My Culinary Journey

I CAN'T REMEBER A TIME when I didn’t cook. It’s been a part of me since I was a small boy growing up in Basilicata, in southern Italy. As kids, we were always expected to help in the kitchen. And as soon as I got home from school, I’d head straight into the garden to pick the vegetables, like tomatoes and herbs, that we’d be eating that evening. Those were happy days, and I can still picture them really clearly—no screens in sight, just conversations around the kitchen table, sharing platefuls of fresh, simple food. The importance of using local produce to prepare nutritious and delicious meals for the family was something I learned before I even reached double digits.

Ever since those early days in the kitchen in Guardia Perticara, Italian cuisine has been my passion, my craft, my purpose. That’s why I’m so thrilled that my restaurant, La Table d’Antonio Salvatore, was recently named one of the Top 50 Italian restaurants in the world. It was such an honor to accept the award on behalf of my team, in the company of so many esteemed chefs. Just imagine—so much talent in one room! I was truly overwhelmed; in fact, I still am.

To be named 19th in a list of top Italian restaurants is something that I hadn’t realized would mean quite so much to me. My restaurants have won awards before. La Table d’Antonio Salvatore, for example, has a Michelin star, an accolade for which I am hugely grateful and proud. But the fact that our restaurant is being singled out for its Italian cuisine is surely one of the highlights of my career to date. I’m deeply grateful for the chance to represent the excellence of my homeland, Basilicata, and share its heart and soul through my cuisine. Taking my cuisine and the flavors of my birthplace around the world is a firm goal for me.

This recognition from such a prestigious guide is not only an honor but also a testament to the dedication my team and I have poured into bringing the sun of southern Italy to Monaco. We’re really proud of the dining experience that we bring to the Principality. I think it’s pretty unique. It’s a blend of Italian tradition coupled with a cosmopolitan perspective which defines our Mediterranean cuisine philosophy. It’s also teamwork and attention to quality. Monaco has the best the world has to offer. We want only the best in all our restaurants. Our unique approach to restauration has even been given its own label which will resonate with you: New Monegasque!

From a personal point of view, the award is the culmination of more than 20 years of learning, listening, practicing, improving, and perfecting. I started my professional culinary journey when I was 12 in local restaurants before going to a hotel school at 14. Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to go all over the world doing what I love best, from Spain and England to Russia and, now, in New York, where we have recently opened up a Rampoldi.

I’ve come a long way from my family kitchen, but I still go back with my own family as often as I can. And I’m very aware that I still have a long, long way to go.

By Antonio Salvatore

Contributor

A contributing writer for The Monegasque™ , covering culinary art and food trends, Michelin-starred chef Antonio Salvatore was born in Basilicata, Italy, and has traveled extensively, honing his craft in Spain, England, and Russia. Now based in Monaco, he serves refined contemporary Italian cuisine at Rampoldi’s exclusive five-table setting, using top-quality ingredients from Menton, San Remo, and Southern Italy. His signature dishes include bottoni di vitello tonnato, cabri dodici ore, and texture di cioccolato, while at the brasserie, he reimagines classic dishes with a modern twist.