SanBrite

The story

SanBrite: Michelin-Starred Agricucina in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy

The Story of SanBrite

In the hamlet of Alverà, just outside Cortina d'Ampezzo, SanBrite is a restaurant that defies easy labels. Chef Riccardo Gaspari calls it an "agricucina," a kitchen rooted in the land his family has tended for generations. The restaurant holds a Michelin star for its high-quality cooking, an award earned through a deeply personal philosophy: ingredients are created first, and then the dish is composed.

The story begins with Gaspari's grandparents and their barns and animals. His father taught him that work means sacrifice, and that without sacrifice there is no gratification. This ethos drives everything at SanBrite. Gaspari describes his cooking as "transforming the smell of the woods into an experience for the palate and the soul." His inspiration comes from the evocative silence of the mountains, the taste of milk milked that morning, the scent of a pine, and the presence of his goats.

This is modern Alpine cuisine at its most authentic. Gaspari lives close to the woods and his cows, following the rhythm of the seasons. He started again from the beginning, from the raw material, which he insists must be excellent without compromise. The menu changes with what the land provides, and the connection to the source is tangible in every dish. For Gaspari, eating means feeling the mountains—the rough, inspiring taste of the Dolomites that he loves. It was his wife who encouraged him to make cooking his career, and together they have built a restaurant that is both a celebration of heritage and a personal innovation.