In Este, opposite the Carrarese Castle, Incàlmo is a fine dining restaurant that perfectly blends London savoir-faire, Italian genius, Brazilian creativity and furnishings conceived by Gio Ponti who, in the 1960s, entirely designed the Hotel Beatrice that houses the restaurant.
You understand that you are in front of something special when you cross the threshold of the restaurant and spot a row of original chandeliers from the 1960s designed by Carlo Scarpa for Venini and are welcomed by the owners Michele Carretta, from Milan, and Ricardo Scacchetti, from Brazil.
To fully understand all the magic of Incàlmo, we have to take a step back, when in the post-war period Michele’s grandfather, the entrepreneur and patron-of-arts Giovanni Stocchetti left Este to make his fortune in Milan. Remaining tied to his origins, in 1966 he inaugurated “a hotel that will be the pride and glory of my native city”: the Hotel Beatrice which will become one of its symbols.
Like two plants that unite to give light to a stronger and more resistant one, new ideas and new creations sprout at our table, which are contaminated by our past experiences.
In 2018, having the previous management left, the family found themselves having to decide what future to give to the structure and asked Michele, who in the meantime was following a food delivery start up in London, to return to Italy to manage it.
Michele came to our country for an inspection and fell in love with an idea: to revive his grandfather’s ambitious vision to make the hotel a point of reference in the region and beyond, perhaps starting from what he does best (given his past as a chef): starting a project of high cuisine.
To do so, he relied on “his” dream team. He asked for help from his current partner Ricardo, who met in London, a marketing manager and sommelier, with whom he now shares the responsibility of the hospitality management, and in the kitchen he called his former colleague chef Leonardo Zanon, who met when they worked together at Heinz Beck at the Lanesborough Hotel in London who, in turn, involved chef Francesco Massenz who he shared with its Belluno origins and a complementary gastronomic vision.
Thus, in 2020 they opened Incàlmo which in Venetian dialect means “graft”. For the large room that opens onto a terrace with a view of Este Castle, Michele and Ricardo draw on the precious furniture they find in the Hotel, miraculously still all perfectly preserved since its opening.
Gio Ponti, one of the most significant masters of architecture of the 20th century, had, in fact, designed everything for the Hotel Beatrice down to the smallest decoration, as can be seen from the reception, the boiserie, or the American bar of the building, all in the unmistakable style of the Milanese designer.
This is why, in addition to the Superleggere chairs designed by Gio Ponti himself for Cassina in 1955, at Incàlmo we find furnishings by his designer “friends” of the time, such as the D154 chest of drawers by Carlo de Carli from 1963 or the Arco lamps by Pier Giacomo Castiglioni and Achille Castiglioni for Flos from 1962, combined with various objects by Este Ceramiche, one of the oldest manufacturers in Europe.
Once you are seated, expect a very special evening, because Michele and Ricardo, in the dining room, and Francesco and Leonardo, in the kitchen, are totally focused on making you live the most pleasant experience possible, pampering you throughout the dinner.
Francesco and Leonardo’s cuisine is international in scope and very elegant, that loves to work with noble and local seasonal ingredients to create dishes that play with opposites: flavors, consistencies, acidity, aromas, with recognizable but never predictable tastes, strong in a technique learned during their past experiences together, in particular Agli Amici in Udine and Dolada in Puos d’Alpago where they met.
From the Tartelletta with thyme mayonnaise, black pepper and crispy brewer’s yeast to the Fagottelli pasta stuffed with ossobuco and gremolada sauce to the toasted San Pietro fish, nantua sauce with mushrooms and chard, the tasting menu – with a choice between the Bocciolo and the Bacello, with 5 or 7 courses respectively – will surely enchant you.
Ricardo will take care of the perfect pairings, as he curates the wine list, composed of small wineries that he personally visits and with which he loves to establish a collaborative relationship and great international labels.
And if the evening flows pleasantly long, the Hotel Beatrice awaits you, just perfect, located in the heart of the Euganean Hills, to go and discover the next day the nearby Padua and Venice and all their wonders.
Grandpa Giovanni would be very, very proud of this incredible team because Incàlmo has already become “the pride and glory” of the entire Veneto.
The Secret
Together with the Hotel Beatrice, Giovanni Stocchetti also opened the Gigipipa tavern in 1966, which took its name from the initials of his great-grandchildren. The tavern hosted the most important social events of those years before becoming a pizzeria. It is precisely by using the wood-fired oven of the old pizzeria that the exquisite Incàlmo bread is prepared with sourdough. If you leave any, as well as breadsticks, Incàlmo has created a special paper bag with which you can take them home and enjoy them the next day.
Useful Info
Incàlmo Ristorante
Viale Rimembranze 1
35042 Este, Padova
Tel. +39 0429 1761472
Tasting menus: from 75 euro, wine pairing 50 euro
À la carte: two courses: 55 euro, three courses: 70 euro, four courses: 85 euro
