Can you briefly remind us of your career path?
Roberto Fani. – I am originally from Umbria, where I first studied at the hotel school before starting out on my own and learning in my own kitchens. When I was 20, I opened my first restaurant with a pastry chef friend. We soon made a name for ourselves on the emerging gastronomic scene and we kept this establishment for 10 years, before bringing it to the beautiful town of Terni, where I stayed until 2014. During those years I also did some consulting in different countries, and that’s what brought me to Luxembourg to open the Divino restaurant. I was only supposed to stay 6 months… You know the rest! We had the opportunity to open Ristorante Fani, with a first star in 2018…"
What is your state of mind just after your second Gault&Millau Chef of the Year title?
"To be really honest, I am still very surprised. Pleasantly surprised, of course! As you know, when a chef or a restaurant is asked to speak at the Gault&Millau gala dinner, it is often synonymous with good news during the ceremony that precedes it. I was hoping it would be for our 17/20 rating, but I really didn’t expect to get that second title! So it was a great day for us, with these 2 achievements in the end. I say 'we' because it’s obviously a team effort on a daily basis, with long hours and a lot of investment. If the role of the chef is obviously to instil a virtuous work atmosphere conducive to success, I would not be able to be here today if I were not surrounded by the right people, in the kitchen as well as in the dining room. All this, along with a common philosophy and a permanent curiosity that continues to live in me, is what allows us to make this whole journey together."
What’s the latest on the menu at Fani?
"The seasonal menu will be changing in the next 3 weeks, but I’m especially looking forward to launching the new tasting menu at the very beginning of November, as it remains one of the main reasons why our clientele comes and returns to us. With always this theme of crossing the seas before arriving at dry land… Vegetables, fish and shellfish before the meats that I like. We also spend a lot of time working on the vegetal menu, which becomes more and more successful with each new season. And then it’s the beginning of the incomparable white truffle, so it will naturally have its place in one of our new dishes…”
Finally, who would you like to cook with for a day?
"Three years ago, I had the chance to cook with the chef Andoni Luis Aduriz of the Mugaritz restaurant. For me, he is one of the world’s great references in gastronomy, and I am sure that he is even more incredible after 3 years. So I would be very happy to repeat the experience!
Ristorante Fani: 51, Grand-Rue, Roeser, T. 26 65 06 60
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