Nadia Santini, Dal Pescatore's three-star chef, has died
Her family announced the death on the restaurant's social media channels. Dal Pescatore, run by the Santini family for nearly a century, has held three Michelin stars since 1996.
Nadia Santini, the chef of Dal Pescatore in Runate, near Canneto sull'Oglio in the province of Mantua, died on 2 November 2026, her family announced on the restaurant's social media channels. She was 73, according to the Adnkronos news agency; some Italian outlets reported her age as 72.
The family's message, as quoted by Scatti di Gusto and Italia a Tavola, said she had died peacefully, surrounded by those closest to her. The announcement did not state a cause of death, and none of the reports reviewed by AMUSE. gave one.
Nadia Santini and Dal Pescatore's three stars
Thirty years at three Michelin stars, built in a family kitchen on the banks of the Oglio.
According to Scatti di Gusto and Italia a Tavola, Santini met Antonio Santini while studying political science at the University of Milan, married him in 1974 and then joined the kitchen of his family's restaurant. Foodmakers.it reports that the business began as a trattoria on the banks of the Oglio opened by Antonio's grandfather, and that the Santini family has run it for nearly a century.
Italia a Tavola reports that she learned the family's cooking alongside her mother-in-law, Bruna Rubes Santini, who died in April 2025 at the age of 96.
Michelin awarded Dal Pescatore its first star in 1982, its second in 1988 and its third in 1996, according to Scatti di Gusto and Foodmakers.it. Italian press reports describe Santini as the first woman chef in Italy to hold three Michelin stars, a rating the restaurant has kept for thirty consecutive years. Scatti di Gusto lists tortelli di zucca and grilled eel among the dishes associated with its menu.
In 2013 she was named Veuve Clicquot World's Best Female Chef by The World's 50 Best Restaurants, according to Adnkronos and Italia a Tavola. Foodmakers.it reports that the Michelin Guide gave her its Chef Mentor award at the presentation of the Michelin Guide Italia 2022.
Who runs the kitchen at Dal Pescatore now
Santini is survived by her husband Antonio, who has led the restaurant's dining room, and their sons Giovanni and Alberto, according to Scatti di Gusto. Giovanni Santini leads the kitchen as executive chef and Alberto oversees the dining room and the wine list, Italia a Tavola and Foodmakers.it reported. Both outlets said the restaurant now continues under the two brothers.
No funeral arrangements had been made public in the reports available at the time of publication. Dal Pescatore holds its three stars going into the Michelin Guide Italy 2027, whose new edition will be presented in Piacenza.
