The restaurant is situated in the nature reserve of the Oglio Sud park in a village with 36 inhabitants, inside an elegant country house with the dining and sitting rooms encircled by the greenery of the gardens. In summer, the restaurant service takes place outside on the veranda overlooking the garden, where it is possible to spend some peaceful, delightful moments. The cuisine is overseen by Nadia and Giovanni Santini, and features both classic and avant-garde dishes. Naturally a philosophy for cuisine can only be built up over a long period; Antonio and Nadia Santini started from their family tradition in creating their gastronomic wonderland. Later contacts with colleagues from other regions and other countries (especially France and the Americas) have brought about some variations allowing them to reach a new balance between tradition and innovation. Priority is given to quality, their link with their surroundings, and expression of their creativity. There is a growing synthesis of style: the cuisine now offered by "dal Pescatore" passes from the methods used by Antonio's mother to Nadia's new sensitivity. There are still strong links with tradition, but their style is independent, avoiding any sort of stagnation in a fixed and inopportune eternity but reaching unique balance and harmony. The dishes prepared at "dal Pescatore" are generally derived from family traditions or testimonials collected in the vicinity. The recipes are almost always adapted to the times: "tortelli di zucca" are now served with less butter and less parmesan cheese to appreciate the ingredients, returning to their flavours which are clear and linear. At present there is special attention to the dietetic aspect of food, traditional cuisine is being adapted to new nutritional systems and a new lifestyle which have a subtle but decisive influence on the recipes without destroying their original appeal. The preparation of a dish so that its flavours can be enjoyed in their totality, without stealing their harmony, also means using light products which do not, however, make it too informal or out of the ordinary. This is a considerable balancing act, absolutely necessary to give our dishes a modern up-to-date identity. HISTORY: The restaurant was opened in 1925 by Teresa Mazzi, born in Brazil to Italian parents, and Antonio Santini who worked as a professional fisherman on the river Oglio. At the outset it was a simple tavern built of ditch reeds and some bricks on the banks of a pond currently part of the nature reserve of the Oglio Sud park. The year 1927 saw the birth of Giovanni who contributed to the life of the country tavern as a fishmonger and later on as a cook. In 1952, Giovanni married Bruna who worked alongside Teresa in the kitchen; the years passed and customer demand changed. The tables began to be set with white tablecloths and cloth napkins. The tavern was called “Vino e Pesce”. Only in 1960 would it become “Dal Pescatore”. In the year 1953, Antonio was born, who went on to study political science in Milan, married Nadia in 1974, and began his adventure in the world of gastronomy with a honeymoon in France to become acquainted with and understand the work philosophy of renowned French restaurants. A new phase of great changes began, affecting both the organisation of the restaurant and the layout of the kitchen. In 1980, along with Gaetano Martini , Roberto Ferrari, Franco Colombani and other friends, Antonio founded the Linea Italia association, and then in 1982 with Gualtiero Marchesi and other famous colleagues, the association, Le Soste, with the aim of enhancing Italian cooking and making it known all over the world. In 1990, the restaurant became part of Relais & Chateaux as a Relais Gourmand, and in 1992 a member of Tradition & Qualité , now Les Grandes Tables du Monde The chance to know more, travel and discover, plus the appreciation of Guests , of critics and Gastronomic guides have led the restaurant to national and international success. The late 1990s and early 2000s began to see the active participation of Giovanni Santini (born in 1976 and in the kitchen since 1996) and Alberto Santini (born in 1983 and attending guests in the dining area since 2000). Both Giovanni and Alberto chose to complement their work experience in the restaurant with university training. Alberto chose economics while Giovanni studied food science and technology with Valentina, his wife, who has worked in the dining area of the Pescatore with Alberto and Antonio since September 2007. Change and a spirit of innovation have constantly distinguished the restaurant, and the entire family has always been fully involved in its running to fulfil guests’ expectations on their arrival at the Pescatore. -Ristorante Internazionale Guida-
