The professional story of Ugo Alciati is rooted in the family legacy that began in 1960 in Costigliole d’Asti, when his parents, Guido Alciati and Lidia Vanzino, created a restaurant that was revolutionary for its time: modern, bright, focused on market-fresh cuisine, seasonal produce and dishes prepared exclusively for guests who had booked in advance. Linen table settings, refined service and a cellar managed at the right temperature completed a vision that anticipated a new era for Italian dining .
Born in 1967, Ugo “was practically raised in the restaurant.” As a child, he played beside his mother Lidia in the kitchen, absorbing a heritage that is both gastronomic and territorial: the culinary legacy of Guido and Lidia, and the cultural richness of the Langhe and Monferrato, two lands that profoundly shaped his way of cooking .
His cuisine is deeply rooted in local products, yet never static. Dishes such as Carnaroli rice with Piedmontese ricotta and anchovies or the Nizza Monferrato cardoons with pears and anchovies speak of tradition interpreted through contemporary sensibility. He avoids deconstruction or performative modernism, using technique only as a tool to enhance raw ingredients, never as spectacle. A former pastry chef, he combines analytical precision with respect for the land and those who cultivate it, describing himself as a “cook/restaurateur/entrepreneur” rather than an artist .
After the pioneering years in Costigliole and the decade spent in Pollenzo, Guido Ristorante found its definitive home in 2013 inside the Villa Reale of the Fontanafredda estate in Serralunga d’Alba. Here, surrounded by the natural reserve, Ugo and his brother Piero offer a cuisine grounded in territory, seasonality and memory, enriched by a dining room experience curated with elegance and thoughtful detail .
The restaurant currently holds one Michelin star (awarded by the Michelin Guide Italy).
Alongside his work at the restaurant, Ugo represents Italian cuisine internationally through several projects: he is a culinary ambassador for Eataly, founder of the high-quality gelato concept Lait, menu creator for L’Assaggio at the Castille Hotel in Paris (since 2017), consultant for Annex Beach on the Croisette in Cannes (since 2020) and, from 2023, curator of the menu at Turin’s historic Caffè Baratti & Milano .
His philosophy rests on three pillars: understanding the nature of each ingredient, respecting the work behind its production and learning continuously from his land. A cuisine that is essential rather than theatrical, sincere rather than ornamental — a cuisine that seeks the truth of flavor.
Dining and Cooking