Review
Set in the hills above Ventimiglia, Casa Buono is run by chef Antonio Buono and his wife Valentina. Opened in 2020, the restaurant is closely connected to Valentina’s family and the surrounding Roja Valley, where her grandmother Rita worked the land and her great-aunt Ines ran a restaurant nearby.
Originally from Naples, Antonio trained in several renowned kitchens, including Mirazur, where he eventually became chef. In 2017, he won the S.Pellegrino Young Chef competition for France.
His cooking draws on Liguria and the Mediterranean, with much of the produce coming from the family’s terraces and countryside around the restaurant, including their own olive oil. The Michelin star followed in 2023. It is well worth the trip into the hills from the coast.