The most sustainable restaurants and trattorias in Italy according to Gambero Rosso

For the second consecutive year, forks, shrimps, and green tables mark places where respect for the land, the planet, circular economy, zero waste, and cutting-edge green building represent the guiding spirit of hospitality and cuisine. In the Restaurants of Italy 2025 guide, there are 20 such establishments (reduced to 19 after the recent closure of Orto by Jorg Giubbani in Moneglia); the previous edition listed 33. This reduction does not indicate that environmental awareness and biodiversity are no longer essential values for professionals in the sector (and beyond, of course), but rather reflects an even stricter selection, focusing on the true "fanatics" (in the best sense of the term) and conscious operators. These are the individuals who, often facing greater challenges and taking more risks, push forward with radical choices and innovative systems.
Lombardy, Veneto, Tuscany, Campania, and Puglia lead the way, each with two entries in the rankings, while the remaining 10 establishments are spread across the country, from North to South, including islands. Together, they draw an encouraging trajectory towards a future of food awareness that, just a few years ago, might have seemed like science fiction.

The 20 most sustainable restaurants, trattorias, and bistros in Italy

Valle d'Aosta

Wood
Restaurant. Amanda Eriksson, born in Lapland, has extraordinary talent: a lover of Italian cuisine—considering it the most complete in the world—she never forgets her Scandinavian origins, creating an exciting fusion of local and Nordic products with Asian inspirations, another of her passions. She approaches her work with ethics and sustainability, employing processing and preservation techniques typical of Northern Europe. Her tasting menus—vegetarian, local, and creative—offer a gastronomic experience that breaks the mould, perfectly in tune with the wine cellar and service.

Wood - Valtournenche (AO) - fraz. Breuil-Cervinia - via G. Rey, 26 - +39 388 4008296 - woodcervinia.it

Piedmont

Reis - Cibo Libero di Montagna
Trattoria. Reis in the local dialect means roots, and Juri Chiotti starts there. He works in a building—a house, barn, and stable—renovated in harmony with the surrounding mountains, and in the kitchen, he enhances and interprets the centuries-old traditions of the peaks and woods. The foundation is an alliance between his own crops and livestock and a network of suppliers united by respect for the ecosystem and closed cycles. The wine cellar focuses on artisanal and biodynamic wines, but not exclusively, with offerings that include French selections.

Reis - Cibo Libero di Montagna - Busca (CN) - loc. Valmala - borgata Chiot Martin - +39 0175 978033 - Facebook

Lombardy

Contrada Bricconi
Restaurant. A place that goes beyond the concept of agritourism and restaurant, even among Italy’s most significant avant-garde establishments. Born as a farming enterprise, it transformed into fine dining with the arrival of Michele Lazzarini, a native of these valleys and former right-hand man of Norbert Niederkofler. The young chef has access to a wealth of local products (herbs, vegetables, milk, hay, meat from the nearby stables) and demonstrates great talent in showcasing them through smoking, marinating, extractions, and harmonious fusions. The flavours are intriguing rather than surprising. The wine list includes Lombard selections that are far from ordinary, along with non-alcoholic pairings.

Contrada Bricconi - Oltressenda Alta (BG) - via Bricconi - +39 347 3711183 - contradabricconi.it

Téa del Kosmo
Restaurant. The characteristic wooden cabin ("téa" in the Livigno dialect) has become an elegant and welcoming dining room of an intimate restaurant—within the Kosmo structure but entirely separate—catering to those seeking a high-end dining experience. Michele Talarico applies the teachings of master Niederkofler, delivering a contemporary mountain cuisine guided by sustainability and "zero waste" principles. The sole tasting menu (reservation required) features 14 small courses, such as the "carrot variation," showcasing the increasing importance of vegetables.

Téa del Kosmo - Livigno (SO) - via Bondi, 473/C - +39 346 1152048 - kosmotastethemountain.com

Veneto

Venissa
Restaurant. Chiara Pavan and Francesco Brutto’s cuisine is increasingly environmental, embracing the reality that it’s impossible to self-produce everything and relying on the work of many artisans and small local producers to support their ambitious yet necessary journey. Their restaurant strives for a minimal impact on Earth. Chiara and Francesco, strong and complementary personalities, use invasive fish species, halophyte plants thriving in saline environments, and herbs and vegetables from their anarchic garden. Note: they do not use meat, and the service is highly informative. Every meal is a delight.

Venissa - Venice - Isola di Mazzorbo fondamenta Santa Caterina, 3 - +39 041 5272281 - venissa.it

SanBrite
Restaurant. Entering SanBrite means immersing yourself in the essence of the true Cortina. It reveals the identity of a mountain village dedicated to agriculture, pastoralism, and cheesemaking in full harmony with nature. Riccardo Gaspari (chef) and Ludovica Rubbini (front of house) base their daily work in their ancient barn, beautifully converted into a restaurant with views of the Tofane mountains. Ingredients come from the family farm, and the chef’s techniques were honed under Massimo Bottura. The dishes are original, showcasing the intense flavours of the mountains.

SanBrite - Cortina d'Ampezzo (BL) - loc. Alverà, 200e - +39 0436 863882 - sanbrite.it

Trentino-Alto Adige

Alpes dell'Hotel Bad Schörgau

Restaurant. A dining experience that combines technique and creativity in a historic thermal destination, now the home of the Wenter family's relais. Fermented ingredients provide unusual yet spot-on flavors, allowing consumption out of season while enhancing their nutritional properties. This philosophy is part of the La FuGa project - Laboratory for Future Gastronomy - founded by Alpes chef Mattia Baroni. His flavors are typical of South Tyrol: homemade speck, a selection of cheeses, and roasted veal with marinated trout and pine-scented green asparagus.
Alpes dell'Hotel Bad Schörgau - Sarentino/Sarntal (BZ) - Pozza, 24 (SS 508, Km 18) - 0471 623048 - bad-schoergau.com

Friuli Venezia Giulia

L'Argine a Vencò

Restaurant. The romantic stone house at the edge of nothingness and the borders of Collio, freshly and meticulously renovated, immerses itself in nature through expansive windows. Naked tablecloths adorn the few tables, with a verdant reminder of the season as the only simple decorative element. Reducing everything to the essentials, even stripping away natural color tones, enhances the substance, emphasizing its sobriety. Imagine the part of the lemon between the peel and the pulp, the part that, for anyone who squeezes citrus, would become waste. Yet, in the hands of Antonia Klugmann (who earned Three Forks in the Ristoranti d'Italia 2025 guide), it takes on meaning that goes beyond imagination or anti-waste theory, becoming the simplest and most fundamental idea of amuse-bouche.

L'Argine a Vencò - Dolegna del Collio (GO) - Loc. Vencò, 15 - 350 5212804 - largineavenco.it

Tuscany

Osteria Ancestrale - Arduino Bolgheri
Restaurant. Imagine a restaurant without a gas connection. Is it possible? Much more, desirable, if the results are those of Osteria Ancestrale (which will reopen in March 2025 due to the damage caused by the terrible flood a few months ago). This project of a purely agricultural nature draws strength from the surrounding farm, where everything needed for the kitchen is organically and regeneratively cultivated. Chef Fabrizio Bartoli, starting from this plant-based matter (but also from the self-produced cheeses), cooks refined dishes over fire (flame, above or below embers), offered in two tasting menus: Arche and Physis. The wooden dining room, open to the countryside, is managed by the brilliant Martina Morelli.

Osteria Ancestrale - Arduino Bolgheri - Castagneto Carducci (LI) - loc. Magazzino, 210 - 324 9031810 - Instagram

Ristoro della Fattoria Sardi
Restaurant. Inside the agricultural company of Fattoria Sardi (with an attached winery and guest rooms), this intimate eatery showcases a format both unusual and worthy. Behind the stoves, we find a chef already well-known, Damiano Donati, who for a period chose to work as a farmer before returning to the kitchen. A "pause" that benefited his style. The tasting menu (54 euros) changes every month, as do the opening hours and days, in line with the seasonal rhythms of the farm. In winter, guests dine in the indoor room or seated at the counter with an open kitchen; in summer, in the beautiful outdoor area in a bucolic setting.

Ristoro della Fattoria Sardi - Lucca - via della Maulina, 747 - 0583 341230 - fattoriasardi.com

Marche

Agra Mater
Trattoria. What distinguishes Agra Mater (Three Shrimp in the Ristoranti d’Italia 2025 guide) is the fact that it operates as a virtuous circle, a project dedicated to the conscious use of a highly agricultural territory, but never mass-produced by extensive farming. In addition to having an educational farm, this agritourism produces a large part of the vegetables, fruits, and extra virgin olive oil used in the kitchen. It is therefore a natural outlet for Lara Mancini, owner and chef, to replicate local gastronomic traditions without the constraint of adhering to rigid interpretations. These do not lack, such as in the vincisgrassi, but the cuisine allows itself a few freer touches, reinterpreting the typical dishes with a modern sensibility. The menu always includes a vegetarian option, with truffle from the nearby Sibillini Mountains used to dress summer chitarrine with organic butter and pecorino scattered on fresh spaghetti all'amatriciana with eggplant. Pizza is available only on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings, but the skill with leavened products is evident from the bread.

Agra Mater - Colmurano (MC) - c.da Monti, 3 - 0733 1898012 - agramater.com

Umbria

Une
Restaurant. In a short time, Une has become an essential reference in the contemporary Umbrian restaurant scene. It achieved this by generating anticipation, given the curriculum of head chef and owner Giulio Gigli, with the idea of giving a modern face to the gastronomic roots and products of Umbria, complemented by the beauty of the location: a wonderfully restored ancient water mill. The format relies on tasting menus that are unchanged in name but ever-evolving in terms of elements and execution.

Une - Foligno (PG) - loc. Capodacqua - via Fiorenzuola, 37 - 334 8851903 - ristoranteune.com

Lazio

DLR DopoLavoroRicreativo
Trattoria. Jacopo Ricci is someone who knows his craft, both as a chef and an entrepreneur. He left haute cuisine, where he honed his skills, and opened this trattoria a few years ago (though it is increasingly difficult to categorize it as such due to its research-driven cuisine). The atmosphere is antique, with few and simple furnishings, a lovely outdoor area, and Emanuele Fusco in the kitchen. Most ingredients come from Lazio, mainly from small producers. The menu changes continuously, but sometimes an iconic dish resurfaces: liver, brioche bread, and turnips. Wine is chosen from a well-curated list, all with artisan labels, with some more extreme choices, but the markups are reasonable.

DLR DopoLavoroRicreativo - Frascati (RM) - via N. Bixio, 1 - 06 630640 - dlrfrascati.it

Abruzzo

Bottega Culinaria
Restaurant. The meal begins with a sip of Vermouth with gentian, rue, and saffron. In a low tumbler with a single ice cube is encapsulated the essence of Bottega Culinaria: wild herbs and short-supply products combined and worked with intuition and tireless research. Fermentation, doughs, foams, dehydration, and ice creams breathe new life into local raw materials. Radishes change texture and become soft, eaten with a spoon. Resin, an oil with balsamic notes, completes a millet and parmesan polenta. The cellar features unconventional artisan wines. The kitchen and dining room move in perfect harmony for an immersive and delightful experience in a location suspended between the green olive groves, rolling hills, and the blue sea of the Trabocchi Coast.

Bottega Culinaria - San Vito Chietino (CH) - c.da Pontoni, 67 - 339 1421111 - bottegaculinaria.com

Campania

Don Alfonso 1890
Restaurant. This restaurant with an attached hotel in the heart of the Sorrento Peninsula is the "home of Italians," a land of almost illegal colours and scents. The Iaccarino family, after months of a major renovation that gave a new look to the place and everything surrounding it, has returned with the same style as before but with much more enthusiasm. The team is the same: Ernesto in the kitchen, his brother Mario in the dining room, and their parents Livia and Alfonso buzzing around like great hosts. The culinary proposal is characterised by stylistic classicism, not seeking avant-garde techniques but achieving it in the constant pursuit of happiness through flavours. Tradition is a reference point, an altar to be honoured, then distanced from without ever losing sight of it, with ingredients as its prophets, especially those from the family farm in nearby Punta Campanella. With these premises, the menu is a continuous infatuation from starters (The Organic Garden of Punta Campanella is a collection of vegetables and herbs enriched with horseradish ice cream and sweet-and-sour turmeric sauce) to pasta dishes (spaghetti aglio, olio, and peperoncino with marinated mackerel, breadcrumbs, pine nuts, and caramelised onion on a tuna Alalunga sauce) to mains (slow-cooked pork belly, sweet-and-sour sauce, chilli, potato and carrot terrine). The service is paradise, where everyone cares about you.

Don Alfonso 1890 - Massa Lubrense (NA) - fraz. Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi - c.so Sant'Agata, 11 - 081 8780026 - donalfonso.com

Villa Rosa - La Casa di Lella
Trattoria. The perfect stop for those seeking a peaceful atmosphere, in a characteristic country villa with one of the most beautiful views of the Gulf of Naples. The mastermind behind this experience, to be enjoyed in close contact with nature, is the renowned Peppe Guida, with the help of his daughter Rossella. The focus is on local, genuine, and authentic products, which Guida also offers in his online shop, sourcing from his well-stocked organic garden and daily catches that adapt to the changing seasons. A “changing” proposal, the menu varies frequently, with the constant, proverbial, and very light “fried air,” to be savoured dipped in its sauce.

Villa Rosa - La Casa di Lella - Vico Equense (NA) - loc. Alberi - via Alberi, 100 - 334 3917950 - peppeguida.com

Puglia

Antichi Sapori
Trattoria. In this corner of Murgia, one doesn't arrive by chance, it's a deliberate choice, and the reason is nearly unique: the cuisine, but especially the philosophy of Pietro Zito, the countryside, and the bio garden (thousands of square metres) from which almost everything on the table comes. A peasant, familial, and collective story, elevated without fanfare, that of this inn, which today has long waiting lists, does not feature Saturday night dinners or Sunday lunches, and continues to offer an astonishing quality-to-price ratio. The welcome, among the beautiful antique-style tables, perhaps outside facing the garden when in season, is warm and familial. It's not unusual to receive a house welcome prepared with freshly picked vegetables and the day's eggs. The tasting menu is rich, with vegetables here having a magical quality, seeming like a faded copy of one you've always tasted. The olive oil, excellent, arrives at the table before the wine (and can also be purchased). Homemade pasta dishes, from orecchiette to troccoli (with meat ragu and pecorino) to mezzemaniche (with fresh tomato sauce and salted ricotta).

Antichi Sapori - Andria (BT) - fraz. Montegrosso - p.zza San Isidoro, 10 - 0883 569529 - pietrozito.it

Cucina Villana at Villa Fenicia
Bistrot. The journey of the Montaruli brothers, from Mezza Pagnotta to Villa Fenicia, is a coherent rise in culinary maturity, with the territory as their guiding star. A decade ago, we discovered them as creators of great sandwiches, today they are crafting great dishes: Puglia remains the protagonist, which, through their vision (and that of other talented colleagues), we appreciate as one of the richest lands in terms of plant biodiversity. Fermentation, recovery, discovery of unusual pairings and ingredients bring joy to the tasting journey, which changes nuances with the seasons. All in a fascinating historical mansion dating back to the 1600s, later structured in its present form at the end of the 1800s.

Cucina Villana at Villa Fenicia - Ruvo di Puglia (BA) - s.da prov.le 86 Ruvo-Bisceglie, km 2 - 347 9996475 - villafenicia.com

Calabria

Dattilo
Restaurant. Father Roberto invested all his resources in the 1970s to bring the dream of Ceraudo to life. Today, the company, located in a 1600s village, represents the epitome of Calabrian excellence. A magical place where one can stay immersed in nature while practising food and wine tourism. Wine, oil, and citrus fruits, among the first in Calabria and Southern Italy to be organic. All raw materials used in the family restaurant, led by Caterina Ceraudo. In the dessert section, there are beautiful flavour games with the skilful use of aromatic herbs. In addition to the house labels, the cellar is well-stocked with particular attention to national references. But it's also wonderful to indulge in all the products from Casa Ceraudo, such as the Vermouth, a recent addition. The service is courteous and attentive.
Dattilo - Strongoli (KR) - loc. Marina di Strongoli - c.da Dattilo - 0962 865613 - dattilo.it

Sardinia

Fradis Minoris
Fradis Minoris, located between the sea and the enchanting Nora Lagoon, stands out as an innovative project that blends gastronomic excellence with environmental sustainability. Chef Francesco Stara leads the kitchen with a philosophy that celebrates the Mediterranean, focusing on Sardinian biodiversity and sustainable fishing techniques. The menu reflects a deep connection with the territory, offering an experience that expresses new and interesting flavours, alongside education on the importance of balance between nutrition and tradition. This year, the FradisLab is also present, a project halfway between a bistrot, tapas bar, and laboratory, offering a dynamic and interesting gastronomic contamination. The wine list takes a broad journey through a careful selection of regional labels, following a philosophy that aligns with that of the restaurant. The service is attentive, professional, and "narrative."

Fradis Minoris - Pula (CA) - loc. Nora - Laguna di Nora - 333 3495001 - fradisminoris.it

Cover photo: Reis - Cibo Libero di Montagna