The Happy Ending comes after a long courtship. After the experience of a first temporary restaurant opened in 2020, Max and Raf Alajmo had been looking for a suitable location in the center of Cortina d’Ampezzo for some time, attracted to the charm of the Queen of the Dolomites and their many friends regular of the place.

In 2022 comes the opportunity to take over the spaces of El Toulà, a magical place perfectly in line with their philosophy of reviving historic and highly charming venues, as had already been done with other restaurants in the group, primarily the Quadri in Venice and the Caffé Stern in Paris.

We thought of a proposal that could, in an Alajmo way, pay homage to the importance that the place has had over the years and what it has represented in the world.

(Max Alajmo)

Created in 1964 by Alfredo Beltrame, an enlightened entrepreneur who gave life to the first true haute cuisine chain in Europe, in a typical Ampezzo house, El Toulà – which means “barn” in Ladin – immediately became the favorite of the protagonists of the international jet-set then, from King Farouk to Gianni Agnelli.

Opened in December 2022 after a skillful restyling, the new restaurant by chef Massimiliano Alajmo, the youngest in the world to have received three Michelin stars for the Le Calandre restaurant in Padua, reinterprets his philosophy in an “Ampezzo” style, paying homage to the times the same spirit of the place.

So on the menu, in addition to Max’s great classics, such as Cappuccino (which here is proposed with Musetto) or fried pizza with raw seafood, we find, for example, the sea bass aspic with fresh caviar, a tribute to 90s, or, to enhance the local raw material, the raw and smoked deer tartare with white truffle or the hot broth served with freshly squeezed vegetable juice and the delicious freshly baked bread that recalls the scents of the mountains.

The kitchen brigade is led by Mattia Barni, in Alajmo since 2014, first at the Quadri restaurant, then for three years alongside Max at Le Calandre, subsequently at Sesamo in Marrakech and finally head of the kitchen at AMO in Venice, while the is impeccably coordinated by Davide Del Re, who also has a long experience in the group.

Even the mise en place is a tribute to the spirit of the Ampezzo houses and their long tradition of parties and dinners with friends with a beautiful collection of antique Richard Ginori, Bernardeau and Limoges porcelain.

The structure is divided into three floors. On the ground floor is the Bar Alfredo, dedicated to Alfredo Beltrame, perfect for an aperitif or an after-dinner drink, while the first and second floors host the small panoramic outdoor terrace with a view of the Dolomites and the main restaurant rooms.

Alajmo Cortina is a place to experience all day long, from lunch to the Après-ski aperitif, from dinner to after-dinner drinks. Book the most requested tables in advance, such as the romantic one for two on the second floor overlooking the valley and the splendid historic center of Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Truly a magical place where the impeccable class and haute cuisine of Max and Raf Alajmo blend perfectly with the bon vivant spirit of Alfredo Beltrame and Guido Nicheli.

The Secret

On the large outdoor terrace located in front of the entrance, you can have a drink or a coffee warming up with blankets from the Venezia Line by Alajmo in boiled wool, which can be purchased together with many other products inside the restaurant.

Useful Info

Alajmo
Località Ronco 123
32043 Cortina d’Ampezzo, Belluno
Tel. +39 0436 061040

Starters: from 22 to 38 euro
First courses: from 26 to 38 euro
Second courses: from 34 to 48 euro