GLAM achieves three forks in Italy’s most prestigious restaurant guide

The pursuit of culinary excellence demands a particular kind of devotion, one that transcends the simple mechanics of cooking and extends into the realm of philosophy. At GLAM, situated within the palatial grandeur of Palazzo Venart in Venice, this commitment to an elevated vision has crystallised into recognition from Gambero Rosso, Italy’s most authoritative gastronomic arbiter. The award of three forks, accompanied by a score of 90/100 in the Ristoranti d’Italia 2027 guide, represents not merely a validation of technique, but an affirmation of an entire philosophy of hospitality and culinary expression.

Chef Donato Ascani’s kitchen operates as a space of perpetual inquiry, where research and experimentation form the bedrock upon which his vision unfolds. Each plate emerging from these environs carries the intellectual rigour of someone engaged in genuine culinary dialogue, rather than the mere recitation of established forms. This is cooking that thinks, that questions, that evolves with each service.

Yet such distinction rarely emerges from the kitchen alone. The dining room at GLAM functions as an extension of the chef’s intention, a realm where each guest is received with an attentiveness that borders on the intuitive. Those who guide the evening’s progression do so with a sensitivity that transforms a meal into something altogether more layered and personal. There exists in such service a kind of grace that cannot be taught, only cultivated through genuine care.

A Collective Endeavour

What distinguishes establishments of true excellence from those merely accomplished is their recognition that greatness emerges from collective effort rather than singular genius. GLAM’s achievement belongs equally to those whose labour operates beyond the gaze of the dining room, those who ensure that every element of the experience functions with seamless precision. The infrastructure of hospitality, often invisible, is nonetheless essential.

Venice itself nourishes this establishment in ways both tangible and ineffable. The city’s particular atmosphere, its labyrinthine beauty and historical resonance, seeps into the consciousness of those who work within its confines. To be situated within such a setting, within the dignified interiors of Palazzo Venart, is to exist within a kind of continuum stretching back through centuries of Venetian civilisation. This is not merely geography; it is context that colours every interaction.

The recognition from Gambero Rosso validates what those who have experienced GLAM already understand: that there exists here a genuine commitment to the possibility of improvement, to the notion that perfection remains always just beyond reach, perpetually worthy of pursuit. This is the mentality that separates the merely accomplished from the truly distinguished, the establishment that performs excellence from one that genuinely embodies it.

Imagery courtesy of GLAM (@glam.venezia).