In a world of chaos, Ristorante Reale by chef Niko Romito is the calm. Perched above the quaint town of Castel di Sangro in Italy, sits Casadonna, a refurbished monastery constructed in the 16th century, surrounded by rolling hillsides covered in vineyards and flowering plants. 

The poster child for minimalistic cooking, 3 Michelin-starred chef Niko Romito lives and breathes his restrained approach to gastronomy. 

Casadonna

Casadonna

Casadonna

Casadonna

Casadonna

Casadonna

His dishes are singular in ingredients – with sometimes only 1 or 2 on the whole plate – yet that ingredient is experienced to such an extreme, introducing every possible expression. The result is courses that are multi-dimensional, complex &, most importantly, delicious. 

Reale

Reale (Watermelon & tomato)

Reale (Seabass & celery)

Reale (Onion reduction, parmigiano buttons, toasted saffron)

Reale (Warm Swiss chard salad)

Reale (Duck & juniper)

Reale (Penne & sage)

The humble carrot becomes a juice, a cream, a marinade, a caramel, all on one spoon. Intense celery extract is recast as a glaze, painted across a celery stalk, outshining even the supplest of seabass. Notes of licorice, anise, and fennel are coaxed over hours from sage leaves, resulting in a 1-ingredient sauce that is layered, nuanced, eyebrow raise-worthy.

Reale (Oyster & chicory)

Reale (Carrot)

Reale (Rice, basil pesto, anise, lemon)

Romito’s culinary philosophy is rooted in the idea that less is more. Like your first ever sip of coffee, the shock of bitterness causes one to recoil, immediately reaching for sugar and milk. Yet as you accustom over time, hints of berry, chocolate, & roasted nuts come through, only when the sugar is left by the wayside. 

Chef Niko Romito

Romito feels the same about ingredients. 

He hopes diners can begin to understand the true essence of the produce he selects without the added fats or sugar that can actually detract rather than enhance. 

Reale (Mixed wild greens with tomato, extra virgen olive oil, spelt)

Reale (Red pepper & bread)

Reale (Apricot, rosemary, rhubarb)

At first glance, a seemingly unelaborate dish unfolds into something so elegant in its simplicity, precise, clever. Matching that sentiment, Cristiana Romito makes a meticulous commitment to hospitality seem effortless, allowing guests to feel like they are dining with the same comfort and ease as in their homes. Instead of overbearing diners with a laundry list of ingredients, the team is all about patience, awareness, and disrupting the definition of fine dining.

Reale

Reale's "Petite Four" - Dark chocolate ice cream, spiced melon, cheese

At Reale, you not only eat exceptional food, but you also grow as a diner. With each bite, you’re surprised, educated, and, above all else, enlightened.

Casadonna

Casadonna Breakfast

Casadonna Breakfast: Marinated Herring

Casadonna Breakfast

Casadonna Breakfast

Casadonna Breakfast

Beyond Reale at the stunning Casadonna, chef Romito's passion for baking – specifically baking with less sugar, fat, and additives so the real ingredients can shine – comes through in the most gorgeous breakfast spread imaginable. 

Casadonna Breakfast

Casadonna Breakfast

Casadonna Breakfast

Plates are piled high with pastries, tarts, and buns that dimple in their plushness, amplified by diner’s choice of cured fish, mixed cheeses, buttery eggs, grains, cereals, juices and coffees: truly what brunch dreams are made of.

Laboratorio Niko Romito 

Laboratorio Niko Romito's Pan Dolce

Laboratorio Niko Romito 

This same ethos extends to Laboratorio Niko Romito and his casual eatery, ALT Stazione del Gusto. 

ALT's signature Fried Chicken

ALT's Bombolone Bun Sandwich (Melt-in-the-mouth pork, marinated red cabbage, mustard mayo, mixed greens)

ALT's Roast Beef

ALT's Roast Beef

ALT's Pistachio Bomba

From pillowy donut buns on sandwiches stacked with buffalo mozzarella, candied tomatoes & basil; or melt in your mouth pork, marinated cabbage, mustard mayo and mixed greens; to the juiciest fried chicken with puckering skin pulled taut and a sweet finish of pistachio cream-stuffed bombolone – the entire menu’s eminence transcends its humble, everyday ingredients.