Antica Corte Pallavicina

The story

Antica Corte Pallavicina – Michelin-Starred Country Cooking in Cremona, Italy

Antica Corte Pallavicina, Polesine Parmense

On the banks of the Po River, in the heart of the Bassa Parmense, Antica Corte Pallavicina is a restaurant and relais that embodies the deep traditions of this fertile land. The Spigaroli family’s roots here run deep: their great-grandfather was a sharecropper on the estate of Giuseppe Verdi, and the memory of that connection to the land and its produce is woven into everything they do.

Chef Massimo Spigaroli, who owns the restaurant alongside his brother Luciano, defines his cooking as "gastrofluviale" – a celebration of the river and its territory. The cuisine is built on ingredients grown in the restaurant’s own vegetable garden, elevating the ancient traditions of the Po Valley with a modern sensibility. This refined yet deeply local approach to country cooking has earned Antica Corte Pallavicina a Michelin star every year since 2011.

The dining room itself sets the tone: a glass wall opens onto the Po, just meters away. Fireplaces warm the space, and the atmosphere is one of quiet, understated elegance. The wine list is a point of pride, with a cellar that reflects the family’s long-standing passion for great bottles. The Spigarolis have been ambassadors for Krug Champagne since 2014, and the restaurant hosts annual Champagne Experiences dedicated to Krug and Dom Pérignon.

For those who want to go deeper, Antica Corte Pallavicina offers cooking classes and access to the Museo del Culatello, a tribute to the prized cured ham that is the emblem of this region. The modern cuisine here never strays far from its roots – it is a confident, generous expression of the land by the great river.