TL;DR
Paolo Lopriore, chef of Il Portico in Appiano Gentile, has won the 2026 Bob Noto Award. The jury selected him for his dedication to a personal, distinctive culinary vision; the award was presented in Turin during Buonissima.
Paolo Lopriore, chef of Il Portico in Appiano Gentile, has won the 2026 Bob Noto Award, an honor recognizing his distinctive approach to contemporary gastronomy. The award was presented at La Centrale Nuvola Lavazza in Turin during the sixth edition of Buonissima, whose programme brings chefs and other figures from international gastronomy to the city through October 25.
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The jury chose Lopriore for this year’s theme, “Passion.” Its citation pointed to his dedication to his own gastronomic vision, the consistency of his culinary language and his willingness to pursue that approach without conforming to trends. The panel was chaired by Antonella Fassio, Bob Noto’s wife, and included chefs Ferran Adrià and Paolo Griffa, publisher Marco Bolasco, Sara Peirone of LEA Projects & Communication, and Buonissima artistic directors Matteo Baronetto, Stefano Cavallito and Luca Iaccarino.
Lopriore accepted a statuette depicting Noto in his signature pop-art style. He called the award “one of the two most important of my career” and recalled winning the Pellegrino Artusi Award in 2020. He said that recognition helped him see his work as mattering more to culture than to rankings. The report describes him as one of Gualtiero Marchesi’s best-known students and an interpreter of contemporary gastronomy.
The award presentation took place as part of a wider Turin festival involving restaurants, traditional trattorias and arts venues. A dinner in honor of Lopriore and Bob Noto is scheduled at Del Cambio, with cooking by Alessandro Procopio of D’O, Alberto Fluttero of AL and Del Cambio resident chef Francesco Rovai. The report also lists an opening dinner at Palazzo Madama featuring ten chefs.
Recognition Beyond Restaurant Rankings
The award recognizes a chef for the character and consistency of his work, rather than placing him in a restaurant ranking. That distinction reflects Lopriore’s own account of the 2020 Pellegrino Artusi Award: he said it led him to see his work as having greater importance to culture than to rankings. The jury’s 2026 decision similarly centers on his individual culinary language and his commitment to it.
For readers following Italian and international gastronomy, the result also connects a chef’s work to a broader public programme. Buonissima is using the award and its accompanying dinner to bring restaurant cooking into a festival setting alongside Turin’s cultural venues. The award itself, however, recognizes Lopriore; it is not a ranking of the participating restaurants.
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A Prize Shaped by Passion
The Bob Noto Award is named for Turin-based food lover Bob Noto, who died in 2017. Each year’s edition has a theme. Lopriore’s win follows honors for Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz for “Irreverence” in 2021; Massimiliano and Raffaele Alajmo of Le Calandre for “Irony” in 2022; René Redzepi of Noma for “Creativity” in 2023; Mariella Organi of La Madonnina del Pescatore for “Empathy” in 2024; and Alain Passard of Arpège for “Talent” in 2025.
Lopriore was born in the Como area and learned from his mother, Rosa, before joining Gualtiero Marchesi after culinary school. His career also included work at Enoteca Pinchiorri, in France and Norway, and at L’Albereta with Enrico Crippa, before he returned to the Como area. He is now chef at Il Portico in Appiano Gentile.
““Every chef is unique and inimitable, but not all are driven by the burning awareness that they have a mission. That is passion.””
— The Bob Noto Award jury
Details Beyond the Award
The award result and the jury’s stated reasoning are reported, but the available account does not give further detail on the selection process, such as whether there were other nominees or how the panel reached its decision. It also does not provide a full schedule or practical details for the Del Cambio dinner. The festival programme is available through Buonissima’s website, according to the report.
Buonissima’s Turin Programme
The festival continues in Turin through October 25, with events at restaurants and arts venues. A dinner honoring Lopriore and Noto is planned at Del Cambio, alongside other activities featuring chefs from Italy and abroad. The source report does not specify the dinner date or confirm whether any programme details have changed, so attendees should consult Buonissima’s published schedule for current information.
Key Questions
Who won the 2026 Bob Noto Award?
Paolo Lopriore, chef of Il Portico in Appiano Gentile, won the 2026 award.
Why did the jury choose Lopriore?
The jury said his work reflected the theme of “Passion”, citing his dedication to his own gastronomic vision, a consistent culinary language and an approach that does not follow trends.
Where was the award presented?
It was presented at La Centrale Nuvola Lavazza in Turin during the sixth edition of Buonissima.
Who was Bob Noto?
Bob Noto was a Turin-based food lover who died in 2017. The award named in his honor recognizes figures in gastronomy through an annual theme.
What happens after the award presentation?
Buonissima continues through October 25. A dinner honoring Lopriore and Noto is planned at Del Cambio, but the source report does not give its date.
Source: rss
