A culinary revolution is blooming in Sicily’s Aeolian archipelago, where ancient volcanic soil meets contemporary gastronomy. At Green and Red Michelin Star I Tenerumi, Chef Davide Guidara is rewriting the rules of Mediterranean cuisine, proving that vegetables deserve center stage. His audacious choice to champion the islands’ first vegetarian fine dining restaurant has not only earned him prestigious Michelin accolades but sparked a movement that’s changing how we think about plant-based cuisine.
By GIOVANNA G. BONOMO
Photography GIOVANNI PULIAFITO
February, 2025
Embodying the modern evolution of Mediterranean cuisine, Guidara’s journey began in Cerreto Sannita, Campania. “My first memory is definitely associated with the various vegetables, preserved in oil and vinegar, that my grandmother would always bring to the Sunday lunch table,” Guidara recalls of his childhood. “Having grandparents who were farmers significantly influenced my culinary vision. I remember my grand- father picking chicory, crushing tomatoes, squeezing lemon over them, and giving it to me to eat.” This early connection to the land would prove prophetic. “I don’t think I can identify the exact moment when cooking became my calling,” Guidara reflects, “but as a child, I loved creating and inventing things. I was always attracted to scientific subjects, especially chemistry as a teenager, and I think cooking became my channel to concentrate and combine everything.” The Forbes 30 under 30s meteoric rise in the culinary world began at the remarkably young age of 23. After honing his craft under culinary luminaries including Nino Di Costanzo, Alfonso Iaccarino, and Michel Bras, it was his transformative experience at René Redzepi’s Noma in Copenhagen that helped shape his distinctive approach.
These formative years exposed him to advanced techniques in fermentation, preservation, and the creative potential of local ingredients. Yet becoming a chef wasn’t always his plan. “I must admit that initially, at 23, I didn’t want to become a chef – I still wanted to do more apprenticeships,” Guidara admits. “The biggest challenge I faced was definitely people’s skepticism. I was very young, and many people doubted me, but fortunately, I slowly managed to convince them.” Guidara’s early career at the Eolian in Milazzo marked him as a rising star, but it was at SUM in Catania where his unique culinary voice began to emerge.
Here, Guidara developed a philosophy centered on three core principles: flavor supremacy, essentiality, and a deep understanding of Mediterranean evolution. “The Mediterranean cuisine is evolving, and we young chefs are bridging centuries of tradition with global techniques and modern vision, steering our culinary heritage into tomorrow.” The culmination of this philos- ophy finds its home at I Tenerumi, the first vegetarian restaurant on Sicily’s Vulcano Island, which earned both a Michelin star and a Green Star in rapid succession. The restaurant’s name, referring to the tender shoots of the Sicilian zucchini leaves, perfectly encapsulates Guidara’s approach: elevating humble, local ingredients to extraordinary heights.
The impact of I Tenerumi extends beyond its Michelin success. Located within Leading Hotels of the World Therasia Resort, the restaurant has become a culinary destination that proves fine dining can be both environ- mentally conscious and gastronomically exceptional. Each evening, as diners gather in the elegant dining room overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, they experience more than a meal – they participate in Guidara’s vision of sus- tainable luxury. What sets I Tenerumi apart is not just its vegetable-focused menu, but its comprehensive approach to sustainability. The restaurant operates with a garden-to-table philosophy, utilizing the unique volcanic terroir to grow ingredients that capture the essence of the island. “The garden influences the restaurant – we often remove dishes in favor of others.
For example, last year we had a problem with eggplants and didn’t serve them all summer. The volcanic soil provides stronger salinity to my products. As you can imagine, water on Vulcano is rationed, so we need to be very careful with its use. This means vegetables sometimes live with little water, making them more intense in terms of taste.” Cook More Plants isn’t an anti-meat trend, it serves as both a culinary framework and a broader movement. It’s not simply about excluding meat; rather, it’s a celebration of the plant kingdom’s vast potential. Under Guidara’s guidance, vegetables are transformed through innovative tech- niques including fermentation, aging, and creative preservation methods. The result is a dining experience that challenges preconceptions about vegetarian cuisine.
I Tenerumi made history as the first vegetarian restaurant on Isola di Vulcano, and quickly earned botha Michelin star and a Green Star. What inspired you to take such a bold direction?
DAVIDE GUIDARA: There are two factors that influenced my choice. The first is purely ethical – the world is entering a new phase of awareness, so I believe it’s appropriate to serve cuisine that reflects these changes, oriented toward the future and new generations. The other factor is purely professional and I would say competitive – when the idea for Tenerumi was born, many of my colleagues advised against starting this journey because they believed vegetarian cuisine would never be seen as more than second-rate cooking, and this sparked a sense of challenge in me.
Could you share the story behind the restaurant’s name I Tenerumi and its significance to your culinary philosophy?