We always expected that the increased attention to vegetarian dishes and the exaltation of the vegetable in its own right – a value important to almost all Italian chefs – would meet with more and more public approval as time went on, but this trend has also helped us to raise the bar for Italian cuisine across the board.
These days, the “We're Smart Green” guide also applauds Italy and its restaurants, where the creative use of seasonal vegetables reigns supreme – where the percentage of fruit and vegetable dishes on any menu continues to increase, and where we minimize waste, focusing in general on eco-sustainability. The idea for the “We’re Smart Green” guide came from Belgian chef Franck Pol – the former owner of the starred restaurant Sire Pynnock, who now acts as a "green consultant.” Pol now reviews restaurants around the world that are recommended for their approach to vegetarian cuisine and the use of seasonal ingredients. The 2020 edition, recently presented online, counts 964 restaurants in 43 countries on 5 continents. And Italy has made a great leap forward in the ranking. As many as six restaurants have received Franck Pol’s esteemed five “radishes” (the top rating you can receive from the guide), while another 25 have been classified from one to four radishes.
Piazza Duomo in fourth place
There’s another thing we really like, too. The list features historical and trendy names of Italian cuisine, but also some lesser-known places, in further-out provinces or run by enthusiasts who are not part of the "food circuit." In the top ten, you’ll (obviously) find Piazza Duomo in Alba led by Enrico Crippa (which received the “Green Award” in the 2019 edition and 4th place overall) and Joia, led by maestro Pietro Leemann in Milan (a spot that won the “Best Veggie Restaurant Award” in 2018 and 10th place overall on Fol’s list). But you’ll also find two other Italian candidates for the awards – La Madernassa in Guarene (with the young Michelangelo Mammoliti heading the kitchen) and the Montali Country House in Tavernelle di Panicale (in the province of Perugia). "Even though they did not win, they perfectly reflect our ‘Think Vegetables! Think Fruits!’ philosophy,” explained Franck Pol. Luigi Taglienti was also awarded the “Best Vegetable Restaurant of Country'' together with twelve of his illustrious colleagues. Too bad that Taglienti’s restaurant – Lume in Milan – has not yet reopened. And finally, the last venue to receive five “radishes" is the classic Arnolfo in Colle Val d'Elsa, led by Head Chef Gaetano Trovato, in the 21st position.
“We’re Smart Green”2020 Awards
Here are the other winners. With four radishes: Il Margutta (Rome), St. Hubertus (San Cassiano, Bz), Krèsios (Telese Terme, Bn), La Montecchia (Selvazzano Dentro, Pd), Villa Feltrinelli (Gargnano, Bs). With three radishes: Avignonesi Le Capezzine (Valiano di Montepulciano, Si), Le Calandre (Sarmeola di Rubano, Pd), Exki Italy (a chain restaurant in Italy), I Portici (Bologna), Accursio (Modica, Rg). With two radishes: Osteria Le Logge (Siena), Osteria Perillà (Rocca d'Orcia, Si), Ristorante Sadler (Milan), Taverna Vesuviana (Nola, Na), Villa Crespi (Orta San Giulio, No), Chi Burdlaz Garden (Rimini), Da Gorini (San Piero in Bagno, Fc), Il Nazionale (Vernante, Cn), Il Povero Diavolo (Poggio Torriana, Rn), Il Vegetariano (Florence), Magnolia (Cesenatico, Rn). With one radish: La Grotta (Montepulciano, Si), Osteria La Porta (Monticchiello di Pienza, Si), Seta del Mandarin Oriental (Milano), Al Fornello da Ricci (Ceglie, BR).
Number one is in Luxembourg
Now for the three top “green restaurants” in the world – according to the guide. La Distillerie in Luxembourg, owned by Rene Mathieu, who the guide considers "a pioneer of natural cuisine that knows how to evoke ingredients from the fields and woods around Château Bourglinster with taste." Then there’s the Belgian restaurant Vrjmoed in Gent with Chef Michaël Vrijmoed at the helm, and last but not least, Dutch Bord'eau in Amsterdam, led by Bas van Kranen.