FEDERICO ZANASI: EXCITING, INFORMAL FINE DINING, TO BE SHARED AT CONDIVIDERE

The career of Emilian Chef Federico Zanasi's career has been marked by a series of unforgettable experiences alongside some of the brightest stars on the Italian and international culinary stage. After a decade of direct collaboration with Moreno Cedroni, the chef who introduced an avant-garde spirit to Italian cuisine, Zanasi continued his professional journey in the role of head chef at the Hotel Principe Delle.

Nevi in Cervinia, Aosta Valley. However, it was his training at elBullifoundation alongside Ferran Adrià that honed his ability to create dishes that would flawlessly blend innovation and tradition. His cuisine is based on an in-depth study of Italian ingredients, a passion for storytelling through food, and a relentless pursuit of excellence, which earned him the title of 'Sous Chef of the Year' in 2011.

In 2014, the renowned food critic Bob Noto shared an insight with the Lavazza family and Ferran Adrià: ‘What Torino lacks is a restaurant like Barcelona’s Tickets, an example of haute cuisine that is also accessible to everyone, fun and informal’. As a result of that meeting, the restaurant Condividere opened four years later as an homage to the quest for fine flavours, elegance, and the sharing its name alludes to, with its kitchen in the trusted hands of Federico Zanasi. 

If Zanasi is the orchestra conductor of a menu whose storytelling consists of the sequence of dishes, which are in no need of explanation, Ferran Adrià is the inspiration and the brains behind the venue, with spaces and immersive, dreamlike décor were designed by Oscar-winner Dante Ferretti. 

Set in the Nuvola Lavazza headquarters, the restaurant is much more than a place to dine. An atmosphere suspended between dreams and reality - urban, colourful, and welcoming - where guests can feel at ease and enjoy not just the dishes, which are served ‘tapas style, for sharing’, but also the pleasure of spending time together.

Surprise: this is the first feeling that greets guests when they cross the threshold. Set and costume designer Dante Ferretti created a space where different styles live in harmony, from an industrial look to cartoon graffiti and even metal lacework, which transforms the industrial materials into an ornate, Baroque pattern with a touch of the Middle East. Heightening the setting’s spectacular effect is the wall of clocks, Maestro Ferretti’s tribute to the 21st century’s most valuable asset: time.

Taking its cue from the rituals of Spanish cuisine, the menu on offer is the result of a tasting journey that centres the entire experience on aspects like conviviality and sharing a fusion of traditional recipes, creativity and modern techniques.

At round tables or at a counter where diners can view the kitchen as they eat, guests enjoy one morsel after another, with a little taste of Emilia, a little of Spain, of Piedmont, and of the future. Chef Zanasi and his staff invite us to revel along a path through genius and decadence, playfulness and remembrance, for an exciting experience to be relished and shared. 

It all begins with an amuse-bouche that conveys the history of the restaurant: ‘Parmesan ice cream’, with sweet and sour notes of mead, a fermented honey-based drink. This is one of Ferran Adrià’s most famous recipes originating from the kitchen of elBulli, and it is also an homage to the Turin photographer and food critic Bob Noto, who passed away in 2017 and whose idea inspired Condividere.

To follow, there are three tasting menus to choose from, each fully expressing the unique identity of the restaurant: ‘Classici’, ‘Festival’, and ‘Gran Festival’.

The ‘Classici’ menu offers up the establishment’s iconic and historic creations, like the ‘Mulassano sandwich’, a savoury meringue filled with crab and Capricciosa salad, and dishes which represent Ferran Adrià’s eclectic style, like the ‘elBulli spherical olive’, a sphere containing a highly concentrated olive flavour, bursting in the mouth. But it also includes creations with Federico Zanasi’s unmistakable signature, like the ‘Tigella Modenese’, a traditional local flatbread filled with cunza, a typical Emilian paste with a base of lard, rosemary, and garlic. In the middle, meanwhile, the ‘Festival’ menu is an exploration of the classic and the contemporary, with dishes such as the ‘Potato air baguette with marinated beef’ or the ‘Oyster Cold Brew’, a pearl in a cold coffee rich with aromatic properties. Finally, ‘Gran Festival’ is nothing short of a joyful celebration of delicious dishes. Some evoke nostalgia, like the chickpea farinata transformed into gofri, which are wafers with a neutral taste, a Piedmontese street food developed in the late 19th century, inspired by French waffles. Other recipes on this menu transport diners to far-flung corners of the globe, like the ‘Piedmontese Katsu Sando’, a fusion of Japanese and western cuisine.