At a glance
- What? Nadia Santini, chef of Dal Pescatore in Runate, Lombardy, died during the night of 1 to 2 November 2026. Her family announced the news on social media.
- Her age: 72, based on the most widely published date of birth, 19 July 1954.
- Her place: in 1996 she became the first Italian woman chef to earn three Michelin stars.
- The restaurant: three stars since 1996, which the MICHELIN Guide describes as a record in Italy.
- What next: her sons Giovanni, in the kitchen, and Alberto, in the dining room, work there full time, alongside Giovanni’s wife, Valentina.
Nadia Santini joined the Dal Pescatore family in 1974. Twenty-two years later, this former family inn on the Po plain received its third Michelin star, and it has kept it ever since. The restaurant is still run by the Santini family, in the Oglio park.
The family’s message, Monday 2 November
The family announced her death in a few lines: “Nadia, surrounded by her dearest ones, fell asleep in peace and has gone up to heaven. She traced a deep furrow in our lives, turned towards Sensitivity, Empathy and Love. We are grateful to her for raising us in moral rigour, the ethics of work and simplicity. Thank you Nadia, thank you Mum.” (our translation)
The same day, the Veneto Region, where she came from, paid tribute to her. “With Nadia Santini we lose a leading figure of international cuisine,” said its president, Alberto Stefani, adding: “Beyond the accolades, her example remains.”
From San Pietro Mussolino to Runate in 1974
Nadia Santini came from San Pietro Mussolino, in the province of Vicenza. The most widely published date of birth, 19 July 1954, makes her 72; the Veneto Region’s statement says 73, without giving a date. In 1974 she married Antonio Santini, heir to the restaurant. The Dal Pescatore website recalls their honeymoon in France, at the tables of Paul Bocuse, the Troisgros and the Haeberlins.
That trip changed the house. Back in Runate, the couple rethought the dining rooms: more space between tables, more glass, a direct dialogue with the garden. “Staying true to Italy, in our hearts and on our plates” was how Nadia Santini summed it up on the restaurant’s website. She took her place in the kitchen beside her mother-in-law, Bruna, while Antonio ran the dining room.
1982, 1988, 1996: the three stars of Runate
The first Michelin star came in 1982, the second in 1988. Dal Pescatore joined Relais & Châteaux in 1990, then Les Grandes Tables du Monde in 1992. In 1996, Nadia Santini became the first Italian woman chef to earn three stars.
The MICHELIN Guide entry speaks of a record in Italy for these three stars held since 1996. The 2026 Italy guide listed the restaurant among its 15 three-star tables, and in July the house announced that its new 2026 Michelin plaque had arrived.
Pumpkin tortelli and petit-gris snails
The cooking at Dal Pescatore remains rooted in the Po plain and its countryside, between Mantua, Cremona and Brescia. Its classics include pumpkin tortelli with amaretti, mostarda and nutmeg, agnoli in chicken broth, and petit-gris snails with herb and sweet garlic sauce. The MICHELIN Guide notes dishes that have stayed on the menu for decades, roasts and braises of meat from Cascina Runate, and a Marsala zabaione among the desserts.
Why the Chef Mentore award in 2022?
In November 2021, the MICHELIN Guide Italy gave her the 2022 Chef Mentore award and highlighted the way she supported young cooks. She told the story of a discouraged 21-year-old trainee, whom she taught three dishes before finding him places in other restaurants. “Dining is a human encounter”, she said at the time. She described herself as patient and tolerant, with one exception: indolence.
Four generations of Santinis in Runate
The restaurant began in the 1920s, when Antonio Santini and Teresa Mazzi opened a small tavern, “Vino e Pesce”, serving river fish and their own Lambrusco. It took the name Dal Pescatore in 1970. The fourth generation is already at work: Giovanni in the kitchen since 1996, Alberto in the dining room since 2000, and Giovanni’s wife, Valentina, since 2007. “Alberto, Giovanni and Valentina are the present and the future of the restaurant”, the house writes in its history.
12 November: the 72nd Italy guide
The MICHELIN Guide Italy will unveil its 72nd edition on 12 November in Piacenza. It will be the first selection since Nadia Santini’s death; as of 5 November, the restaurant’s entry still shows its three stars. For more on fine dining, see the four chefs in the running for Chef of the Year 2027 and Anne-Sophie Pic at the Fondation Cartier.
| Restaurant | Dal Pescatore |
| Location | Runate 15, Canneto sull’Oglio, province of Mantua |
| Origins | 1920s, “Vino e Pesce” tavern |
| Current name | since 1970 |
| Michelin stars | 1982, 1988, 1996 |
| Memberships | Relais & Châteaux (1990), Les Grandes Tables du Monde (1992) |
| Michelin award | Chef Mentore 2022 |
| In the kitchen | Giovanni Santini |
| In the dining room | Antonio and Alberto Santini, Valentina |
Information verified on 5 November 2026. Sources: history of Dal Pescatore, MICHELIN Guide entry, MICHELIN Guide Italy, 2022 award, MICHELIN Guide Italy, Piacenza ceremony, Veneto Region, statement no. 1930 of 2 November 2026.
