Ristrot: The Journey of Christian and Renata, Between Tradition and Free Expression
Where the Love for the Product Meets the Warmth of Home
Ristrot is more than just a restaurant; it is the culmination of a deep personal and professional journey that first took shape on July 1, 2020. A path that, in 2023, took an evolutionary leap with a change of location, a necessary step to fully cultivate its original vision with renewed energy.
At the heart of this project are Christian, the Chef, and Renata, the soul of the dining room.
From the Shores of Lake Como to the Cosmopolitan Vibe of London
For Christian, cooking is a vocation cultivated since childhood, the pivot of his professional and personal growth. Although he grew up on the shores of the Lecco branch of Lake Como, the call of his father's land led him, after various experiences in Italy, towards a broader horizon: London.
It was in the UK capital that Christian fully embraced the international language of cuisine. Here, he learned to narrate Italian cooking with freedom, enriching it with the influences and cosmopolitan vision that only a city like London can bestow.
Hospitality, an Affair of the Heart
Welcoming guests with the same passion and dedication is Renata. A former bookseller in her beloved London (the city where they met), Renata has translated her sensitivity and attention to detail into the world of hospitality.
The dining room is, in fact, conceived as the family dining room: an environment where every guest should feel instantly at ease. In parallel, her curiosity led her to develop a deep passion for the world of wine and its stories. Ristrot’s wine list is designed to faithfully mirror the cuisine: a continuous journey, in Italy and beyond, whose fluidity is inevitably reflected in the menu, which is presented daily on a chalkboard.
Reworked Tradition, Unconditional Love for the Ingredient
Ristrot's philosophy is rooted in the richness of Italian tradition. The recipes of grandmothers and aunts become the inspiration, the warmth from which the dishes take shape in the kitchen, skilfully blended with Christian's experience and his relentless curiosity.
The search for ingredients is meticulous, favouring local excellences and zero-kilometre sourcing, because, as they love to emphasize, the step from research to table is not short, but crucial. Ristrot's identity is clear: creativity when needed, love for the ingredient always. Cuisine, ultimately, is culture and history, and an immense vastness of it can be encountered at the table.
And what is Christian's secret ingredient? Without hesitation: "Love and passion for one's work."
A Pledge to Every Guest
Beyond technique, Christian and Renata's commitment translates into a pact of trust with every guest: satisfying the palate remains the primary goal. To achieve this, every request is met with care, from the harmonies of vegan flavours to sensitivity towards all dietary intolerances. Their desire is that everyone can sit at their table and fully enjoy the culinary narrative.
The atmosphere at Ristrot is a canvas in evolution: a sophisticated simplicity that, far from being definitive, is enriched each year by the warmth of shared experiences. It is the place where the stories of the team—who dedicate themselves with the same love and care as the founders—merge with those of the diners, creating a vibrant atmosphere, in continuous, moving construction.
