His audacious choice to champion the islands’ first vegetarian fine dining restaurant has not only earned him prestigious Michelin accolades but sparked a movement that’s changing how we think about plant-based cuisine.
Embodying the modern evolution of Mediterranean cuisine, Davide Guidara’s journey began in Cerreto Sannita, Campania. “My first memory is definitely associated with the various vegetables, preserved in oil and vinegar, that my grandmother would always bring to the Sunday lunch table,” Guidara recalls of his childhood. “Having grandparents who were farmers significantly influenced my culinary vision. I remember my grand- father picking chicory, crushing tomatoes, squeezing lemon over them, and giving it to me to eat.” This early connection to the land would prove prophetic.
“I don’t think I can identify the exact moment when cooking became my calling,” Guidara reflects, “but as a child, I loved creating and inventing things. I was always attracted to scientific subjects, especially chemistry as a teenager, and I think cooking became my channel to concentrate and combine everything.” The Forbes 30 under 30s meteoric rise in the culinary world began at the remarkably young age of 23. After honing his craft under culinary luminaries including Nino Di Costanzo, Alfonso Iaccarino, and Michel Bras, it was his transformative experience at René Redzepi’s Noma in Copenhagen that helped shape his distinctive approach.
These formative years exposed him to advanced techniques in fermentation, preservation, and the creative potential of local ingredients. Yet becoming a chef wasn’t always his plan. “I must admit that initially, at 23, I didn’t want to become a chef – I still wanted to do more apprenticeships,” Guidara admits. “The biggest challenge I faced was definitely people’s skepticism. I was very young, and many people doubted me, but fortunately, I slowly managed to convince them.” Guidara’s early career at the Eolian in Milazzo marked him as a rising star, but it was at SUM in Catania where his unique culinary voice began to emerge.
Here, Guidara developed a philosophy centered on three core principles: flavor supremacy, essentiality, and a deep understanding of Mediterranean evolution. “The Mediterranean cuisine is evolving, and we young chefs are bridging centuries of tradition with global techniques and modern vision, steering our culinary heritage into tomorrow.”
The culmination of this philosophy finds its home at I Tenerumi, the first vegetarian restaurant on Sicily’s Vulcano Island, which earned both a Michelin star and a Green Star in rapid succession. The restaurant’s name, referring to the tender shoots of the Sicilian zucchini leaves, perfectly encapsulates Guidara’s approach: elevating humble, local ingredients to extraordinary heights.
The impact of I Tenerumi extends beyond its Michelin success. Located within Leading Hotels of the World Therasia Resort, the restaurant has become a culinary destination that proves fine dining can be both environ- mentally conscious and gastronomically exceptional. Each evening, as diners gather in the elegant dining room overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, they experience more than a meal – they participate in Guidara’s vision of sus- tainable luxury.
What sets I Tenerumi apart is not just its vegetable-focused menu, but its comprehensive approach to sustainability. The restaurant operates with a garden-to-table philosophy, utilizing the unique volcanic terroir to grow ingredients that capture the essence of the island. “The garden influences the restaurant – we often remove dishes in favor of others.
For example, last year we had a problem with eggplants and didn’t serve them all summer. The volcanic soil provides stronger salinity to my products. As you can imagine, water on Vulcano is rationed, so we need to be very careful with its use. This means vegetables sometimes live with little water, making them more intense in terms of taste.” Cook More Plants isn’t an anti-meat trend, it serves as both a culinary framework and a broader movement.
It’s not simply about excluding meat; rather, it’s a celebration of the plant kingdom’s vast potential. Under Guidara’s guidance, vegetables are transformed through innovative tech- niques including fermentation, aging, and creative preservation methods. The result is a dining experience that challenges preconceptions about vegetarian cuisine.
I Tenerumi made history as the first vegetarian restaurant on Isola di Vulcano, and quickly earned botha Michelin star and a Green Star. What inspired you to take such a bold direction?
DAVIDE GUIDARA: There are two factors that influenced my choice. The first is purely ethical – the world is entering a new phase of awareness, so I believe it’s appropriate to serve cuisine that reflects these changes, oriented toward the future and new generations. The other factor is purely professional and I would say competitive – when the idea for Tenerumi was born, many of my colleagues advised against starting this journey because they believed vegetarian cuisine would never be seen as more than second-rate cooking, and this sparked a sense of challenge in me.
The restaurant’s name “I Tenerumi” itself speaks to humble vegetable origins. Could you share the story behind choosing this name and its significance to your culinary philosophy?
DAVIDE GUIDARA:Tenerumi are the leaves of the zucchini plant. They represent something very local—I think perhaps only here in Sicily are they eaten with pasta. They also symbolize a close connection to the land and nature. Obviously, they also embody the profound humility that represents the entire green sector supply chain.
Your “Cook More Plants” manifesto seems to be more than just a culinary approach. Could you elaborate on your vision for redefining vegetable cuisine?
DAVIDE GUIDARA: “Cook More Plants” aims to open up a new world for vegetable applications. It represents the ultimate expression of the technique and cultural approach to vegetables. The manifesto seeks to celebrate vegetables in their essence, without disguising them as something else to make them more palatable—which, in my opinion, is the ultimate humiliation.
At I Tenerumi, you’ve created an interesting synergy between liquid and solid elements, incorporating kombucha, tepache, and cordials. How did this innovative approach develop?
DAVIDE GUIDARA: We wanted something bespoke to pair with our dishes. We wanted to move beyond “this wine goes well with that dish and not the other” and create something of our own, as if they were essentially other dishes. Furthermore, it’s much more fun and stimulating. Not to mention, the younger generations are increasingly opting for non-alcoholic pairings.
Could you tell us more about your garden-to-table approach and how the volcanic terroir of Vulcano influences your ingredients?
DAVIDE GUIDARA:The garden has a huge impact on the restaurant. It often happens that we remove certain dishes in favor of others. For example, last year we had a problem with eggplants and didn’t serve them all summer. The volcanic soil gives my produce a stronger savoriness. As you can imagine, water on Vulcano is rationed, so we have to be very careful with its usage. This means the vegetables sometimes have to get by with less water, which makes their flavors more intense.
As the Michelin Best Young Chef 2023, how do you see vegetable-focused cuisine evolving in the fine dining world over the next few years?
DAVIDE GUIDARA: I’ll be very brief here. It represents the future… but only through broader reflection, by abandoning the fanaticism of a culture that tries to force people to follow this dietary regimen, which does nothing but push people away from eating more vegetables.
The Mediterranean has a rich tradition of vegetable cooking, yet you’re approaching it from a highly experimental angle. How do you balance innovation with these deep-rooted culinary traditions?
DAVIDE GUIDARA: We treat vegetables with a modern, at times avant-garde, technical approach, but in terms of flavor, our approach is rooted in our regional background. Our research is based on experimentation, but our flavors are authentic and distinct, with an eye on our local palate.
How does your interaction with the University of Messina influence your understanding of the nutritional aspects of the plant kingdom?
DAVIDE GUIDARA: Certainly, the nutritional aspect of plant-based products can, in some ways, guarantee a healthier lifestyle. However, my collaboration with universities is more focused on analyzing the scientific aspects.
What are the driving forces behind the “New Vegetable Cuisine” movement and how has your Manifesto evolved?
DAVIDE GUIDARA: The idea was to radically change the world of vegetables, giving them the dignity they deserve. The plant kingdom offers a wider range of flavors than the animal protein department, which, combined with technical skills, allows for creating a new way of cooking. This ignited in me a desire to establish a starting point for what will be the future of plant-based gastronomy.
What impact did the Michelin star and the Green Star awards have on your restaurant’s approach to culinary and sustainability practices?
DAVIDE GUIDARA: They are accolades that push you to do more. You know the bar has been raised even higher, and you want to raise it further still.
Photography GIOVANNI PULIAFITO
