L to R: Owner Alfio Puglisi, Alberto Carpinteri and Kaita Osumimoto. Credit Marta Giaccone
Palazzo Previtera, a 17th-century palazzo and luxury guesthouse in Linguaglossa, on the northern slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, has opened Previtera Kitchen, a 15-seat fine dining restaurant, alongside a contemporary bar. The new spaces mark the latest evolution of the historic property, which has become a centre of culture, hospitality and now, gastronomy, in the East of Sicily.
Previtera Kitchen is led by Sicilian Executive Chef Alberto Carpinteri, formerly of the one Michelin-starred Alto in Fiorano Modenese and chef Kaita Osumimoto, originally from Japan, formerly of the one Michelin starred restaurant Gagini in Palermo in 2024. Together, they offer a five-course seasonal tasting dinner menu shaped by Sicilian produce, with influences drawn from Japanese and Mediterranean cuisines. Menus change regularly, with ingredients sourced locally and foraged from the surrounding fertile Etna soil.
Sample dishes include:
- Sicilian gazpacho with grilled tomatoes and fried zucchini flowers
- Red porgy crudo with pickled grapes, cucumber, local vinegar
- Gyoza shaped ravioli filled with red porgy in kombu broth
- Risotto with Etna saffron, mussels, Ras el Hanout
- Perciasacchi (a Sicilian ancient grain) tagliatelle, chicory cream, courtyard bottarga
- Hanger steak marinated in koji (Japanese fungus), red pepper, ‘bastaddu’ broccoli (an heirloom Sicilian variety, which is a cross between broccoli and cauliflower)
- Pan brioche with butter marsala and home made ice cream from local ingredients
Dishes are paired with Etna DOC wines showcasing the region’s volcanic landscape such as Vino di Anna, Alice Bonaccorsi, Frank Cornelissen, Giardini Coleringer, Gustinella wines, Kalma Wines amongst others.
Chef Alberto brings a background in fine dining and deep roots in Sicilian cuisine, while Kaita, originally from Hiroshima, has spent two years immersed in Italian kitchens in Tuscany and Palermo. Their collaboration is based on a shared philosophy that cooking is a daily ritual, grounded in tradition but open to evolution and innovation. At Previtera Kitchen, they cook together, learn from one another, and create dishes that reflect a reinterpretation of traditional Sicilian dishes through a contemporary lens.
The restaurant is situated in the medieval part of the palazzo, with guests dining beneath vaulted ceilings and among original wooden cabinets, marble and wooden tables, and vibrant upholstered chairs. At the heart of the space is an open white marble topped kitchen with copper sinks, where guests can watch dishes come to life.
Dishes are served directly by the cooks on hand painted ceramic plates featuring the Previtera palm tree emblem, building a real connection between them and the guests through the explanation of the process that took them to create the dish.
A Bar with Sicilian Soul
Steps from the restaurant, the stylish new bar is in a restored storage space with lava stone arcading, sand resin floors, and contemporary artwork. Guests can enter from the street or through the gardens and discover a cosy, contemporary space serving a curated list of Etna wines, alongside artisan cocktails including:
- A sambuca flower cocktail made from wild blossoms foraged on Mount Etna and local gin.
- Etna vermouth served with Sicilian nibbles
- Rotating seasonal drinks using herbs, citrus, and foraged botanicals