Rosval Named Best Female Chef at 50 Best
Jessica Rosval won the Best Female Chef award at The 50 Best Restaurants 2026 ceremony in Lima, while her restaurant Al Gatto Verde climbed to no. 24.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Italian Food
Jessica Rosval was named Best Female Chef at the ceremony of The 50 Best Restaurants 2026 in Lima. Al Gatto Verde, the restaurant within Massimo Bottura's Casa Maria Luigia near Modena, climbed 68 places to no. 24 on the list.
Why it matters
Al Gatto Verde is now the second-highest-ranked restaurant in Italy on the list, underscoring the growing international profile of Italian cooking. The recognition also spotlights Rosval's work with Roots, a social enterprise restaurant in Modena.
Al Gatto Verde's kitchen runs primarily on solar power and fuels its grills with felled trees, with wood-fire cooking at the heart of the kitchen. The restaurant holds one Michelin star and a Michelin Green Star.
The players
Jessica Rosval
Rosval is a chef who became chef de cuisine at Casa Maria Luigia in 2019 and co-founded the social enterprise restaurant Roots in Modena.
Massimo Bottura
Bottura is a celebrated Italian chef whose Casa Maria Luigia property houses the Al Gatto Verde restaurant.
The details
Rosval traveled to Modena in 2013 and began working at Osteria Francescana two months later, becoming chef de cuisine at Casa Maria Luigia in 2019. Al Gatto Verde opened in September 2023 in the courtyard of Casa Maria Luigia.
Timeline
2013: Rosval traveled to Modena and began working at Osteria Francescana.
June 2020: Tòla Dòlza Sunday gatherings around the wood-fired oven were launched.
September 2023: Al Gatto Verde opened in Casa Maria Luigia's courtyard.
November 4, 2026: Rosval was named Best Female Chef at The 50 Best Restaurants 2026 in Lima.
Culture Shift
Al Gatto Verde's climb on The 50 Best Restaurants list places a Modena kitchen built around wood-fire cooking and solar power among the highest-rated restaurants in Italy. The recognition follows Italy's longstanding emphasis on regional culinary identity within international fine dining rankings.
Diners planning a visit to Al Gatto Verde should expect a restaurant that runs on solar power and cooks over wood fire, reflecting its approach to sustainability. The Roots training programme, which had 63 graduates by the end of 2025, offers a model for how the restaurant's social mission shapes its kitchen.
The takeaway
Recognition from The 50 Best Restaurants can draw attention to kitchens that combine culinary excellence with environmental and social goals, as Al Gatto Verde and Roots demonstrate. Readers interested in Italian dining can look for restaurants that emphasize regional ingredients and sustainable practices.
Further reading
Explore more on Italian Food to see how restaurants like Al Gatto Verde are shaping the country's culinary reputation.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Upcoming.
