Alain Ducasse planted his flag on Italian soil for the first time with the opening of Il Ristorante Alain Ducasse at ROMEO Napoli. What does it mean for one of the world’s most food-obsessed cities? We attended the restaurant’s launch to find out.
Alain Ducasse hardly needs an introduction – his 21 Michelin stars and globe-spanning empire of over 60 restaurants, cafés, and chocolate boutiques speak for themselves. A titan in the culinary world, Ducasse has shaped modern cuisine like few others, and after nearly half a century in the game, he shows no signs of slowing down or resting on his laurels. As a matter of fact, he’s far too busy adding new ones. The chef’s latest venture, Il Ristorante Alain Ducasse at ROMEO Hotel Napoli, brings his signature gastronomic style to the gritty, soulful streets of Naples, writing a fresh chapter in both his legacy and the city’s notorious food scene. Il Ristorante also happens to be Ducasse’s very first restaurant in Italy – naturally, we couldn’t resist attending the grand opening for a first taste.
The evening began on the ninth floor of ROMEO Napoli, the flagship property of Italian hospitality group The ROMEO Collection, and a proud Small Luxury Hotels of the World member. Since its debut in 2014, the design-led, cosmopolitan hotel has been making its mark in one of Italy’s most iconic cities with its head-turning modern aesthetic – courtesy of Japanese architectural firm Kenzo Tange & Associates – upscale offerings, and now a new fine dining experience that is poised to give the local culinary scene the Ducasse touch.
So what was the scene at Il Ristorante’s grand opening? Honeyed rays poured through the sleek glass façade of the hotel, illuminating an assembly of guests dressed to the nines, all brought together by their love of food. A brigade of dapper ROMEO staff floated around, topping up our champagne flutes and presenting us with a steady stream of bite-sized dishes fashioned by executive chef Alessandro Lucassino and his hardworking team in the open kitchen. Like many protégés within the Ducasse empire, Lucassino honed his craft under the master chef himself, starting his journey at Hôtel Plaza Athénée before joining Ducasse’s team at Cucina Mutualité in Paris. Now taking the lead at the new Naples restaurant, Lucassino is central to bringing its menu to life by weaving local flavours into his own culinary expertise. He’s also big on preserving the nutritional essence of all ingredients used, staying true to Ducasse’s signature “naturalité” approach to cuisine – something we had the pleasure of experiencing firsthand.
We marvelled at views of the bay, stretching out to Mount Vesuvius and Capri, as we savoured dish after dish of miniature masterpieces like amberjack with redcurrant and hibiscus, lightly seared with a torch, ravioli stuffed with chicken consommé, and chocolate from Ducasse’s very own factory in Paris, with praline, ice cream, and a kick of calamansi (Philippine limes). These samples were a prelude to the restaurant’s main offerings, which – as Ducasse had explained at a press conference earlier that day – focus on “elegant, contemporary French haute cuisine prepared with the finest produce from the Campania region and, more broadly, from Italy”.
Ducasse mentioned that while the preparation, techniques, and inspirations are firmly rooted in French tradition, the Italian ingredients take centre stage. He pointed to Sorrento lemons, red mullet, Paestum artichokes, and ingredients like agretti, rarely seen in French kitchens, as prime examples. There’s a notable sustainability benefit in the focus on using local ingredients, something Ducasse highlighted by drawing attention to the menu’s creative use of blue crab: “The blue crab is an invasive species from North America”, he told us, “but it is also a crab with fine, delicate meat. Many scientists believe that given the current state of the stock and its growth, harvesting significant quantities for consumption is the best solution”.
Although the menu at Il Ristorante stays true to its French roots, pasta does indeed make a welcome (if limited) appearance, much to the delight of Italian diners and carb-lovers like ourselves. But don’t expect to find pizza anywhere on the menu. It may sound like sacrilege – we are, after all, in the very birthplace of the cheesy stuff – but in our eyes, Ducasse’s decision not to include it in the restaurant’s offerings makes perfect sense: “According to the Neapolitans, the best pizza is Neapolitan, for the Romans it is Roman… every Italian actually has his own favourite pizzeria”. In other words, pizza is a sacred part of the cultural fabric here. That, and ‘if it’s not broken, there’s no need to tamper with it’, essentially.
The collaboration between the famed chef and The ROMEO Collection signals the beginning of Ducasse’s Italian expansion. Following the Napoli debut, two more hotels – and with them, Ducasse restaurants – are on the horizon: ROMEO Roma and ROMEO Massa Lubrense on the Amalfi Coast, both expected to arrive in 2025. When pressed for details on the upcoming Rome restaurant, Ducasse kept his cards close to his chest so as not to give us any spoilers. However, he did let us know that the kitchen will be in the capable hands of thirty-year-old chef Stéphane Petit, one of his many talented protégés. If Ducasse’s first Italian restaurant is any indicator, these new ventures will no doubt captivate fine dining aficionados far and wide.
In a city where the competition for the best bite is fierce, standing out is no small feat, yet Il Ristorante Alain Ducasse most definitely holds its own, dazzling just as brightly as ROMEO Napoli’s architecture, extensive art collection, and enviable location in one of the world’s gastronomic hotspots. As for the man in charge, it’s clear that his appetite for innovation is far from satisfied – and we are excited to see where it will take him next.
Photography courtesy of Il Ristorante Alain Ducasse and The ROMEO Collection
