Every good story
begins with a dream.
The story of Cristlá begins long before the first stone was laid — with a sentence a four-year-old boy said to his mother.
“One day I'll be a chef.”
The story of Cristlá really began when Ivo was still a little boy. “One day I'll be a chef,” he is said to have told his mother at just four years old. Back then it may have been just a sentence from a small boy — but one that would come true.
Ivo trained as a chef and went on to work in many fine kitchens across South Tyrol. His passion and curiosity took him beyond borders, too: he completed a stage in New York twice, and between seasons he gained international experience with Formula 1 catering in Dubai and Monaco.
Yet alongside his love of cooking, Ivo always had another wish: to stand on his own two feet one day and run his own kitchen. His own place, where he could realise his ideas and share his passion for good food with others.
A piece of the farm, a big dream.
But it was a long road before that dream became reality. The plot where Cristlá stands today belonged to the farm. And because it is a closed farmstead, it was not easy to separate a piece of it and put it to new use. The permits took their time.
In those days there was still the possibility of making a personal plea to the province. Once a week people could bring their concerns and wishes to the then governor, Luis Durnwalder. So one day Ivo set off for Bolzano.
It was winter. It was snowing. And Ivo was there at four in the morning. But even at that hour he was not the first waiting for an appointment.
Eventually his turn came, and he told Durnwalder about his dream: about his passion for cooking, his wish for his own restaurant, and his plans.
“I cannot promise you anything. But I will do my best.”
Ivo stayed persistent. He did not give up on his dream. And indeed: on the third attempt the approval for the tourism zone came through. The way was clear — and so what is Cristlá today could come into being.
Cristlá.
Ladin for
“opposite the cross”
The name, too, carries a piece of history within it. In this special place, where a horse trough once stood, the restaurant arose that today stands for good food, hospitality and a passion for cooking.
From a dream, a place.
Today Cristlá brings many things together: the history of the farm, the passion of a family, the experience of many kitchens — and above all the dream of a little boy who already knew at four years old:
One day I'll be a chef.
That sentence became a life's path. A piece of the farm became a restaurant. And a dream became a place where people come together today.
That is the story of Cristlá.
Be our guest.
We look forward to sharing our story with you — over a table at Cristlá.
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