with the wonders that our land gives us, constantly evolving, with the roots of the past. Vegetables have always been a passion of mine, I would almost say a priority. Sometimes I think it's more fun, it doesn't give you any clues, it leaves you more freedom. The customer has to accept the idea of trying something new. It's an interesting challenge."
Interesting, that's very true. Because dishes such as Variazione di rape (turnip variation) or Fagiolini, pompelmo e bieta (green beans, grapefruit and Swiss chard) manage to explain how the simplicity of certain ingredients is only apparent. Then there is the Tagliatelle enriched with spicy, sour and bitter notes of black garlic, chicory and lemon, or the classic dish given a new twist in the Devil's Beans and Preserved Tomatoes. Both menus are based on a personal idea that “internalizes tradition and then turns it upside down,” always with the “utmost respect for the raw ingredients.” Those who prefer can order à la carte, choosing dishes freely from the tasting menus. And for an even more immersive experience, there is the Chef's Table right in front of the kitchen, a counter where 1 to 4 people can sit, taste, observe, and chat directly with the chef course after course.
ADDRESS
ALTO RISTORANTE
EXECUTIVE SPA HOTEL – ROOFTOP
Via Circondariale San Francesco, 2- 41042 Fiorano Modenese, Modena
Phone 0536 175 3281
