Gourmantico 2026: Italian Fine Dining Becomes Accessible

text Enrico Fragale Esposito

Some projects don’t simply announce themselves — they invite you in.
Gourmantico is one of those rare ideas that feel like a door opening.

We attended the presentation of Gourmantico 2026 in Bergamo, and what we experienced was much more than a press event. It was a declaration of intent: to make high-level Italian cuisine accessible, inclusive, emotional, and deeply connected to people’s everyday lives.
All this in the same year when Italian cuisine officially becomes UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage — a coincidence that feels more like destiny.

From January 12 to April 2, 2026, participating restaurants will offer a complete gourmet tasting menu at a fixed price of €80 (excluding Valentine’s Day, with only one exception: the two-Michelin-starred Villa Elena).
The goal?
To expand the audience of fine dining. To turn a luxury experience into a shared cultural moment.
And to make excellence something you can choose — not something you only admire from afar.

In 2025, the numbers spoke loudly: 21 restaurants, 4 provinces, 15,000 reservations, 30,000 guests, 180,000 website visitors.
And 2026 promises an even richer narrative, with the entry of Gaudio by the Papa brothers, extending Gourmantico’s story into the Brescia area.

After the presentation, we were welcomed into the stunning Rooftop Garden of Hotel Excelsior, where the story continued — on porcelain.
Courses arrived like short chapters: earthy notes of charred Jerusalem artichoke and winter herbs, the delicate elegance of Fassona tartare brightened by saffron and capers, a playful open cannolo where raw alpine fish met raspberry, marjoram and tiny sparks of wasabi. There were moments of pure comfort — a creamy risotto with shrimp, burrata and black pepper — and others of surprise, like a liquid sphere of citrus gin that burst on the palate, or a hay-scented ice cream that seemed to capture the mountain air of Roncola. Everything was light, precise, emotional. A meal that didn’t just satisfy hunger, but curiosity.
Above the city we understood the real power of Gourmantico: it doesn’t sell food — it builds memories!

For families, Gourmantico is also a gentle reminder that parents deserve beautiful moments, too. An excuse to take one evening off, sit at a table set with care and rediscover the pleasure of eating well — slowly, joyfully, with style. Because good food is not just nourishment, it’s time reclaimed, beyond the daily routine.
Gourmantico is not about exclusivity. It’s about feeling welcome.

And every great story deserves to be shared at the table.
For info and reservations gourmantico.it

And if you are looking for the ultimate kids-friendly spot in Milan, find it here.