Paolo Griffa was born in 1991 in Piedmont, a hilly region in North-West Italy, bordering with France. The land of white truffles and Barolo wine, where the gastronomic culture is rich and strong, and that has certainly been the first source of inspiration for Paolo. Griffa trained in some of the best restaurants in the world, such as Combal Zero** and Piccolo Lago** in Italy, Le Chateaubriand*, Septime* and Serge Vieira** in France, Studio* and in Copenhagen. In 2015, he won the San Pellegrino Young chef award for Italy and, in 2017, he took part to the Italian Selection of the Bocuse d’Or, just before becoming the chef of Petit Royal restaurant in Courmayeur, at the foot of Mont Blanc, awarded with a Michelin star 2 years later.
In March 2021 Paolo has been awarded by Forbes among the 100 most influential Italians Under 30 in Italy.
In August 2022 Paolo’s dream of having his own restaurant finally came true and he moved to Aosta, a pretty town surrounded by the Alps, to open his “Paolo Griffa al Caffè Nazionale”, that was awarded its first Michelin star in November 2022, only 3 months after opening. “Paolo Griffa al Caffè Nazionale” is one of the most technological restaurants in Italy, curiously located in one of the oldest restaurants in the Aosta region, a place full of history that has always been the cultural, social and gourmand heart of the city, but that has been closed for years, before Paolo has decided to give it a new life.
Since 1886, therefore for over 150 years, the restaurant overlooks the main square of Aosta, and today it enjoys a unique layout, respectful to the historicity of the place and intended to tell the story of the territory, its heritage, its history and its extraordinary growth through the furnishings, the atmosphere and the food.
The main dining room is a chapel from the 1300s, where a careful restoration has brought to light ancient frescoes, precious floors, and boiserie. Even a portion of the Ancient Roman Forum was brought to light during the works in the basement. The Aosta Valley is more than ever a source of resources, ideas, excellence and inspiration for Paolo Griffa and his team, who stand as contemporary ambassadors of the uniqueness of local raw materials, leading to the rediscovery of traditional recipes and taking guests to a virtual journey throughout the region, its history and its culture.
“Paolo Griffa al Caffè Nazionale” is the first haute cuisine restaurant and patisserie in Italy to use a capillary system of supervision and monitoring of all equipment. The technology guarantees the reduction of the environmental impact by monitoring consumption and energy and thermal flows, with the aim of eliminating energy waste and rationalizing consumption. Griffa’s signature cooking is always creative, ironic, and joyful: a hymn to the Aosta Valley in all seasons, to its peculiarities, its history and its future. The menu is a sequence of pungent accords and contrasting flavours, declined through generous, stimulating and unexpected dishes that are always designed with precision, ethics and aesthetics, where Paolo is able to link the search for authentic flavors to his desire to intrigue and surprise.