Chef Stefano Giovannetti at Il Borro Dubai

Welcome to a new episode of Behind the Pass, a series dedicated to uncovering the people, values, and stories that shape great restaurants - not only through food, but through human connection, memory, and vision.

Today, Behind the Pass takes us to one of Dubai’s most beloved Italian restaurants: Il Borro Tuscan Bistro Dubai. A place that has earned the loyalty of residents and visitors alike by offering something increasingly rare - consistency, authenticity, and warmth in a city defined by constant evolution.

At the helm of the kitchen is Chef Stefano Giovannetti, whose journey from Italy to Dubai mirrors the spirit of Il Borro itself: deeply rooted in tradition, yet confidently international.

Il Borro Dubai: Tuscan Roots in a Global City

Il Borro is not just a Tuscan restaurant abroad. It is a philosophy exported with care. Rooted in the vision of the Ferragamo family, Il Borro represents a way of living and dining that values simplicity, respect for ingredients, and the pleasure of sharing food around a table.

In Dubai, this philosophy translates into an experience that feels both comforting and elevated. The atmosphere is refined but never rigid; elegant yet welcoming. Guests arrive not just to eat, but to feel - to reconnect with the flavors and rituals of Tuscany, even thousands of kilometers away.

According to Chef Stefano, the goal has never been to create something “unforgettable” in a dramatic sense, but rather something memorable - moments that guests carry with them. Through Tuscan cuisine, warm service, genuine smiles, and honest food.

Chef Stefano Giovannetti: A Personal Journey

Stefano Giovannetti’s story is one of courage, adaptability, and grounded ambition. He arrived in Dubai eight years ago, leaving Italy behind with his fiancée - now his wife - following an opportunity that many would hesitate to embrace.

“It started almost casually,” he recalls. “Why not? What do we have to lose?”

What followed was the building of a new life, both personally and professionally. Today Dubai is home. His family is here, his two daughters are growing up here, and Il Borro has become not just a workplace, but an extension of his identity.

Balancing family life with the demands of a restaurant kitchen is never easy. Long hours, pressure, expectations - yet Stefano speaks with calm honesty about the challenges and the privileges of this choice. Sometimes, he jokes, he is a full-time “mammo.” And yes - it’s not easy - but it’s real.

Working at Il Borro: Responsibility Over Ego

For Stefano, leading the kitchen at Il Borro is above all a responsibility.

A restaurant of this level allows little room for error. Guests arrive with precise expectations, formed by reputation, experience, and trust built over nearly a decade in Dubai. Delivering consistency day after day requires discipline, communication, and strong relationships - not only within the kitchen, but across the entire restaurant.

“One of the most important things,” Stefano explains, “is keeping the team united. Making sure the dining room, the service, and the kitchen speak the same language.”

This means talking, explaining, transferring intent - ensuring that what leaves the kitchen arrives at the table exactly as intended.

On difficult days, his mantra is simple: professionalism over emotion. Bad days exist, he says, but one dark spot should never stain the entire page.

The Importance of Ingredients - and of Longino

In a culinary city like Dubai, compromise is not an option.

Standards are unforgiving, competition is fierce, and mediocrity has no place. For this reason, the choice of ingredients becomes strategic.

Stefano is clear: quality products are non-negotiable.

This is where the long-standing relationship with Longino & Cardenal becomes fundamental. Trust between chef and supplier is built through consistency, transparency, and honesty - including knowing when not to deliver.

Sometimes, producers will say: “This week’s batch isn’t good enough. Let’s skip it.”

For Stefano, that level of integrity defines a real partnership. It allows him to maintain control, confidence, and excellence — before the product even arrives in the kitchen.

The Dish That Defines Il Borro: Fassona Oberto Carpaccio

Every restaurant has a dish that tells its story. At Il Borro, one of the strongest symbols is Fassona carpaccio made with Fassona Oberto, supplied by Longino.

Fassona is not just a meat - it is a cultural product. Lean, delicate, precise, and perfect for raw preparations. In Stefano’s words: “It’s ideal for carpaccio. Clean, elegant, light. And in Dubai, it’s extremely popular.”

The choice of Fassona Oberto is deliberate. It represents reliability, quality, and performance. It is one of the restaurant’s best sellers - a reflection of both tradition and contemporary taste.

During the Behind the Pass cooking moment, the philosophy becomes tangible. No excess, no tricks. A perfectly handled product, finished with restraint, allowing the ingredient to speak.

Memory, Humanity, and the Kitchen as Family

When asked what ingredient reminds him of childhood, Stefano doesn’t hesitate: ragù.

Not a single ingredient, but a preparation - Sundays, family, time spent together. That emotional connection defines his approach to cooking and mirrors the atmosphere at Il Borro.

There is a strong sense of family within the restaurant. A bond built through collaboration, shared pressure, and mutual respect. From the kitchen team to the front of house, everyone contributes to the experience.

Even the anecdotes - like the infamous day when the printer broke with 400 guests in the restaurant - are reminders that hospitality is problem-solving under pressure, often with a smile.

The Final Toast

As the interview draws to a close, what remains is a feeling - a sense of ease. Il Borro’s magic lies in its balance: lighthearted yet reserved, welcoming yet refined. A place where you sit at the bar, order a glass of wine, and somehow forget time.

A final toast seals the moment - not to spectacle, but to craft. To people. To stories told behind the pass.

Why This Story Matters

Chef Stefano Giovannetti represents a kind of leadership that is often overlooked: quiet, consistent, human. His work at Il Borro proves that excellence does not always require reinvention - sometimes it requires care, listening, and respect for what already works.

This is another story behind the pass.