His fervent respect for tradition and his infectious creativity have placed this delightful communicator at the pinnacle of Italy’s chef fraternity. In fact, Osteria Francescana is the highest-placed Italian restaurant on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, coming in at number five. After taking over a simple, local trattoria in the late 1980s, Massimo worked under Alain Ducasse in Monaco and later gained inspiration from Ferran Adria. Since then, he has received countless awards, including the Grand Prix de l’Art from the International Culinary Academy in Paris and three Michelin stars.

Listen to world class chef Massimo Bottura discuss his cooking philosophy and influences: