A day at Acquarello: 8 pm

A day at Acquarello: 8 pm. They arrived — our guests. Thanks to the preparations we've already done during the day, we know exactly what to do. So (most of the time) we do not have more stress than does us good. The orders are coming in. Three seconds before the plates are served to the guests, we add the finishing touches. 550 to 700 times a night. The linchpin of our kitchen is the serving area or "pass" as it's known in the trade. Full and empty breadbaskets, cups, plates, bowls come and go — non-stop. Our highlight of the night? Taking leave of our guests. It's fantastic to see so many smiling faces, paying us some great compliments.

Mario Gamba