Chef Alberto Faccani Brings The Flavours Of Italy's 2-Michelin-Starred Magnolia Ristorante To Soneva

Tuesday 7th of February 2023

The sustainable luxury brand, Soenva is collaborating with Italian Chef and entrepreneur, Alberto Faccani to deliver the exquisite tastes of Italy’s two Michelin-starred Magnolia Ristorante to the shores of Soneva Fushi. As part of this exclusive partnership, Chef Alberto is taking residency at the resort from February 1 to April 30, 2023, delighting guests with his gastronomical creations at the resort’s fine-dining zipline restaurant, Flying Sauces.

Harnessing his passion for cooking from an early age onwards, Chef Alberto has honed his culinary talents through stints at Michelin-starred restaurants; La Frasca and Enoteca Pinchiorri. His individual influence and culinary style were inspired by working alongside gastronomical mavens such as Gualtiero Marchesi and Ferran Adrià, who taught him the secrets of technical experimentation. He further perfected the expert handling of raw materials from Massimiliano Alajmo, cutting his own path in the industry soon afterwards.

In 2003 at the ripe age of 27, he opened his first restaurant- Magnolia Ristorante in Northern Italy, buried in the gastronomic richness of Emilia-Romagna. Owing to its innovative seafood plates resembling strong local roots, transformative combinations and striking presentations, Magnolia did not take long to earn its first Michelin star just after two years of opening in 2005. The restaurant’s signature cuisine was further augmented by receiving the second Michelin-star in 2017.

Even now, Chef Alberto remains committed to elevating culinary standards and has expanded his role as a chef and entrepreneur in the past decade. He has launched a second restaurant, Relais Villa Margherita and incepted the Magnolia To Go concept. The latter capitalizes on interpreting haute cuisine with street food and takes the form of an itinerant van. Moreover, his entrepreneurial leadership has also given rise to Magnolia Catering, organizing events throughout Europe. Chef Alberto’s latest endeavour has been Ristorante Veranda which is scheduled to open in February 2023 and is located on the coveted seafront of Cesenatico.

During his time at Soneva Fushi, Chef Alberto will exhibit his signature style at the Flying Sauces, entirely driven by food and crafted using notable ingredients. His focus will center on the dining experience as a whole with no anchoring to tradition, promising a memorable time at an iconic dining venue.

Speaking on this collaboration, Chef Alberto states “Ristorante Magnolia is the realisation of a lifelong dream. It allowed me to express my passion for cooking and to work on other important projects, including a collaboration with Soneva Fushi. The sea is part of me. Feeling it close gives me the energy and strength I need. Furthermore, its breeze accompanies me, every day, all the way to the kitchen. This allows me to unleash my creativity through different forms, giving traditional recipes a new and contemporary twist. With the help and support of my colleagues, I can bring my idea of cooking to life in several places around the world at the same time”.

Joining together with Chef Alberto during the 12-week residency is Chef de Partie at Magnolia Ristorante, Sean Conti. Originally from Longiano in the region of Emilia-Romagna, Chef Sean has extensive experience working at Michelin-starred kitchens and studied Fine Art in Milan. His creative style incorporates his knowledge of fine arts with his passion for food to produce visually aesthetic dishes that are equally delicious as they are striking.