The story
Reale earned three Michelin stars in 2026 for its modern cuisine, served at Piana Santa Liberata, 67031, Castel di Sangro. Chef Niko Romito cooks here in a former monastery, and the kitchen doubles as a research laboratory for everything he does.
Romito never trained as a cook. He and his sister Cristiana took over their late father's trattoria in Rivisondoli in 2000, and the restaurant moved to Casadonna in 2011. The third Michelin star followed in November 2014. His method is subtraction: he strips away whatever is superfluous so the ingredient tastes sharper. The World's 50 Best Restaurants ranked Reale 18th in 2025.
Dish names stay plain. Swiss chard, courgette or cauliflower appear depending on the season, and each carries far more than the name suggests. One course is a single broccoli leaf with anise sauce. Another is lamb with sheep milk and cinnamon sauce. The current tasting menu also lists spaghetti with chard, almond ravioli in woodland broth, and trout with almond and bay leaf. Bread is treated as a course of its own, the result of years of work on flours and fermentation.
The 16th century building sits in the Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, with white stone, rough walls and art and photography on the walls. Cristiana Romito runs the dining room as maître d'hôtel, and the service is meant to be present but discreet. Ten guest rooms share the building, and the estate includes an experimental vineyard of mostly Pecorino.
Recognition
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History
Exceptional cuisine
Modern Italian minimalism:Reale places huge emphasis on the world of plants, with a cuisine style that looks to leave guests in awe – succeeding with nearly every mouthful. The food is the result of profound technical research: for each ingredient, all possible nuances are dissected to find the optimum potential for its combination. The minimalism on the plate belies the complexity of flavour at play. With dishes like ‘Swiss Chard’, ‘Courgette’, and ‘Cauliflower’ (depending on the time of year), there is much more beyond their modest names.] Don’t skip the bread:The same attention is devoted to bread. At Reale, it’s not just as an accompaniment, but an individual course in its own right. Over the years, chef Niko Romito has carried out lengthy studies on fermentation, flours – ancient Saragolla wheat is the secret here – and dough’s molecular composition. The result is a bread that has become the benchmark for its category. Standout dishes:Courses, such as the lamb with sheep milk and cinnamon sauce, are designed to challenge the palate and senses. Its course of a singular broccoli leaf, served simply with an anise sauce, demonstrates the power and scope of Romito’s minimalist vision and scientific precision. Historic building:Housed in a 16th century monastery surrounded by greenery, Reale is the beating heart of the Niko Romito ‘system’, a laboratory where research is carried out every day to create new dishes, as well as to offer continuous training for the restaurant staff.
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