Born in Empoli, Nicola Fedeli began working with pots and pans and stoves in Tuscan kitchens as early as 2000, inspired by his passion for the culinary arts. He attended the Buontalenti hotel school in Florence where he gained awareness and determination conserning his professional future, thanks also to some masters who pushed him to give his best and improve himself. Thanks to this imprinting, Nicola participated in several gastronomic competitions, winning many of them on the strength of an innate ability to always challenge himself.
His debut in the kitchen is marked by a first good star: the Michelin star of Ristorante Il Vicario, Certaldo Alto (FI), as commis. From that moment began a series of experiences in the Tuscan lands, with names such as the Restaurant La Torre of the Hotel Castello del Nero, 5* L, in Tavarnelle (FI) or the Hotel & Resort BELMOND Castello di Casole, 1* Michelin star, and through the mountains, between Cortina and San Candido, until arriving as Executive Chef at the Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro 5* L.
Since July 2021, he is Executive Chef at FASANO Restaurant NYC , in New York.
“In the kitchen I feel at home,” explains Nicola Fedeli, “since I have been practicing this wonderful profession, the only place where I love to take refuge even in the most difficult moments is in this limited space, which passes down within me an infinite passion for the culinary art combined with the pleasure of elaborating dishes for guests. When I cook, I close my head and think of nothing but the individual and sequential moments of the execution of my dish, until I reach the predetermined result, that is, perfection, which should make the diner happy and fulfilled in all his senses.”
Part of the secret of his cooking lies in his ability to empathize with his guest, because “overcooked or too raw is no good, and haste is a bad counselor.“