Andrea De Lillo is the new chef at Restaurant NIN in Brenzone sul Garda (one Michelin Star). starting in April, he will take the reins of the restaurant’s kitchen ahead of the seasonal reopening. With a solid international background and a track record of experience in some of the world’s most prestigious kitchens, Chef De Lillo is ready to take the restaurant to new heights while maintaining its tradition of high quality, sustainability, and attention to the land.
Born in 1998 and originally from Torbole on Lake Garda, Andrea De Lillo is a young chef who has already accumulated a varied professional background. After studying at the “Alta Formazione” school in Tione (TN), he had the opportunity to perfect his skills in the kitchens of some of the best restaurants in the world, such as Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana, Cantine Ferrari’s Locanda Margon led by Alfio Ghezzi, Andrea Berton’s Andrea Berton, and Christian Puglisi’s Relæ* (green and red star) in Copenhagen, where he learned the importance of sustainability in the kitchen and honed the modern techniques of Nordic cuisine, which is now reflected in his gastronomic proposal.
However, it was his experiences in Spain, at Paulo Airaudo’s Amelia** restaurant, and in Peru, at Virgilio Martínez’s celebrated Central, that gave his culinary style a distinctive character. In particular, in Spain he was able to perfect his technique in the preparation of fish and the handling of charcoal, while his stay in Peru broadened his vision, bringing him into contact with ancestral ingredients and techniques that today enrich the cuisine on offer.
Andrea De Lillo, the new project
Despite his young age, the Chef undertakes a unique challenge: taking over the kitchen of a Michelin-starred restaurant, carrying out a project of great responsibility. With great commitment and passion, Chef De Lillo aims to enhance and perfect NIN’s gastronomic offerings, while keeping intact his respect for the traditions of Lake Garda. His mission is to transform each dish into a sensory journey that tells the story of the lake territory, through seasonal ingredients that reflect the richness of the surrounding nature, dominated by the precious Monte Baldo.
“I am really happy to start this new adventure at Restaurant NIN, a place that perfectly embodies the link between cuisine and territory. Lake Garda has a unique personality and my aim is to tell it through the dishes, using mainly quality ingredients, provided by small local producers or direct supply chain. My culinary proposal will be a tribute to this extraordinary territory, where innovation, technique and passion meet.” stresses Andrea De Lillo.
Chef De Lillo’s culinary proposal focuses on lake fish, with a particular focus on freshwater fish thanks to a network of fishermen who operate in different areas of Garda, each specializing in the peculiarities of their own territory: the fish that comes from the different depths of the lake has different textures and sizes, characteristics to be enhanced with great technique and creativity.
The future proposal of the De Lillo-branded NIN will also include the vegetable world, with ingredients from its own zero-impact greenhouses located on the slopes of Mount Baldo. Here, thanks to a natural stream and the presence of dense forests, the chef will draw on herbs, fresh vegetables and small fruits, all of which contribute freshness and authentic flavors to the dishes.
Restaurant NIN, located in a prime location on the Veronese shore of Lake Garda, is the perfect stage for this contemporary cuisine that celebrates the beauty of the land. Chef De Lillo’s proposal will be set in a context that reflects the balance between water, land, and sky, creating an immersive experience that goes beyond mere dining. The goal is clear: to bring forth cuisine that is authentic, sincere, and always on the cutting edge, while maintaining a strong connection to Garda’s roots and gastronomic tradition.
