Author: The Smalls

Named for Cortina d’Ampezzo’s altitude, 1,224 meters, 1224 Restaurant brings an accomplished culinary team and a distinctly contemporary perspective to the heart of Cortina.

Opened in December 2025 inside the Grand Hotel Savoia, 1224 is the new home of patron Michel Oberhammer, Chef Federico Rovacchi, maître Elisa Prudente, and much of the team previously behind Baita Piè Tofana. The address has changed dramatically, but the culinary pedigree runs much deeper.

Before taking the helm at Baita Piè Tofana, Rovacchi spent nearly six years in the kitchen of St. Hubertus at Rosa Alpina in San Cassiano, working under Norbert Niederkofler during the restaurant’s extraordinary three-Michelin-star era. That experience helped shape his respect for mountain ingredients, seasonality, and sense of place, although Rovacchi has since developed a distinctly personal style that reaches well beyond traditional alpine cooking.

At 1224, the Dolomites provide the foundation rather than the boundary. Local ingredients and wild mountain herbs mingle with exceptional products sourced beyond the region, while French technique and subtle Asian influences bring precision and lightness to the menu.

Vegetables are treated with the same seriousness as meat and fish. Wild herbs, roots, sprouts, and seasonal produce share the spotlight with game, mountain fish, selected meats, and seafood. Charcoal cooking is another recurring thread, adding smoke and depth while allowing the quality of the ingredients to remain central.

The dining room follows the same philosophy. Wood maintains a connection to its alpine roots, while glass, light, and contemporary materials create an atmosphere that feels sophisticated and decidedly current. An ambitious cellar brings together important international labels and smaller artisanal producers.

This is not a restaurant attempting to recreate a mountain hut in the center of Cortina. It is the next chapter for a chef and team who have spent years helping shape the region’s evolving culinary identity.

Just outside the center of Cortina on the road toward Passo Tre Croci and Misurina, Ristorante Al Camin is one of those enduring local restaurants that balances refinement with the warmth of a family-run dining room.

Chef Fabio Pompanin’s cooking begins firmly in the Dolomites but refuses to remain confined there. Traditional Ampezzo ingredients and recipes appear alongside seafood, international influences, and more creative combinations, resulting in cuisine that feels rooted in place without becoming predictable.

House-made pasta and ravioli, seasonal soups, baccalà, game, and the restaurant’s longstanding black-rice timbale with shrimp and curry sauce sit comfortably within a menu that moves between mountain tradition and Fabio’s more contemporary instincts.

The setting reflects the same philosophy. Renovated in collaboration with architect Ambra Piccin, Al Camin combines a modern bar inspired by Giò Ponti with a warmer dining room celebrating historic Ampezzo crafts, all created by local artisans. In summer, the raised terrace offers expansive views over Cortina and toward the Tofane.

Fabio is also a sommelier, and the wine program is an important part of the experience. This is the kind of restaurant where asking the chef and team to guide both the food and wine can lead to a far more interesting evening than simply ordering familiar favorites.

At 1,778 meters above Cortina d’Ampezzo, Ristorante Col Druscié 1778 combines traditional mountain cooking with one of the most spectacular panoramas in the Ampezzo Valley.

Reached by the Freccia nel Cielo gondola, the restaurant sits high on Tofana overlooking the World Cup ski slopes, Cortina below, and the surrounding Dolomites. In summer, it makes an easy destination for hikers, cyclists, or anyone who simply wants to ride the gondola up for lunch; in winter, it becomes a natural stop during a day on the mountain.

Inside, the atmosphere is warm and distinctly Ampezzan, with wood interiors that remain simple and elegant rather than overly rustic. Outside, the expansive terrace is the reason to linger on a clear day.

The kitchen stays close to Italian and Ampezzo tradition, emphasizing fresh, seasonal ingredients while also providing thoughtful vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. This is mountain food meant to complement the setting rather than compete with it.

And there is one unexpected detail: immediately beside the restaurant is an astronomical observatory. Special Astrocene evenings combine dinner with the extraordinary experience of exploring the night sky from high above Cortina.

Just a few minutes from the center of Cortina, Baita Fraina Ristorante feels worlds away, tucked into a peaceful mountain setting with views toward the Dolomites.

The Menardi family has deep roots here, with a history of hospitality that began when Baita Fraina was still a farmhouse. Today, that heritage remains an important part of the experience, but the restaurant has evolved into a polished destination for both lunch and dinner.

The kitchen is grounded in simplicity, tradition and quality ingredients, taking familiar flavors of the region and presenting them with a more contemporary perspective. It is refined without becoming overly formal and unmistakably connected to its mountain setting.

Inside, wood-paneled dining rooms create the warmth you want from a Dolomites restaurant. When the weather cooperates, the terrace adds another dimension, with beautiful views toward the surrounding peaks.

Wine is taken seriously here as well. The cellar offers an extensive selection, making Baita Fraina particularly appealing for a long dinner when the bottle is as much a part of the experience as the food.

Despite being only minutes from central Cortina, leaving town changes the mood completely. The bustle disappears, the mountains take over, and dinner begins to feel like a destination rather than simply another reservation.